Organic Tomatoes

Organic isn't about nutrition. Mainly it's about soil, and sustainability. Making sure the soil will still be able to grow food when your grandbabies are adults.

I preserve my homegrown tomatoes and bring them on the road!

OK, for starters the Rombauers, Rombauer, Becker clan has gone past print into a webpage run by Beckers, Becker kids and grand kids and new brides: Online Joy of Cooking Seriously, you can consult. Of course, they've also gone beyond the trad agrarian plants and animals so that you can get tips for dealing with harvest of the sea and the Labrador bog or way out beyond bush.

In print: Joy of Cooking. by Irma S. Rombauer, Marion Rombauer Becker, Ethan Becker. Scribner | October 31, 2006 | Hardcover CA$35.00.
I did not find one of the larger full editions in used.!!! & of course, I've kept my copies of older editions. That's especially good for old style stuff.


Then, I'll deal with Canadian book source for new books and Amazon baby for used.
https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/.

2. Stocking Up: The Third Edition by Carol Hupping. Touchstone | June 15, 1990 | Trade Paperback . CA$25.00

Or used via www.abebooks.com world wide branch of Amazon.
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Stocking Up III: The All-New Edition of America's Classic Preserving Guide . Carol Hupping. Published by Rodale Press. ISBN 10: 0878576134 ISBN 13: 9780878576135. Used Hardcover US$8.00

Many ways my fav. Also hunt up Stocking up 1 and Stocking Up II. Recipes aren't all the same.

3. Putting Food By: Fifth Edition. by Ruth Hertzberg, Janet Greene, Beatrice Vaughan. Penguin Publishing Group | May 25, 2010 | Trade Paperback CA$16.00.

Earlier editions are on ABE Books, but given this is the one with the scientific gospel on what preservatives are doing what, I wouldn't go there. Not that I've parted with my copies of the older editions, mind.

If you really want to get into filling your freezer with well cared for, non-chemical additive food, all of these are worth it.

Thanks for asking
:B :B

Every year some of my family members are involved in a cooperative effort to grow tomatoes as well as other commonly used veggies and herbs.

The one with the land gets some help with planting from the rest of us but is responsible for pruning and watering on a daily basis.

I spend late winter nights going thru catalogues, buying the seeds and seedlings. I'm partial to heirloom stock but have no problem with certain modern version/varitals(sp?) especially for cooked tomatoes.

No Miracle-Gro or other commercial fertilizers are harmed in the growing of the produce. It's all compost, sea hay, and manure (horse) tea. Which to me is the truest definition of organic as it relates to produce.

During the harvest period we meet at the landowner's home and commence canning and prepping for flash freezing and dehydration.

We divvy up the harvest by family size which works out fine since the 4 households involved range in size from 1 person to 3 people.

RE: USDA Organic label. I have to disagree with you on it's value,rockhillmanor. It's more stringently enforced and written than say, the USDA produce grading system, which is all about appearances (how much bruising with no regard for taste) of fruit and vegetables, yet still is basically a self certifying system which is part of it's inherent weakness.

Would love to know what your preserving "bibles" are, Little Kopit. I'm partial to the 'Joy of Cooking' and an out of print book I received as a gift from the ex's grand aunt. Gives me fond memories of her.

romore wrote:
I have often wondered what an inorganic tomato would taste like.:B I absolutely refuse to pay extra for so called 'organic' food, as far as I am concerned it is a marketing scam aimed at the gullible. There is no scientific evidence showing that it offers any advantage, it just means I am paying a premium for inferior products as all the bugs and diseases haven't been killed.
My dil's family raises sheep. Once they are weaned they are shipped to the hippies on the Gulf Islands for fattening then returned as genyouine certyfied Salt Spring organic lamb. Her step mom is laughing all the way to the bank.

Yes we never buy organic either.I tell my wife why would I eat diseased food of any kind.Beef,pork,etc.I would just as soon eat a healthy burger or steak.One day something is bad to eat,the next day that study was wrong and it is fine to eat,eg.butter,eggs etc.

There was an article recently, the flavor gene in Tomatoes was removed by accident from hybrid tomatoes and now there's some research to try to figure out how to get it back.

I pay $3 for a heirloom tomato and don't mind in the least. Reminds me of when I was a kid, when a tomato had some flavor. Its really to bad that farmers chose taste over quantity.

I have often wondered what an inorganic tomato would taste like.:B I absolutely refuse to pay extra for so called 'organic' food, as far as I am concerned it is a marketing scam aimed at the gullible. There is no scientific evidence showing that it offers any advantage, it just means I am paying a premium for inferior products as all the bugs and diseases haven't been killed.
My dil's family raises sheep. Once they are weaned they are shipped to the hippies on the Gulf Islands for fattening then returned as genyouine certyfied Salt Spring organic lamb. Her step mom is laughing all the way to the bank.

BB_TX wrote:

Murphsmom wrote:

BB_TX wrote:

TexasShadow wrote:
nothing beats a home grown tomato :)

So true. Mine are about 4-6 weeks away.

I have bought grocery store organic tomatoes, and "regular" tomatoes. Can't tell the difference. Both marginally adequate at best.

Yikes! I may think about planting mine in the next week or two. Harvest will be late August through October, if I'm lucky.

Yeah, but when mine have already burned up in 100+ temps, you will be harvesting. :(

Yup. It's too late to plant tomatoes here in Florida. :(
I miss Wisconsin and all the vegetables I could plant and eat. All tomatoes grown in Florida taste terrible.

Murphsmom wrote:

BB_TX wrote:

TexasShadow wrote:
nothing beats a home grown tomato :)

So true. Mine are about 4-6 weeks away.

I have bought grocery store organic tomatoes, and "regular" tomatoes. Can't tell the difference. Both marginally adequate at best.

Yikes! I may think about planting mine in the next week or two. Harvest will be late August through October, if I'm lucky.

Yeah, but when mine have already burned up in 100+ temps, you will be harvesting. :(

The taste of organic veg. depends upon what is plant food:
- sheep manure
- horse manure
- cow manure
- chicken manure all well rotted, of course
- sea weed
- compost and what's in that, ie, you're lawn clippings will give lots of nitrogen.
- well composted sawdust
- lime
- hardwood ashes

etc. etc

If you can leave your tomatoes on the vine until they are ripe, so much better.

I go through about 40 quarts of stewed tomatoes per year. Yep, I pick them, check them for ripeness, measure how many they are.

Pick the extra veg. to include: onions, etc

IMHO all organic tastes better. It's up to you to make that so.

3 key books on preserving. Want those titles????

:B