Thursday, September 29, 2011

25 Pounds in One Week

Over the last week I picked a whopping 25 pounds of tomatoes from my small garden. Italian heirlooms, snacking tomatoes, tomatillos, sweet garden peach tomatoes and a few paste varieties. My mom helped me make an army-sized batch of tomato soup to bottle for the future. 12 quarts in all, plus lunch for the two of us.
My biggest success was winning the green salsa category at my employer's annual Salsa Fest.
I also tried drying tomatoes in my oven. I went a little too far and ended up with brittle, burgundy nuggets. I had no idea that 170 degrees could do that to a tomato. Next time, I'll stick to one night of low heat and room temperature for the rest.
Any pointers on tomato preservation from my more domestic friends?