You are here: Home / Archives for Growing Tomatoes

Freezing Tomatoes to Preserve Flavor

March 27, 2012 By Leave a Comment
freezing tomatoes

Freezing tomatoes takes a lot of work. To successfully tend and nurture tomato plants all season long, so they are brought to the point of bearing fruit. Once the fruit starts to ripen, you face the problem of what to do with all the tomatoes that the plants produce. Of course this is dependent on the number of tomato plants you planted in spring.But lets assume you have to many tomatoes to eat.

Since there is no way to eat everything before it starts to go bad, you must find something else to do with them. Freezing tomatoes is the answer to this problem.

There has been much written as to why you should avoid freezing tomatoes, but the primary one listed is that they do not taste the same after being frozen. I have this not to be the case at all. In actuality, they often taste just as good but can tend to be softer so they are more suited for use in sauces and soups. As long as you freeze tomatoes correctly, they will provide you with great tasting dishes all winter long and save you buying that horrible bottled sauce from the supermarkets…

I have also read that it is not posible to freeze tomatoes with or without the skin.

This is total rubbish!

I have done both and both work well but I prefer to freeze them skin and all as I prefer the flavor when the skin is on. Up to you, but don’t worry either way. Before freezing make sure you wash the tomatoes thoroughly in cold water and cut away the stem and scar before preparation for freezing. To peel the fruit, dip in hot water to split the skin and remove it carefully. The rest of the process is the same with or without skins.

When you are ready to freeze the tomatoes, you will need enough space in the freezer large enough to fit a cooking type tray that you use in your oven. This is so you can freeze the tomatoes individually without them touching each other to avoid freezer burn.

The photo to the right of some tomatoes I frozefreezing tomatoes last summer in plastic bags. This proved to work just as well as laying them flat on a cooking type tray as suggested above but there was more freezer burn. This wasn’t a problem as my main use for them is making sauces.

1. Wash each tomato, dry using a paper towel or clean cloth and then select how to freeze the fruit. To maintain flavor, freeze the tomatoes whole, they also work well sliced or chopped, but whole is what I find keeps the flavor best. Prepare in your preferred method and place in a single layer on the cooking type tray or plastic bags and place in deep freeze.

2. (if you chose the tray method) Once the tomatoes are truly frozen solidly, remove the tray from its spot in the freezer and transfer the frozen tomatoes to sealed containers or bags to ensure that they do not suffer from freezer burn. They should last all winter long and be ready to use when needed as available perfect and tasty fruit that is probably better than anything you can purchase in the store or supermarket.

I really love hearing all of your opinions.

Please leave a comment below and let me know which method you prefer and why. Hopefully we can get some insights in to how people think about freezing tomatoes which you can apply.

Filed Under: Freezing Tomatoes, Growing Tomatoes Tagged With: , , , ,

Steps to Growing Tomatoes in Your Own Backyard

December 16, 2011 By Leave a Comment

As we all know, tomato is a heavily used ingredient in our daily living. Freshly picked is the best way to enjoy tomatoes. And it always tastes fresher when it’s grown at home. The steps to growing tomatoes are very simple and easy if you can follow a couple of rules and especially if you know how to grow tomatoes. There is nothing more delicious than biting into a tomato that comes from all your own crop and hard work.  The key to plump, juicy and flavoursome tomatoes is choosing the right location.

Steps to growing tomatoes in your yard:

First, save those seeds the next time you are slicing up a tomato on your chopping board. Put them in a little empty glass jar and filled it with water. Cover it with plastic and create some hole on it. This allows the tomato seedlings and the water to have contact with the air, since air is very important during this stage. Doing this helps to eliminate seed borne diseases and allows the gelatinous material that surrounds the seed to be broken.

Second, put the glass jar anywhere where it can receive direct sunlight. Wait for one to three days. You will see that there will be a layer of muck in the top of the water. Use a spoon carefully when removing all the dirt.

Third, get a strainer and simply rinse. Remove the remaining dirt as much as you can. Do this in a short span of time until only the seeds are left.

Fourth, find a plate. Wrap it with kitchen towel paper. Place the seeds on it properly and equally spread out. The seedlings must get dry without even sprouting. so make sure you move and turn them over once a day. After this, prepare and get ready to plant your own tomato seeds.

Last, if you don’t have the place or a plot, get some container. It depends on how many seeds you have. Then fill it with soil, place the seeds and give them enough space for growing.  Make sure the seeds are one-half to one inch down in the soil. Water the soil. Cover the wrap the container with plastic with a few holes on it. Find a nice place which can get at least seven to eight hours of sunlight during the day.

Several people have learned the secrets on how to grow tomatoes a very juicy and flavorful one. Try searching online if you want to know more about on how to grow tomatoes easily.

