400 pounds of tomatoes

[TanksHill]

What was I thinking!!! I guess this is one of those be careful what you ask for kinda things.

I guess all I can do is try my best and be sure to get the 60 quarts filled that I promised.

For those of you who unaware of my situation. I met a young man whose family owns an organic heirloom tomato farm. He wanted to try to produce sauce from tomatoes that are to ripe for shipping. I offered to help. In return I would receive tomatoes and maybe an income in the future.

Not only did he bring the tomatoes. He brought two cases each of fresh basil, oregano, rosemary, chives. The onions for the sauce and the 60 jars.

This is only half of the tomatoes.

These boxes contain bags and bags of fresh herbs.

I just finished my first batch. I made sauce yesterday with the tomatoes I traded for my eggs. It had a much different flavor than these. This batch seemed more tangy and not as sweet. I wonder if I should leave them that way or sweeten up the sauce? My goal is to make a sauce that is slightly flavored but can be used in many different recipes. Are heirloom tomatoes more tangy to start with? I guess i need to go sample them. Hummm?

Any suggestions?????

 

[big brown horse]

O M G!!!

Wow!!

BTW I love your wall color!!

 

[PamsPride]

WOW!! That is awesome....a LOT of work but awesome!!

 

[Up-the-Creek]

Okay,..call me weird, but I would love to be able to have all that fresh produce setting in my kitchen to make sauce! Of course with no distractions,...WOW! The fun I could have! That tangy taste you are getting is likely from the different variety of tomatoes,...the yellow I always thought were tangy,..I am not sure about the purple but I have always wanted to try them,..they would make a beautiful sauce! I bet the smell from all that just setting there is just intoxicating,...can you tell I love tomatoes??? Oh and I love your kitchen color too,..my kitchen is brick red! I love dark colors on the walls!

Good luck with your venture!

 

[Beekissed]

That's funny because I always found the yellows more sweet.....I like a tangy tomato the best and don't really like sweet sauces.

Yeah, Tank......I'd take those off your hands in a heartbeat! Lucky you! My maters are a no go this year....lovely green, lush growth reaching to the sky.....no maters.

 

[me&thegals]

Wow! I am so envious!! This is what I grow--all colors, shapes, sizes and flavors. Only this year I only have a few green tomatoes so far.

I use mine for sauce and salsa. Since each tomato is obviously unique in color and flavor, I blend all of them. It's nice to leave it chunkier so that the colors of the tomatoes shine through and don't get pureed into a pukey color.

Here's a recipe I use for marinara sauce:

The Tomato Ladys Garden Marinara Saucefreeze extras for pizza sauce, as topping for pasta or base for spaghetti and meatballs.

A colander heaping full of heirloom tomatoes (assorted varieties make the best sauce)
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic
2 handfuls fresh mixed basil, parsley, oregano and marjoram, chopped
2 tsp kosher salt
Several grinds of fresh pepper

Peel and seed the tomatoes. (For easy peeling, cut an X in the bottom of the tomatoes, then boil them briefly the skins should slide right off.) In a saut pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat, then add the garlic. When the cloves turn a honey brown, remove and discard (I NEVER discard garlic but blend it in instead). Put half of the tomatoes in a food processor and pulse to make small chunks. Add to the oil. Pulse the remaining tomatoes with half the herbs. Add to the pan with salt and pepper. Simmer to the desired consistency, 30 to 40 minutes depending on the tomatoes water content. Turn off the heat and stir in the remaining herbs. Enjoy. The sauce can be frozen for future use. Serves 8 to 10.

 

[TanksHill]

Ok so this is what I have accomplished so far. I made the first batch with one flat 10 pounds of tomatoes. Mixed colors. I am using a Blentec blender skins and all. Some onions, paste, basil, oregano, brown sugar, lemon and salt. After it simmered a bit and I took off some of the foam I bottled it. I used my jars and plan to keep this batch for myself. I opened one from yesterday and one from today. Had dh and a neighbor sample both. They said they tasted fine. Not as tangy as I first believed.

So I moved on to the second batch. One more mixed flat. Several batches all dumped in one pot. Simmered skimmed and bottled. It's in the water bath canner as I type. It's about 9:30 here and my family is out of sorts that I am being so industrious so late.

Oh well. So this is what I figured out.

1 flat case of tomatoes = 6 quarts.
The young man brought 5 cases of quart jars. So I will need aprox. 10 - 15 flats of tomatoes.

He brought me 40. Not to mention all of the herbs. I really feel guilty. I am going to call and see if he would like to come for a taste test tomorrow. Then I will ask him if he wants any of this back. If not your all getting dried herbs for Christmas.

I have chives, oregano, thyme, basil, rosemary and oh I know there is one more......

Oh by the way my dining room is the blue room. I wanted to put up some toile drapes. never got around to it. I have a red room to. My kitchen is a boring Cottage white. I wish I could re paint the whole inside of my house. It sooooooooooo needs it. Fingerprints everywhere. It will have to wait though.

Thanks for the advice and recipes. I will be trying to complete the canning for the young man tomorrow. Then moving on to maybe diced tomatoes for myself. So do you think I can get away with out peeling them? If there just for me?

Oh by the way, my tomatoes in the garden are still coming. I am getting about 2- 3 nice sized red ones each day. They look so dif than these heirlooms. Shows how far tomatoes have come. Maybe not for the best either.

 

[Ldychef2k]

Being only slightly OCD, I would love to see a yellow or a purple sauce. Wonder if they would sell? LOL

 

[SKR8PN]

Those yellow tomato's are low or no acid, that's why they taste sweeter. The acid in tomato's is how you can get away with just using a water bath canner to preserve them. If you try to do an all yellow batch of your sauce, you'll need to use a pressure canner or add something like vinegar to them to bring the acidity up for them to keep well.

 

[punkin]

Looks like you have plans for the next few days.

Congrats on the tomatoes, and especially the herbs.