this is a picture of the Indigo Rose grown in our garden this year. It is stunning in color, not so much in flavor in my opinion. These are dark purple on the parts that get by the sun and green on the other side. We picked one and when it got really ripe, it was orange on purple. Really pretty but I thought it was tart.
Spiced Tomato Jam
1 1/4 pounds ripe tomatoes
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp cloves
1 pckge powdered pecton or Sure Jell
4 1/2 c sugar
Wash firm ripe tomatoes. Scald, peel and chop. Puree in blender. Measure 3 cups of pureed tomatoes into a large saucepan. Add lemon juice, the ground spices and pectin.
Over high heat, bring mixture to a rolling boil, stirring constantly. Add sugar all at once, keep stirring and bring back to a rolling boil (a boil that can’t be stirred down). Boil for 1 minute.
Remove from heat and let cool for 5 minutes. Skim off foam with a metal spoon. Pour jam into jars, leaving 1/4 inch head room. Wipe the lip clean and tighten lids. Process how you would like to. Water bath would work well.
Makes about 5 half pint jars.
The recipe comes from Tzena Scarborough in Spokane Valley WA. She writes,” This is a Scarborough family favorite when tomatoes were in abundance in their garden. Mom found this recipe in the Sure Jell package.”
Making and Canning Pasta Sauce
This is a nice basic recipe for making pasta sauce. Soon, we will have a glut of tomatoes on our hands and will need ways to preserve them.
Here in the Inland Northwest, we have gone from 50 something degrees to 99 degrees in a matter of days it seems. Not only does that play havoc with our human bodies but it can have consequences in our gardens.
The common miconception is that tomatoes love heat, the hotter the better. Not so much. High temperatures can cause several problems with tomato production. One of them is “tomato blossom drop.” The tomato blossoms “dry up and fall off the plant before a fruit is formed.”
“Tomatoes grow best if daytime temperatures range between 70 F and 85 F. Tomato plants can tolerate more extreme temperatures for short periods, but after several days or nights with temps outside the ideal range, the plants start to focus on survival not producing fruit. High nighttime temps are even worse than high daytime temperatures because the tomato plant never gets to rest.”
Another tomato response to extreme heat involves its leaves. Just as they respond to very cold temps and lots of moisture with their leaves, you will notice that some tomato varieties also respond to heat by curling their leaves. That’s a defensive mechanism that attempts to slow transpiration (evaporation from the leaf surface) of water from plant to atmosphere.
Specific temperatures at which blossom drop begins will vary from variety to variety. If you experience this, all is not lost, they will eventually snap out it. Water thoroughly early in the morning or put a drip system on at night to keep them well hydrated. Mulch to help retain their moisture. And pray for more temperate weather!
We have been having huge shifts in temperature lately. From 80’s to the 50’s and lots and lots of rain. Our tomatoes are reacting to these changes on an individual basis. some of my varieties, actually most of them, are doing well. A couple have leaf spots (I’ll do a separate post of that at a later date), my “Cougar Red” has some curled, rolled leaves (other than that it is healthy). I have done some research on the latter and this is what I’ve found:
“Leaf Roll:
During very wet seasons, tomato plants frequently show an upward rolling of the leaflets of the older leaves. At first this rolling gives the leaflet a cupped appearance. Later, the margins of the leaflets touch or overlap. The rolled leaves are firm and leathery to the touch. One half to three-fourths of the foliage may be affected. Plant growth is not noticeably checked, and a normal crop of fruit is produced. Frequently leaf roll occurs when tomato plants are pruned severely, and it is very common when unusually heavy rains cause the soil to remain moist for long periods of time.
To prevent leaf roll, keep tomato plants on well-drained, well-aerated soil, and protect them from prolonged periods of heavy rainfall if you can.”
Also this: (Univ. of Colo.)
“Leaf roll, or leaf curl, is a physiologic distortion that may develop with periods of cool, rainy weather. It cause the lower leaves to roll upward and become thick and leathery. Leaf roll does not affect plant growth or fruit production and requires no treatment.
Leaf Roll
Herbicides can distort the foliage and fruit of tomatoes. They are especially sensitive to 2,4-D. Damage can bend the leaves down, causing cupping and thickening. New leaves are narrow and twisted and do not fully expand. Fruit may be catfaced and fail to ripen. Exposure can occur when herbicides are applied to lawns for weed control and the spray “drifts”. Resultant fumes can also effect the plants for several days after treatment. Clippings from grass that has been sprayed with a herbicide should not be used as mulch in the vegetable garden. If the exposure is minimal, the plant will outgrow the injury. Be sure to water the affected plants thoroughly and often.”
I guess I will have to wait and see how they turn out. In the meantime, the “Cougar Red” is in it’s own pot and segregated to be on the safe side.