Filed Under: Growing Tomatoes, How To Grow Tomatoes Tagged With: , , ,

Growing Tomatoes Indoors During Cold Season

November 24, 2011 By 3 Comments
growing tomatoes indoors

Growing tomatoes indoors can be an easy task when the sun is shining brightly during the day. But, do you think it would still be possible to grow tomatoes during the cold season? Do you want to know how to grow tomatoes during cold season? Since the temperature during cold season is appropriate for growing tomatoes outside your house, it is necessary for you to learn how to grow tomatoes indoors in these times.

Before you could know how to grow tomatoes indoors, it is important for you to know that there are some tomato varieties that can grow well in indoors; this type of variety is called the pixie. Tomato plants need a minimum of eight to nine hourss of sun daily, so select a sunny window or put the containers outdoors once the weather conditions are above 70 levels. Start baby plants every couple of days to help keep the tomato plants coming all winter lengthy.  Start the seed products in a tiny pot with starter mix. Put the seed products at first glance and cover with 1/4 inch of soil. Always make sure that the soil is moist, therefore watering it regularly is a must and should not be missed. Expect the seed products should sprout in one or two days’ time.  Transplant the new plants once the vegetation is about 3 inches tall. Choose an eight to twelve inch plastic pot with good drainage along with a saucer to trap drainage. Bigger containers can accommodate two plants.

You would then need to fill the pot about 3/4 full with a combination of equal parts planting soil, peat moss, compost and perlite. Place a dowel or stake who are holding cards. Next step is to transplant a seedling in to the pot near the dowel. Put the plant within the soil to ensure that area of the stem is hidden. Fill the pot to roughly 3/4 inch in the top and tap lower the soil. Water the baby plant and tie the stem towards the stake with cotton twine to hold them up.   Put the containers inside a sunny location from the wind. Water when needed, soaking the soil every time. Turn the plants every couple of days to ensure that the plant will get sun evenly in all sides.

Hands pollinate plants growing inside. Lightly shake each flower to maneuver the pollen within, or make use of a small paintbrush to maneuver the pollen around inside each flower.  Fertilize once the fruits are small. Make use of a liquid fertilizer created for tomato plants. Fertilize every couple of days as the vegetation is bearing.  Weed the containers frequently and whenever needed. Tie the tomato towards the stake when needed to aid the plant and fruit. Lastly, allow the tomato plants ripen around the vine.

Filed Under: Growing Tomatoes, How To Grow Tomatoes Tagged With: , ,

Grow Tomatoes Like A Pro

October 4, 2011 By Leave a Comment

In today’s economy to grow tomatoes is like putting cash within the bank. In some locations of the country, shoppers pay near $2 and up for one shop bought tomato. Beside of the better tastes of all organic tomato, your family is secure from direct exposure to pesticides with organically grown create. Here are some useful suggestions on how to grow tomatoes successfully inside your home garden.

A clever concept for gardeners with health issues is growing tomatoes in raised beds. A raised garden bed can help alleviate handicaps like poor backs. An additional savings towards the added mobility is the fact that you will find practically no weeds using this method! You could also install an automatic watering method, making the essential job much more effective.

Do you merely not like going towards the vegetable store and purchasing tomatoes? Would you much rather grow them on your personal, in your own garden and make sure they are one hundred per cent secure and organic? What are you currently waiting for then? Tomatoes are extremely simple to grow. In fact, they are 1 of the easiest plants to grow inside your garden. You will find simply a few things which you should keep in mind on how to grow tomatoes and that’s it.

You should know that to grow tomatoes you will require space for the tomato to grow and be healthy. They require spreading out. So grow your tomatoes at a space of two feet apart from one another. After you see small leaves sprouting, next you need to transfer them instantly. Following two weeks you can put them in a container that measures roughly4 inches. You must grow your tomatoes seedlings for seven weeks inside the house before lastly moving them in your garden.

All your tomatoes seedlings should have copious sun light from the sun. You need to location them directly under sunlight for about 8 hours every day. Even whilst choosing a place inside your garden for them to grow, you need to choose a location that receives the highest amount of sunlight. Good sunlight exposure ensures the growth of nutritious and delicious tomatoes. This tip might sound bizarre however it has been confirmed that fanning the plants for about ten minutes every day is extremely helpful. This will not just offer good aeration but will also maintain your plant away from fungal diseases. Tomatoes require a ground that is warm.

So, make sure that the ground is warm by covering it with black plastic. After it has warmed up considerably, you are able to grow your plants in this ideal atmosphere. Once your plants grow to about 3 feet, they’re ready to be pruned. You should begin by cutting the leaves from the very first inch because these are the most susceptible to fungal infections. Cut off the leaves growing on the corners of branches too. These are called laterals. Be careful not to prune too numerous leaves.

