So many tomatoes....

[JC in GB]

Good day everyone. Well, this year's garden has been a real mixed bag. My tomatoes and catnip patch are kicking ass. My peppers and Brussels sprouts have been a humiliating disaster.

So, on to the subject... What is your favorite method for preserving tomatoes? I have a bunch and I am going to have to store some of them. Thanks for your input.

JC

 

[Winterrider]

I mostly just Blanche and use as stewed tomatoes. Salsa occasionally.

 

[Torch&Tone]

I think canning is probably the best from a flavor perspective, but obviously the most work. The easier route is freezing. You can freeze the tomatoes whole (defrosted tomatoes are easier to peel & puree, but freezing whole tomatoes takes up a lot of freezer space), or you can run them through a food mill first (separating the passata from the seeds & skin) and freeze those in bags, or you can take it all the way to making complete sauces (pizza, pasta, red...)/soups/salsa now, and freezing those for low-hassle meals later. Slicing and dehydrating - for use like sun-dried tomatoes or before freezing - is another option. DIY tomato ketchup is also a fun mini-project.

The important thing is to inspect each tomato CLOSELY. Any flaws in one before preserving can ruin the whole batch by the time you go to use them.

 

[texomakid]

You grow your own catnip? My 2 cats go crazy on that stuff. They love it.

 

[Coreymacc]

I have another thread about pickling cherry tomatoes, its slowly working.

Corey

 

[JC in GB]

You grow your own catnip? My 2 cats go crazy on that stuff. They love it.

Yeah and it is kind of funny that the 2 cats that go outside are kind of MEH, toward the catnip. The two cats that don't like going out go nuts for it. Go figure..

JC

 

[JC in GB]

I think canning is probably the best from a flavor perspective, but obviously the most work. The easier route is freezing. You can freeze the tomatoes whole (defrosted tomatoes are easier to peel & puree, but freezing whole tomatoes takes up a lot of freezer space), or you can run them through a food mill first (separating the passata from the seeds & skin) and freeze those in bags, or you can take it all the way to making complete sauces (pizza, pasta, red...)/soups/salsa now, and freezing those for low-hassle meals later. Slicing and dehydrating - for use like sun-dried tomatoes or before freezing - is another option. DIY tomato ketchup is also a fun mini-project.

The important thing is to inspect each tomato CLOSELY. Any flaws in one before preserving can ruin the whole batch by the time you go to use them.

Thanks for the advice. I am sure to keep that in mind as I mull this over. I am thinking right now that freezing may be my best option considering what I think I am going to be using the tomatoes to cook. Thanks....

JC

 

[mneeley490]

I always made pasta sauce out of extra tomatoes.
Never could get catnip to grow well, as the neighbor cats would trash the plants overnight as soon as they started sprouting leaves.

 

[forktender]

I think canning is probably the best from a flavor perspective, but obviously the most work. The easier route is freezing. You can freeze the tomatoes whole (defrosted tomatoes are easier to peel & puree, but freezing whole tomatoes takes up a lot of freezer space), or you can run them through a food mill first (separating the passata from the seeds & skin) and freeze those in bags, or you can take it all the way to making complete sauces (pizza, pasta, red...)/soups/salsa now, and freezing those for low-hassle meals later. Slicing and dehydrating - for use like sun-dried tomatoes or before freezing - is another option. DIY tomato ketchup is also a fun mini-project.

The important thing is to inspect each tomato CLOSELY. Any flaws in one before preserving can ruin the whole batch by the time you go to use them.

Torch&Tone You saved me a lot of typing.

Jeff, I mainly blanch them, I cut a shallow X on each end, then blanch them for 20 to 30 seconds in boiling salt water, dunk in an ice bath, peel, freeze them flat in gallon Ziploc bags, then vacuum seal. I absolutely hate to add citric acid or lemon juice in the tomato canning process, it destroys the sweetness of good homegrown Toms, so you may as well use the crap store bought fresh Toms, in my opinion.

My favorite way to save tomatoes is to cut them into 1/2'' wide slices, then place the slices on a cooling rack on a cookie sheet, then pop them into the oven on the lowest/ Warm setting overnight or until they are dry, vacuum seal and store them in the freezer. If they are completely dry, you don't have to freeze them, I just feel better freezing. Then I use the dried Toms in sauces and stews by rehydrating them in boiling water or stock for a few minutes. I love using the dried Toms in cold pasta salads, instead of reconstituting them in H2o I them Julian style then add them to EVOO, I love the sweetness that comes from dried Toms. Unless you have a dust free area, I wouldn't sun dry them, the oven dried taste exactly the same to me, and it's much cleaner, and quicker than sun drying them. If you have a good sized dehydrator, that would be ideal, I don't, so I use the oven on low, with the door cracked open a 1/2''. I make Jerky in the oven the same way. I don't preserve Tom's very often anymore because I can buy a #10 can of the absolute best Toms in the world, "Stanislaus Brand Tomatoes" a half mile from my house at Restaurant Supply, for less than $15 a can. If I don't use the whole can, I vacuum seal and freeze what's left, I absolutely love Toms, and Tom sauce, so I normally just pour the leftovers into Ball jars and vacuum seal the lids and put them in the refer to use the next week.