Some tomatoes are more ideal for containers than others although you can put any tomato in a pot. Just be sure to make it a big pot. It will be constrained by the size of the pot. Determinates, meaning they grow 2-4 feet, are good choices. It will have plenty of room to grow and the pot won’t require as much watering due to it’s mass. A half wine barrel size is perfect. For those with small spaces that can’t accommodate a pot of that size, there are a few tomatoes that will grow quite nicely in a smaller pot than that just mentioned. Or you could try a hanging pot. One note: don’t expect to pick enough to put up 25 quarts of tomatoes. You will have enough to put into your salads and meals and if it’s a cherry tomato, enough to share with your friends. Below are few that I recommend:
Better Bush Small, compact bush for patio, deck, or balcony containers; fruits to 8 ounces, with old-fashioned tomato flavor; from 3 to 4 feet tall; requires staking. Indeterminate, hybrid VFN, 68 days to harvest.
Bush Early Girl Small, compact plants with top yield of 6- to 7-ounce fruits and very good flavor. Determinate, hybrid VFFNT, 54 days to harvest.
Early Wonder Compact plant produces round, dark pink fruit to 6 ounces; full tomato flavor, great taste. Determinate, open-pollinated, 55 days to harvest.
Patio Perfect for container gardening or limited space. Vines are extremely compact, yet produce medium-sized, deep oblate fruits that are smooth, firm and flavorful. This was a nice tomato and had surprisingly large fruits for a plant this size. Determinate, 70 days
Mountain Princess This early tomato from West Virginia has been grown for generations in the mountain climate of the state. Bright red and mildly flavored, the 8 ounce fruit is round, smooth and solid. A good short season variety that is also very productive. First introduced in the United States by Heirloom Seeds. Determinate, 68 days
Season Starter Always grow the first tomato on the block with this super-fast determinate variety! It sets huge yields of juicy-sweet 6 oz fruits. Resistant to cracking, they hold on the plant very well after ripening. A great choice for northern climates, where the growing season is short. Determinate, 60 days
Green Grape – Personal Favorite These are the first, fully ripened green cherry tomato. You don’t expect them to be as yummy as they are when you bite into them. Fruits are delicious, juicy and sweet. They turn a lovely golden green when ripe and are wonderful straight from the vine. Mix with Sweet Million and Sungold cherry tomatoes for a rainbow salad. Use in a large container planting on your deck. Determinate, 70 days
Hundreds and Thousands Hundreds Yes. Thousands? Not really, but you won’t go short of tomatoes with this variety. A single plant in a 13” basket produced a very impressive 504 fruits from the start of August until the end of September. The sweet, mini-cherry fruit measuring just 15 mm in diameter and are very flavorful.
Tumbler Specially bred for hanging baskets. Bushy plants look fantastic mixed with lobelia and alyssum. Sweet, bright red fruits. Determinate, 45 days
Polar Beauty Developed in Alaska for colder climates, it bears small to medium-sized oblate tomatoes with a good, full tomato taste. Short, bushy plants are productive. Determinate, 63 days.
Siberia This might be the earliest tomato ever – only 7 weeks from transplanting to table. Capable of setting fruits at 38 F on sturdy dark green plants. The fruits are bright red, 3 to 5 oz. and bunch in clusters. Also good for a patio. Determinate, 48 day.
Bushtsteak This surprisingly compact (20-24”) plant is just loaded with large, flavorful tomatoes. Well-suited for a patio, small garden and containers, the dwarf plants offer big meaty fruit (8-12 oz.) and early maturity. Determinate, 65 days
Cougar Red This is a new red tomato that has been grown and tested for cool summer temps with a short growing season. This meaty, medium sized fruit is good for home processing. The flavor is a good mixture of sugar and low acid. Plants of Cougar Red are vigorous and semi-determinate
Glacier Extremely early, cold-tolerant, high yielding special strain of tomato plant. Begins flowering when only 4” high. You can expect 2 to 3 oz. fruits with outstanding flavor for such an early tomato. Semi-determinate, 45 days
Pictured is a green grape cherry tomato
What can green do for you? Don’t let the color fool you. this is very, very sweet cherry tomato and it bursts in your mouth with a satisfying juiciness. They are ping pong sized and turn a lovely golden green and give to the touch when they are fully ripe. Yum. They look beautiful in a salad with other colored cherry tomatoes such as black cherry, sungold, sweet million, italian ice and the pink sugary.
Took me almost four days but they have been relocated to their own little patch of heaven, a 3.5 inch pot! Better yet, I got the website up and updated with all of my 2013 varieties, all 161 of them. My peppers have been updated too, 41 varieties. If you are interested in tomatoes and peppers, check it out. There is a lot of info on how to plant them and grow them to great heights. Plus, you will be amazed how many kinds and colors there are.
the website address is: http://www.thetomatolady.com
After an initial watering from the top, we bottom water so as not to encourage damping off. They will wick it up from the bottom getting right to where it needs to go – the roots.
This is a shelving rack with ordinary fluorescent lights hovering just above flats full of tomato plants. The lights need to be close to provide light and warmth otherwise the plants will get leggy
garden and art
sharing my experiments in crafting
Big plans for a small garden
EXPLORING COVETED LITTLE LUXURIES
Experiences in Backyard Biological Gardening
My weekend baking trials, tribulations and some triumphs
Remarkable Beaded Jewelry, Hair Accessories, & More
random thoughts from an eclectic mind
The latest news on WordPress.com and the WordPress community.
Notes From The Tomato Lady 