It is the time of the year when there are too many tomatoes in the kitchen with the large quantities ripening on the vines. There is nothing better than your own tomato sauce, tomato passata or chutney's, all bottled for use over the next months. While I grow the vegetables, my wife Genevieve is the person who takes the produce and makes a variety of sauces etc to make use of all the produce that comes in at this time of year.
There are a million recipes available on the internet, but the following is one Genevieve used last season which was very tasty.
Ingredients (adjust to your quantity of toms)
- 6 kg toms rough chop
- 1kg onions rough chop
- 750 g sugar
- 2 cups white or cider vinegar
- 120 g cooking salt
- 1 1/2 tbsp white cloves
- 1 1/2 tbsp all spice berries
- 1/2 tbsp cayenne pepper (can use ground spices but we like the extra zing)
Method
Bring all ingredients to boil, cook, stir regularly for 4 hours (simmering low). Strain through a sieve and return to saucepan. Bring to boil and cook for 5 mins.
Pour into bottles, seal and invert briefly.
With the tomato harvest in full swing, here are some thoughts on the varieties I am growing:
Riesenstraube - outstanding, prolific at the moment with brilliant tasty cherry toms. Kids eating them like lollies and am yielding punnet loads full per day at the moment from 3 plants (interestingly a friend in Hobart has not had the same success however may be a case of tomato blight.)
Kotlas - starting ripening first week of Jan and have had constant picking with slight drop of in yields lately. A stayer and very early which backups up trial of 1 plant 2 summers ago (a very cool summer). Will be staying in future
Hill Billy - Good sized medium to large with a good yield and was the first of the large toms ready late Jan. Does not need heaps of staking so good solid variety.
Legend - As Steve Solom says the taste of this tom is "legendary". I love it on sandwiches, or to make sauce. Ripened mid February but cute moneymaker style tomato and compact bush so less maintenance but yields well.
Gold Nugget - tiny yellow cherry, good on pizzas and early to ripen. Not our favourite so only grow one plant.
Rouge de Marmande - So far growing not as vigorously as last year but the tomato they produce are nice and large.
Break O'day. - Has been the best grower so far of the indeterminates. Good medium sized rounds balls about the same flavour as Rouge.
Money maker. - Disappointed this year. Seemed to suffer from the very hot days which stunted them a bit.
Mamma Mia - Seem to be splitting around the top. Not handling the dry as well as last year.
Roma - Again not as large as last year but producing may toms.
Pour into bottles, seal and invert briefly.
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| Today's harvest |
With the tomato harvest in full swing, here are some thoughts on the varieties I am growing:
Riesenstraube - outstanding, prolific at the moment with brilliant tasty cherry toms. Kids eating them like lollies and am yielding punnet loads full per day at the moment from 3 plants (interestingly a friend in Hobart has not had the same success however may be a case of tomato blight.)
Kotlas - starting ripening first week of Jan and have had constant picking with slight drop of in yields lately. A stayer and very early which backups up trial of 1 plant 2 summers ago (a very cool summer). Will be staying in future
Hill Billy - Good sized medium to large with a good yield and was the first of the large toms ready late Jan. Does not need heaps of staking so good solid variety.
Legend - As Steve Solom says the taste of this tom is "legendary". I love it on sandwiches, or to make sauce. Ripened mid February but cute moneymaker style tomato and compact bush so less maintenance but yields well.
Gold Nugget - tiny yellow cherry, good on pizzas and early to ripen. Not our favourite so only grow one plant.
Rouge de Marmande - So far growing not as vigorously as last year but the tomato they produce are nice and large.
Break O'day. - Has been the best grower so far of the indeterminates. Good medium sized rounds balls about the same flavour as Rouge.
Money maker. - Disappointed this year. Seemed to suffer from the very hot days which stunted them a bit.
Mamma Mia - Seem to be splitting around the top. Not handling the dry as well as last year.
Roma - Again not as large as last year but producing may toms.
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| Tomato - Riesenstraube |
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