I use the $h!t out of this little jar sealer, I love the thing.

Amazon.com

Enjoy your haul, Jeff!!!

 

[ifitsdeadsmokeit]

We had friends give us 30# of a variety of maters. We canned salsa. If get more, likely make juice and can it.

 

[jcam222]

I got the poorest yield I've ever gotten from this years tomatoes. Some plants didn't even set fruit. The local Mennonite veggie market told me they had the same issues. I think extended heat spells caused aot of blossom drop.

 

[Coreymacc]

Tried my hand at home made ketchup, i went rustic so no straining, skins and all, just reducing it now. Found a Heinz clone recipe, and adjusted it, little more tartness and a bit more celery seed. Its really good. Used up 4 cups of cherry tomatoes

Corey

 

[JC in GB]

I got the poorest yield I've ever gotten from this years tomatoes. Some plants didn't even set fruit. The local Mennonite veggie market told me they had the same issues. I think extended heat spells caused aot of blossom drop.

That is what happened to my peppers. Some plants didn't even hold blossoms. Just dismal. All the peppers I did get so far, have some kind of disease or rot. Just awful. Thanks for the post.

JC

 

[JC in GB]

Torch&Tone You saved me a lot of typing.

Jeff, I mainly blanch them, I cut a shallow X on each end, then blanch them for 20 to 30 seconds in boiling salt water, dunk in an ice bath, peel, freeze them flat in gallon Ziploc bags, then vacuum seal. I absolutely hate to add citric acid or lemon juice in the tomato canning process, it destroys the sweetness of good homegrown Toms, so you may as well use the crap store bought fresh Toms, in my opinion.

My favorite way to save tomatoes is to cut them into 1/2'' wide slices, then place the slices on a cooling rack on a cookie sheet, then pop them into the oven on the lowest/ Warm setting overnight or until they are dry, vacuum seal and store them in the freezer. If they are completely dry, you don't have to freeze them, I just feel better freezing. Then I use the dried Toms in sauces and stews by rehydrating them in boiling water or stock for a few minutes. I love using the dried Toms in cold pasta salads, instead of reconstituting them in H2o I them Julian style then add them to EVOO, I love the sweetness that comes from dried Toms. Unless you have a dust free area, I wouldn't sun dry them, the oven dried taste exactly the same to me, and it's much cleaner, and quicker than sun drying them. If you have a good sized dehydrator, that would be ideal, I don't, so I use the oven on low, with the door cracked open a 1/2''. I make Jerky in the oven the same way. I don't preserve Tom's very often anymore because I can buy a #10 can of the absolute best Toms in the world, "Stanislaus Brand Tomatoes" a half mile from my house at Restaurant Supply, for less than $15 a can. If I don't use the whole can, I vacuum seal and freeze what's left, I absolutely love Toms, and Tom sauce, so I normally just pour the leftovers into Ball jars and vacuum seal the lids and put them in the refer to use the next week.

I use the $h!t out of this little jar sealer, I love the thing.

Amazon.com

Enjoy your haul, Jeff!!!

Great advice. I have never dehydrated tomatoes. I do have a dehydrator. I think I am going to grab a few from the vines tonight and set them up in the dehydrator. Thanks for the post.

JC

 

[JC in GB]

I always made pasta sauce out of extra tomatoes.
Never could get catnip to grow well, as the neighbor cats would trash the plants overnight as soon as they started sprouting leaves.

I had to chase my cats out of the catnip patch a few times while it was getting established. It really took off. I started this year with three small transplanted plants and it looked glum for a bit then seemingly, all of the sudden, I had bales of catnip. A rabbit found its way into the garden and ate almost all the flowers off the plants a couple days ago.

As far as the tomatoes go, I have never made pasta sauce. Another great idea. The only thing I have done in the past with preserving tomatoes is garden salsa and just plain stewed tomatoes.