You need to usually water your tomatoes regularly. When the fruits are ripening, you are able to be relaxed concerning the watering schedule but not too much. To maintain the fungal illnesses at bay, you must use a copper spray on a fortnightly bases. Sometimesmuch moreif you live in a very humid region. Follow these rules on how to grow tomatoes and grow tomatoes like a pro.

Filed Under: Growing Tomatoes, How To Grow Tomatoes Tagged With: , ,

How to Grow Tomatoes Instructions

September 12, 2011 By Leave a Comment
how to grow tomatoes

One of the ideal choices of vegetables (I know, I know tomatoes are technically a fruit) that you can grow in your garden is tomatoes. The reason for this is because they are easy to grow and it does not require wide space to yield a dozen of tomatoes in a particular season. Aside from that, in just any type of soil, tomatoes can grow even if that is dry, moist of sandy land. The way on how to grow tomatoes are instructed below.

First, select the ideal spot where you can plant your tomatoes. This is the first part, and one important part on how to grow tomatoes. The location should get about six or eight hours of sunlight each day. For a possible maximum success of the tomatoes to grow, you should then prepare the healthy soil. You can help by adding a layer of compost if the soil that you have is not that rich or fertile.

So that the tomatoes also will not grow too fast, you can just keep the level of nitrogen in minimum. The reason for this is because if you want to hurry growing the tomatoes, it will produce fewer ones.

Another step on how to grow tomatoes is prior to planting them. You can prep the seedlings in exposure to a growing environment. Gradually, it takes few hours and time in planting so better yet ensure that you have other hardy plants to take on outdoors. This would even bare for a more productive tomato in the end. It is also ideal if you can begin with a soil having at least 50 degrees in consistently. This will result for successful planting, too. It is better if you can plant as the day is cloudy to reduce the stress for too much sunlight to the seedlings. Remember the significance of planting them in containers that have deeper holes. Aside from that, there should also be space between each seeds. You can set them in about 12 to 18 inches apart. Press down firmly the seeds and you can place stick near each plant to support its growth.

As what other plants require, you have to give proper attention such as watering, fertilizing, and mulching as a rule on how to grow tomatoes. So that it should be super productive, you can remove its first blossoms to create larger fruit. As you remove the first blossoms, this will even force the pant for greater production.

Filed Under: Growing Tomatoes, How To Grow Tomatoes Tagged With: , , ,

Six Steps To Grow Your Own Tomatoes

September 7, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Growing Tomatoes

Finding out how to grow tomatoes is like finding a needle in the haystack. Why? Because to throw some tomato seeds into the ground and eventually find them growing and bearing those round, smooth and shiny reddish orange tomatoes is like throwing the magic beans that Jack has thrown and grew into a huge beanstalk eventually bestowing him and his mother the golden harp and the chicken that lays the golden eggs.

grow your own tomatoes

You see, there is so much you can get from these tomatoes. They naturally contain phytochemicals that are known to fight off or drive away your chances of getting cancer, especially if it runs in your genes. These phytochemicals make a good antioxidant for people who are always on the go and get immediately stressed out with the daily hustles and bustles of life. This is one reason why it is best to grow your own tomatoes now. With the tomatoes you will grow, you can be certain that they are organic and therefore much healthier than the ones you will buy from the grocery stores.

Here are some tips on how to grow your own tomatoes:

1. Find the spot where there is good ventilation, adequate sunlight exposure and enough space for the tomatoes to grow as high as 6 feet. But then if you are sure that you do not have very good soil, you have the option to grow them in a container instead. For container-grown tomatoes, it is advised that they be kept under cold conditions and placed indoors.

2. Throw in all your tomato seeds into a jar filled with water. Cover the top with cling wrap or any plastic. Tie a rubber band on the side to lock the wrap then make some holes for air to pass through. These water and air are very essential for your seeds to grow into seedlings which you can later on plant into your plots.

3. Place the jar where it will receive adequate sunlight then wait for three days until you see some dirt floating in the water. Remove these bits from the water.

4. Rinse off the dirt from the tomatoes using a sieve until they are clean enough. Then put a paper towel on a plate where you will lay the already washed seeds. Turn them over once each day for faster drying up.

5. Since you have prepared your container or plot with the needed soil already, make sure you evenly space out the tomato seedlings as you arrange them. It is crucial that there is enough room for each seedling to breathe and there fore, grow. Ideally, bring each seedling to half inch or one inch down to the soil.

6. Water the plot or container. It depends on which technique you used to plant your tomatoes. When you see the seedlings growing about 5 to 6 inches tall, you can now breathe because your tomato plants are most likely to continue growing already. But then, make it a point that you continue giving them the sunlight and water that they need in order to grow. Sooner or later you will be surprised to see the plants bearing lots of reddish orange tomatoes in your garden!

Filed Under: Growing Tomatoes, How To Grow Tomatoes Tagged With: , , ,