The Deceitful Nature of Tomatoes

Tomatoes look so unassuming on the outside. Their harvest is usually plentiful leading the harvester to image a plethora of wonderful products to make. Don't be deceived my friend, nothing is as great a disappointment as the deceitful tomato.

In order to prepare tomatoes for anything really, they must be peeled. The best way to peel a tomato is by cutting an X in the bottom and then blanching (boiling) them for 2 minutes before plunging them in cold, cold water. This process makes the skins loose and easy to peel...it also makes them slippery, slushy and that's not the half of it.



After they are peeled they must be seeded. The ideal tomato variety for canning is the Roma tomato also known as Paste Tomato. Roma tomatoes have far less seeds and juice than other varieties but still be prepared to lose half their bulk once peeled and seeded.

A large basket of tomatoes can quickly turn into barely enough to complete a recipe. I planted 24 seedlings this year and have harvested about about 25lbs. The first harvest last weekend garnered 2 freezer bags of diced tomatoes (for chili)..yup you heard me TWO!

I have another full basket here that I hope will be enough for a few jars of salsa, but I doubt it. I will need to find another source but given the massive amounts of rain received this year such a feat may be easier said than done.