First time growing tomatoes. 12 outside, 7 on the balcony.
I started picking 2 to 3 weeks ago and I honestly don't know what to do with a the tomatoes. What is pictured is not even all!

I absolutely love it! 😃

by JimmyMus

11 Comments

  1. Educational_Ad5526

    Way too many plants for 2 people to eat fresh must process and preserve them

  2. scottyWallacekeeps

    No…..you never know if a plant will f a IL or have issues. Always plant more then you need

  3. MissouriOzarker

    Sounds like you have exactly the right amount of tomato plants. Embrace the mindset of abundance.

  4. Thousand_YardStare

    I planted 26 for two of us. It takes 2.5-3 pounds of tomatoes per quart of tomatoes canned. Even more for pasta sauce. I also like to share with friends, family, and neighbors. ALWAYS plant more than you need because some years are way better or worse than others, and not every plant makes it every time.

  5. AmyKlaire

    Congratulations! You can freeze perfect tomatoes whole but if you’ve got a hidden bad spot it’ll get really foul; and they rattle around & take up a lot of freezer space. If you try to reduce them to sauce in a pot, they’ll scorch.

    Get a dehydrator with trays deep enough to hold half a tomato. (Might cost $100 but you’ll use it all the time; I make rice-paper jerky in mine.)

    Wash, cut in half through equator, clean out the seeds and gel (which you will salt and drink as a cook’s treat!). Make sure each cut tomato looks, smells and feels fresh; if in doubt put it aside and eat it today. Dehydrate at around 135 degrees until they are collapsed and jammy, then move them into ziplocks and freeze. When you thaw them slip off the skins. Use them raw on sandwiches (as a spread) or in cooking.

    Collect the skins in the freezer. When you have a big batch put them into the dehydrator until they are crisp. Grind in a blender to make tomato powder for popcorn or for thickening sauces.

    Or, buy little brown lunch bags and put a few tomatoes in each, then share them with friends, acquaintances and strangers. They will be thrilled!

  6. Ok-Construction-6465

    We low roast and then freeze them—easy and delicious!

  7. Who-took-my-abs

    Give them away. You’ll be everyone’s new favorite neighbor✌🏻

  8. SeveralMaximum7065

    Be sure to dry some of the smaller ones. I like to dry my romas and cherry/grape toms. For the big ones, I chop them up and freeze them for cooking and fresh sauce in the winter. 🤤 I just used the last of my 2023 toms that were in the freezer.

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