Tomatoes 101

Tomatoes are the pure gold of the summer harvests.  They are sweet, juicy, flavorful, and abundant.  There's nothing like picking tomatoes straight off the vine on a July afternoon and tearing into it like an apple, juice running down your chin and arm.

I've learned a few things about tomatoes that I want to share.  There have been many times I wish I'd had a tomato guide.  And can I tell you how many times I've seen someone pull a tomato out of their (gasp!!) fridge?  Oh, and how I've longed to scold them like a tantrum-throwing toddler for flat out ruining that tomato!   Yeah, I can be a stickler like that.  In lieu of that, I've complied some of my favorite tips and tricks, as well as links to several amazing recipes with tomatoes as the starring ingredient.

Tomatoes ~ Everything You Wanted to Know 

Storage:  

• Whatever you do, no matter what, NEVER store tomatoes in the refrigerator.  The cold temperature breaks down the cell walls, making the flesh mealy and gritty and tasteless.  Ahhhhhh, I can tell by your reaction you know exactly what I'm talking about.  That nasty, flavorless, sand-textured tomato came out of your fridge. 
• Keep tomatoes on your counter, stem-side down until ready to use.  Sealing off the "opening" prevents oxygen from getting in and spoiling.

Buying:

• A good tomato will be firm enough to resist pressure, but not so firm it's hard as a rock.  It will have no blemishes or bruises, and no soft spots.  A juicy tomato will feel heavy for it's size.
• If you can't grow your own or purchase from a farmer's market, good luck finding a good tomato. The supermarket ones are generally total garbage. They are usually picked green and unripe, transported in cooler cars, and sprayed with ethylene gas to ripen.  Gross!.  The best bet for a grocery store tomato is the grape or cherry tomatoes.  

Flavor:

• Believe it or not, the most flavor is held in the seeds and jelly of a tomato. Most of us get rid of that stuff because it waters down the other ingredients.  But if you can help it, try and save it.  You can even reduce it on the stove for a bit to make it less watery.

Prepping:

• Peeling:  Because tomatoes are so delicate, they are very difficult to peel without blanching.  First core the tomato.  Then blanch in boiling water for 15 seconds or until you see the skin split.  Plunge in ice water, then peel with a paring knife.
• Slicing:  Slicing tomatoes without a serrated knife can be impossible unless you use a razor sharp knife. Forget squashing the fruit and use a serrated or steak knife.
• Salting:  If you must remove the liquid from tomatoes for your recipe, you can cut them into wedges, salt them, place on paper towels, and drain for 15 minutes.  

Ripening:

• If you need your tomatoes to ripen faster than sitting on the counter, you can place them in a paper bag.  Tomatoes release ethylene gas as they ripen and the paper bag contains it.
• Green tomatoes won't ripen to red.  Skip the hassle and fry those guys up (Fried Green Tomatoes with Chipotle Buttermilk Dip).

Canned Tomatoes:

• Delicious!  I usually steer clear of canned foods (except for beans) but canned tomatoes rock.  Use them in any application where they are cooked.

Health:

• Tomatoes contain lots of healthy vitamins and minerals.
• Lycopene (anti-cancer)
• Folic acid
• Vitamins A, C, & E
• Beta-carotene (antioxidant)
• Phytoene and phytofluene (anti-cancer)
• Eating tomatoes cuts your risk of many diseases.
• Ovarian cancer
• Digestive issues
• Prostate cancer
• Asthma and chronic lung disease
• Cardiovascular disease

Growing:

• Plant in either the ground or in a large pot.
• Bury two-thirds of the plant in the ground, branches included.  This will insure that the entire stem that is underground will grow roots, providing a strong root structure for your plant.  I wouldn't do it with other plants, though, as they suffocate.
• Make sure the spot gets at least 6 hours of sunlight per day.
• At the time of planting, put a stake or tomato cage in as well.  Doing it while the plant is small prevents damaging the roots of a bigger plant.
• Water when the soil is dry.  During the hot summer, this may be daily.  
• Feed with organic fertilizer not nasty chemicals, please.

Recipes:

• Quick Pasta Night ~ Saute halved cherry tomatoes in olive oil with a little garlic and toss with hot pasta, fresh basil, and shaved Parmesan.
• Quick Tomato Salad ~ Slice or chunk ripe tomatoes, sprinkle with minced shallot, fleur de sel (or Kosher salt), and olive oil.  Serve with crusty bread.
• Quick Lunch ~ Warm up crusty bread, such as baguette.  Tear off chunks, smear with Brie cheese, and top with a tomato wedge.
• Tomato Pie
• Cherry Tomato Salads ~ Tuscan and Caprese 
• Fried Green Tomatoes
• Tabouleh 
• Roasted Tomato and Goat Cheese Crostini
• Tomato Jam - Garden of Eating
• Pasta with Tomato Sauce - Foodie Girl
• Beer Cheese Tomato Soup - Fake Food Free
• Roasted Tomato Sauce - Brave Tart
• Tomatoes on Toast - Simply Recipes
• Heirloom Tomato Towers - Pappardella

Preventing Weeds in Your Garden ~ Organically

I've spent every spare minute the past few years weeding the garden.  About 3 years ago, I got the brilliant idea of spreading straw down to prevent weed growth.  Well, I had no idea you were supposed to get "special" straw that had been treated or something.  Therefore, I had a beautiful garden full of grasses growing and strangling my veggies.  And I've been battling it since.

With help from my husband, I planted my gorgeous tomato plants (31 in all), sweet peppers (12), and hot peppers (6).  Normally, I get overly ambitious and creative, which was really fun when I actually had time to devote to it.  Now that free time is something I feel I'm much lacking, I took a deep breath and resolved to be simple.  In the past, I've grown everything - radishes, cucumbers, cantaloupes, watermelon, pumpkins, zucchini, peppers, onions, garlic, and tomatoes.  This year I went basic with just tomatoes and peppers.

Tomato plant

Hot pepper plants

After planting, lay newspaper down everywhere.  Make sure to have the hose on and ready nearby to spray the papers as you lay them down.  If not, you'll be yelling loudly enough to disturb the neighbor's dogs as you chase the sports section all over the yard, trying not to trip on the rails of the garden or trample plants.  Trust me, I know.

Use the regular printed papers, not the glossy ones.  Newspapers are now printed with vegetable-based ink so you won't be contaminating your pure soil with lead ink or anything.

Wet the newspapers as you lay them

I bought some organic wood mulch at Lowe's.  Lucky for me, it's the cheap mulch (less than $3 a bag), I guess because it breaks down so quickly and isn't treated with dyes or preservatives.  It's literally just shredded Cyprus.  I spread it to about a 1-2" thick layer.

Mulch laying in process

Mulched beds done

Mulch covering

Summary:

• Till the garden, pulling any weeds
• Plant your lovely fruit and veggies
• Lay newspaper down everywhere, wetting as you go
• Cover in mulch - 1-2" layer
• Cross your fingers this works

I seriously need this to work.  I imagine just pulling a few random weeds here and there, perhaps between the pavers or along the outside where the newspaper couldn't reach all the way.  In my fantasy, this garden looks exactly the same as it does in these photos, except with big bountiful, gorgeous plants, bursting with fruits and vegetables.  And I laugh in the face of weeds seeking to choke my lovely plants.  Muah-ah-ah!!