:confused:I have too many tomatoes and don't know what to do with them. I don't can and don't have the equipment even if i wanted to. Any ideas? Can you freeze them in some form or another?
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:confused:I have too many tomatoes and don't know what to do with them. I don't can and don't have the equipment even if i wanted to. Any ideas? Can you freeze them in some form or another?
You bet. Get you a big pot of water boiling and plenty COLD water sitting in yur kitchen sink. Drop fresh tomatoes into boiling water for atleast a minute, I go 1-1/2 to 2. Take em outta boiling water and immediately put into the COLD water. Let em sit in there until they are atleast cool enuf to handle. The skins will be all wrinkly and will slip off easily. Trim away any bad spots, discard cores/stems, and put tomatoes in freezer bags or containers. The containers are more space-efficient to stack and are reusable, can git em cheap at $ Store, available in pint or qt size.
I am sure that shoer way is best but I just put them in a bag in the freezer and take the skins off when I take them out. Run them under hot water and off they come and into the soup pot they go.
Besides cooking/freezing them whole, I also like to make a freezable salsa from chopped and cooked homegrown ripe and green tomatoes mixed with a few other ingredients including peppers and onion. There are many recipe variations. The salsa makes a good topping for crappie and especially for fish that need a little help, like white bass.
Quote:
Originally Posted by porboy298
You may well have an easier method and just as good Porboy. I picked up all my canning/preserving skills as a kid from my mother and grandmas, many a time I am told by people who I am sure know their stuff that I am going overkill, or doing something that could be done in a simpler way.
Thanks-now I am gonna try that with some tomatoes and see what I think. Like ya said after freezing they are just going in soups or stews not like yur gonna be eating slices.
The diversity of all the folks on here is a wonderful thing!
Thanks!!!:)
Put em in buckets and park by the road and make a few $$$
Hey Shoer, did they teach you about Tomatoe Butter. I found a recipe on Tomatoe Perserves but my Mother-in-law use to make Tomatoe Butter. She lived next doors in Ohio, dead now and no trace of the recipe. Ferdi aka FredQuote:
Originally Posted by horseshoer
No I cant help ya Ferdi on that one, never heard of it. Have you searched the internet cooking/recipe sites?Quote:
Originally Posted by Ferdi
I make tomato jam from ripe tomatoes, has cinnamon & cloves in it and corresponding flavor. I have made a cheater recipe that my Mom used to make that is made from ground up green tomatoes and a box of raspberry Jello. Since her passing I got to thinking why should one be limited to raspberry, and have found that the flavor & color is limited only by the flavors of Jello available. I lived in the same place in TX for 11 yrs and the neighbor kids eagerly awaited the years batch of green tomato jam because every year it was a different flavor & color. Ok I'll fess up to letting the kid in me out in making it too.;):) The Jello sets up pretty stiff and it is a very firm jam.
Holler or PM if ya need either recipe. I know some of the oldtimers around here, will put a feeler out to see if anyone has heard of the butter.
the easiest and best thing to do with extra tomatoes is just send them to me lol
or a big tomatoe fight
Horseshoer, would you please post those two tomato recipes for us. I would love to have those recipes and i'll bet there are several other members that would like them also.Thank you very much.
Speaking of tomato fights...Quote:
Originally Posted by laserdoc
Tomato Fight! Tomato Fight! Tomato Fight!
Sell 'em, bought 2 ea nice Tn tomatos today for $2.90--shu
ps almost enough to plant a fall garden.
http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m...08090111PM.jpg
http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m...08090156PM.jpg
I much prefer the spiced jam, as I said before the Jello jam is real firm, not real spreadable (but still good)
A run thru the sieve to remove seeds & any pulp, etc., would make jelly of these rather than jam.
This is a great way to utilize tomatoes that have bad spots and are not the best for slicing. Scald em and slip off the skins then cut away any bad spots and use the rest.
Thanks a bunch Shoer. Gonna have to try them both less the JAP-A-LEENOZE. Can't go that hot spicey route. hehe Catch you later. Ferdi aka Fred
Daddy used to can many, many qts. of tomato juice every year. I could drink it by the quart!!! Here's somewhat of the process. He had a funnel-shaped colander (strainer) that came with a big wooden press stick that fit the contour of the bottom of the strainer. Just worked the cooked maters over good until there was nothing but thick pulp:
Wash tomatoes, remove stem, and cut into quarters. Peeling is not necessary. The peel and seeds will be extracted in the strainer.
Place cut up tomatoes into a 7 quart, or larger, cooking pot. Fill almost to the top.
Cook on low heat.
If making a vegetable juice, add any or all, additional vegetables.
Cook until vegetables have softened.
Strain off some of the water, which will rise to the top.
Allow to cool slightly.
Strain through a tomato strainer
Add salt to taste.
Put into the refrigerator for fresh juice. Or, can for winter consumption.
Tip: The key to a thick tomato juice, is to strain away much of the water content. This can be done while cooking, before straining, and after the finished product has settled.
Other Variations:
Some like it hot........ add a hot pepper or two
Basil - just a little for an interesting flavor
Thanks Horseshoer for the recipe and to all who have submitted recipes. I will be making some of that spicy jam and that tomato juice recipe from Luvjign looks interesting also. Thanks again.
Thanks for all the info! I think i'll freeze 'em.
u may try a farmers market,,the 1's here have people standing in line for tomatoes,,
I've been cooking all the extra Roma's down with onions, bell peppers, italian spices and red wine to make spaghetti sauce. Yum, Yum. Just put whatever size portions you want in plastic containers and freeze.
Do you add meat when you get ready it eat it or just us the sauce over the spaghetti.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mrs. Crappie Stalker
I add meat (1/2 italian sausage, 1/2 ground chuck) when I cook the sauce, then freeze. Some of it I just keep meatless.