If you’re a gardening aficionado, you know the delight of picking your own fresh and juicy tomatoes. But what do you do when you have more tomatoes than you can handle? How do you ripen the green ones, preserve the ripe ones, and use them in tasty recipes? In this post, we’ll share some ideas and methods from a gardening pro who confronted a tomato overflow and lived to tell the tale.
Meet u/robbiekhan, a Reddit user who posted a picture of his impressive tomato harvest on r/gardening. He picked these beauties from his backyard garden in Australia, where he grows a variety of heirloom tomatoes, including Black Krim, Green Zebra, and Yellow Pear. He claims he still has plenty of tomatoes inside, and he’s searching for some advise on how to use them.
We reached out to u/robbiekhan and asked him to share his secrets on how to cultivate such beautiful tomatoes, and how to deal with a tomato overload. Here’s what he told us:
How to grow tomatoes like a pro
u/robbiekhan said he harvests tomatoes every day and picks them as soon as they are ripe to avoid attracting pests and diseases. He said he also picks some green tomatoes to encourage the plants to produce more fruit.
u/robbiekhan says he buys his seeds from a local organic seed company and prefers heirloom varieties for their flavor and variety. He says he starts the seeds indoors in late winter and transplants them outside in early spring after the last frost.
Be sure to choose a sunny spot. u/robbiekhan will plant the tomatoes in raised beds and add compost and manure to enrich the soil. water regularly. u/robbiekhan will plant the tomatoes in a raised bed.
Next is regular watering. u/robbiekhan waters his tomatoes every morning and, according to him, uses a drip irrigation system to conserve water and avoid wetting the leaves, which can cause fungal diseases. u/robbiekhan also uses a drip irrigation system to save water. u/robbiekhan also uses a drip irrigation system to save water and avoid wetting the leaves, which can cause fungal diseases.
Then there’s pruning and staking. The tomatoes are pruned to remove suckers, the side shoots between the main stem and the branches. He also stakes the tomatoes with bamboo poles and twine to support the tomatoes and keep them off the ground.
How to keep ripe tomatoes
If you have ripe tomatoes but can’t finish them anytime soon and are worried about their deteriorating, here are some storage ways to avoid wasting them:
A very easy option is to keep them at room temperature, but be sure to keep them out of direct sunlight. This approach needs to be seen based on the freshness of the tomatoes, most will keep for approximately a week. Alternatively, they can be refrigerated in plastic bags or containers. This approach will keep for about two weeks, however tomatoes that have been cooled may not be as fresh.
Tomato Recipes
If you have a lot of tomatoes, you can avoid getting bored by trying different cooking recipes. First of all you can enjoy it for breakfast – Tomato and Basil Toasted Bread Slices. This is a classic Italian appetizer with chopped tomatoes, garlic, basil and olive oil on toasted bread. This can be used as a weekday breakfast, it’s quick and easy and won’t delay your commute.
For dinner I can recommend you – Tomato Cheese Pie. This is a savory pie with a crust filled with grated cheese, sliced tomatoes, mayonnaise, and herbs, then popped in the oven and ready to be served. It is very easy to make and can be used as a convenient dinner option after a tiring day.
When you’re in the mood for a warming soup, opt for Tomato Lentil Soup. It’s a hearty and healthy soup with plenty of ingredients, so just throw the ingredients in the pot and mix up the flavors however you like.
We hope you enjoyed this post and learned something new about tomatoes. If you have a tomato overload, don’t panic, just follow these tips and tactics and enjoy the rewards of your labor. And if you have any other queries or recommendations, feel free to post a comment below. Happy gardening!
Related posts:
4 Ways To Ripen Green Tomatoes Indoors – Farmers’ Almanac
Tomatoes Not Ripening? Here are 4 Reasons Why and What to Do
4 Ways To Ripen Green Tomatoes Indoors – Farmers’ Almanac
