Stock up alert!

[Bubblingbrooks]

moxies, great way to take advantage of the situation. Don't worry about still wanting internet. The more self sufficient you are in other ways, the more affordable stuff like that becomes. I could be on a farm off the grid, making everything from scratch and I will still find a way to have internet and netflix

Us too

 

[Kala]

About how much are you all paying for tomatoes in your area?

I know it will vary alot but we went to the farmers market today and I was really wanting to stock up on some tomatoes to do some canning with (ours didn't do so hot this year) and they seemed a little more $$ this year than I remember. It was about $3.50 for a little container of big ones, so you only got maybe 4 or so. So it would really cost a fortune to stock up enough to can with.

 

[GaFarmGirl]

My boss went to the farmer's market here, in Georgia, and paid 1 dollar each for the nice big tomatoes. My garden was full of tomatoes this year - actually it is still producing. We had so much rain this summer that I have only had to water the garden a few times all summer. I put up 40 pints of tomatoes to use in chili and soups, spaghetti sauce, and salsa.

 

[Wifezilla]

$3 for the small baskets here.

 

[garden pixy]

The pick-your-own by me is 0.50/lb for over 20 lbs, 0.69/lb if under 20lbs, the little farm market baskets are $3 (4 med tomatoes)

 

[Bubblingbrooks]

Mason quart jars at 3 Bears in Alaska. 12 jars for $10

 

[Farmfresh]

About how much are you all paying for tomatoes in your area?

I know it will vary alot but we went to the farmers market today and I was really wanting to stock up on some tomatoes to do some canning with (ours didn't do so hot this year) and they seemed a little more $$ this year than I remember. It was about $3.50 for a little container of big ones, so you only got maybe 4 or so. So it would really cost a fortune to stock up enough to can with.

In the boxes like you are describing, which are the prime tomatoes we are paying about the same thing. I don't buy the prime tomatoes however. I buy the "seconds" which are the ugly, bruised or too ripe ones! The farmers do not have those on display - you have to ask them.

I have bought to date 5 big boxes full of those "second" tomatoes with each box weighing right at 30 pounds each. (I weighed them) I paid $20 for one box, $10 each for three others (and that farmer threw in a free box of squishy tomatoes, too far gone for people to eat, for me to give my chickens ) and I bought another box of the seconds today for $8.00!! By my count I have spent a total of $58.00 and purchased right at 150 POUNDS of tomatoes.

There IS some waste with the seconds. Sometimes a tomato is split and smells rotten and sometimes you find a squished moldy tomato at the bottom of the box - good for only chicken feed. The best way I have found so far to deal with them is to take them home and pop the whole batch into the freezer until they are frozen hard. Then I drop them in to a kettle of warm (hot is not necessary) water and the skins just slip right off. As a second benefit it is very easy to trim away the core and any bad parts when a tomato is frozen. When they are skinned and trimmed I let them thaw back out and use, or can, or make sauce like normal.

That is how I stock up!!

 

[AnnaRaven]

My local Safeway and Sprouts Farmers Market both have romas for .49/lb. I've been debating because it takes 5-6 pounds per pint for sauce, and I can get sauce for way cheaper. Organic tomatoes are just way too pricey here - nothing under a couple bucks. So... I'm really debating.

 

[Britesea]

I've been running into the same problem Annaraven. I think I'm gonna stock up on at least some storebought cans this year, and hopefully my garden will do better next year. I just got started too late to do much with it. But first I will try Farm Fresh's idea and see if I can get some seconds.

 

[TanksHill]

I am like FarmFresh. I buy seconds from a local stand. Which normally sell for 3 pounds for a dollar. So the boxes are usually huge for 6.50.

I have another box on order for Mon.

G