JC

 

[crazymoon]

JCiGB, I too had a very, very good tomato crop. Made some salsa and kept all my friends/neighbors happy. Unfortunately I haven't put any up.:(

 

[radioguy]

I have a very large salsa garden in central Ohio. Years back, a few friends wanted to grow a quantity of tomatoes and peppers. They lived in a neighborhood with postage stamp gardens. I have a 3 acre property. They asked to have a garden at my place. Sure, I tilled up about a 4000 square foot section on my property. We went to town 100+ tomato plants, 75+ pepper plants. Over the years we have made gallons of salsa. Mostly to give away, give forward, a ministry of giving. Preserving the "art" of canning.

Fast forward 15 years, our lives have changed, situations change, change of seasons. Last year we had a terrible garden, could not grow any thing, replaced plants, nothing. The only success I had was a few plants in containers.

After all that we went to the amish produce auction in Mt. Hope Ohio. I am familiar with the area since I have family there. They have farmers produce auctions on M,W,F all throughout the growing season. Local grocery stores and farm markets buy at this auction. Freshest produce, consistency in type, ripeness. We ended up with 2 bushels of canning tomatoes and 1 bushel of hot peppers, plus some gorgeous cabbages for kraut.



One thing we noted when we made 2024 salsa was the consistency of the produce. Just look at that vibrant red of the tomatoes. The salsa turned out very good. I decided the give the garden a rest for the 2025 season.

We went to the auction a little late this season but ended up with 3 bushels of tomatoes, 1.25 bu of jalapenos & 3 pecks of hungarian hots. Not all of this is for the salsa. Just look at these peppers, maters. I've never been able to grow with that consistency, size.




Our salsa ingredients are all cleaned, vac packed and frozen in prep for our salsa canning day.
I've decided to change things up and no longer plant the large garden. I'm getting older and its a huge effort to produce lack luster fruit or nothing at all. I'll plant grass in that spot, but still have a few plants, beans, peppers, small garden.

We will continue to make the salsa with auction produce. Its a better deal per pound and my back is feeling much better.

RG

 

[JC in GB]

I have a very large salsa garden in central Ohio. Years back, a few friends wanted to grow a quantity of tomatoes and peppers. They lived in a neighborhood with postage stamp gardens. I have a 3 acre property. They asked to have a garden at my place. Sure, I tilled up about a 4000 square foot section on my property. We went to town 100+ tomato plants, 75+ pepper plants. Over the years we have made gallons of salsa. Mostly to give away, give forward, a ministry of giving. Preserving the "art" of canning.

Fast forward 15 years, our lives have changed, situations change, change of seasons. Last year we had a terrible garden, could not grow any thing, replaced plants, nothing. The only success I had was a few plants in containers.

After all that we went to the amish produce auction in Mt. Hope Ohio. I am familiar with the area since I have family there. They have farmers produce auctions on M,W,F all throughout the growing season. Local grocery stores and farm markets buy at this auction. Freshest produce, consistency in type, ripeness. We ended up with 2 bushels of canning tomatoes and 1 bushel of hot peppers, plus some gorgeous cabbages for kraut.

View attachment 723674 View attachment 723675

One thing we noted when we made 2024 salsa was the consistency of the produce. Just look at that vibrant red of the tomatoes. The salsa turned out very good. I decided the give the garden a rest for the 2025 season.

We went to the auction a little late this season but ended up with 3 bushels of tomatoes, 1.25 bu of jalapenos & 3 pecks of hungarian hots. Not all of this is for the salsa. Just look at these peppers, maters. I've never been able to grow with that consistency, size.

View attachment 723678 View attachment 723680
View attachment 723681

Our salsa ingredients are all cleaned, vac packed and frozen in prep for our salsa canning day.
I've decided to change things up and no longer plant the large garden. I'm getting older and its a huge effort to produce lack luster fruit or nothing at all. I'll plant grass in that spot, but still have a few plants, beans, peppers, small garden.

We will continue to make the salsa with auction produce. Its a better deal per pound and my back is feeling much better.

RG

Very nice. I am going to have to see if we have similar produce auctions in my area. I would love to get in on that.

Many years ago, I was renting an apartment in Manitowoc and my landlord got taste of the salsa me and my then girl friend made. He liked it so much he asked if we would make him some. I said sure, you just have to provide us with the tomatoes we will be using. He enthusiastically agreed. I had him plant Buck's County hybrid tomatoes. That year his garden got a bumper crop of tomatoes. Charlene (RIP ) and I made gallons of salsa. After we delivered the salsa, we were invited to the landlords house for a night of gaming, chips, salsa, and beer. Ah, the good old days..... One of his friend's wife brought over her own homemade salsa and she wanted to compare ours to hers. Everyone at the table thought the salsa Charlene and I made was far superior. Even her husband and son said ours was better. That was pretty much the end of the evening.

I want to grab a few cases of chips for the salsa in that cooler.

Thanks for the post.

JC