400 pounds of tomatoes

[TanksHill]

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.

Skr8pn, Both my mother and the father who owns the tomato company suggested jam made from the yellow tomatoes. I think I might give some a try.

I figure after I can the tomatoes for the young man to test sell at the farmers market. I will have more than enough for my personal use and sharing with friends.

g

 

[sylvie]

I roast tomatoes on cookie sheet in oven or on the BBQ grill. I grind through a Victorio strainer, add salt to taste and if tomatoes are low acid, apple cider vinegar and cook till hot. Add herbs, cook for 10 minutes. Then I pressure can them(because I like to be super safe) and there is a richness that is amazing and the texture is thicker. It is very easy.

I will throw in a few red peppers on the grill and grind those into the sauce but you only asked about tomatoes.

 

[DrakeMaiden]

That sounds really good, sylvie!

I also like the blue wall in the first photo.

Have fun with all of those tomatoes and herbs! I agree . . . if you have nothing else to do, then how fun!

 

[justusnak]

Oh wow, what a WONDERFULL "mess" to be in! LOVE the fresh herbs.... Lucky you....I can almost smell the wonderfull aroma coming from your kitchen!

 

[FarmerDenise]

We grow an assortment of tomatoes and they look a lot like the ones you have pictured. They sell very well around here. Restaurants especially like them.
The yellow ones are lower in acids, and should not be canned in a hot water bath, if you can them by themselves. Even when I mix them, I try to keep the ration of yellow tomatoes low. I find that the purple ones are more tart with wonderfull tomato flavor. We use smaller tomatoes and slice them and dehydrate them, skin and all.
I don't peel my tomatoes either, when I can. I just cut them up real small.
Last year I came across several tomato plants, whose tomatoes were really easy to peel. I saved the seeds and planted them this spring. Hopefully we will have some easy peel tomatoes again this year - no boiling to peel them. They were also a nice size for canning or drying.

Sounds like you have quite the project on your hands. Once people taste it though, it should sell itself. Homemade tomato sauce tastes like fresh tomatoes, unlike the store canned stuff.

 

[Frosting]

I hope the tomato adventure is going good!

I love to can but, that looks daunting!

 

[TanksHill]

Things are going well. Yesterday I made it through 30 quarts of sauce. I spoke with the young man who gave me the tomatoes. He understands he gave me way more than I needed and has asked me to try and find people who could use them and the herbs.

He actually said he had another 1000 lbs of tomatoes he was sitting on. I just can't imagine why he has so many or can't find a use for them.. So many people in need. He said he has tried to give them to food pantry's and such but they don't want to pick them up.

Sooo If anyone want to come pick some up.(Dace) I'll be home most of the day. The herb and tomatoes sure are turning quick in the heat. Today I am going to try and chop and zip lock several cases to save for myself. Last nigh I bagged just a bit of herbs and plan to hang them in the attic this morning. Got to get that done before it's a gazillion up there.

Wish me luck.

 

[me&thegals]

He said he has tried to give them to food pantry's and such but they don't want to pick them up.

Not to be dramatic, but I really think it's a sin to let food go to waste like that! Shame on the food pantry! Two years, I begged our local food pantry to bring a shopping cart to the farmer's market the last 1/2 hour of market. I was hauling my leftovers to them, but I told them they would get a LOT of food if they would be willing to do that. It took 2 years, and finally this year they are doing it!!

So glad you can make good use of this, tankshill! Good luck getting it done! Do you have a dehydrator that you could put to work also? Or maybe enough heat and CA sun to do the job outside?

 

[Ldychef2k]

Boy, do I wish I had gas money.....and it wasn't a five hour drive !

 

[FarmerDenise]

I think you are smart to chop them up a bit and save them in the freezer. You will still be able to make sauce with them at a later time. If you spread the herbs out on flats in the attic they should dry just as quick and not as much work as bunching and hanging them. Just look them over real quick for nasties that you don't want in the dried end result. It is more difficult to find ugly spot and seperate them, once the herbs are dry.

Dried tomatoes are wonderfull also, they taste sweet. If you have the time, slice up some of the smaller tomatoes and dry them for a nice change of pace.