Good point on the drying especially. And yes the consistancy of the fruit is different but it works ok for us. We use it in all our tomato type recipe's. And like you said drting is not possible after freezing. Good points Don.
Can you elaborate on this, Don? Do you mean just put them in jars without processing? Are tomatoes generally acidic enough on their own, or are we talking adding lemon juice or another acid? Regarding making tomato paste... @Beth Gallagher posted a video similar to this one of women in Sicily sun-drying their tomato paste. It's fascinating what different climates enable.
For fertilizer we tried to stay organic but didn't like the fish odor or the products we tried. So we went to the regular fertlzer and it worked great. https://www.morgancountyseeds.com/ Your right about the climate control inside greenhouse. It cost to use it during winter months here ,we can get in the 20s for short spells several years ago even single digets. I 've wished many times when I built this house I'd put in solarim or at least sun room. We buy our supplies from a couple different places. Food grade reservour material is from Hrrenhouse Supllies, nwt pots,air stones, tubing, etc comes from Aquaponic Supplies.
That is neat but down here it would be a 'Guess Whos Coming To Dinner' moment, the wildlife would have a feast.
@John Brunner I just meant you could just use water bath techniques. There is no need to use pressure, since you mentioned your canner doesn't build pressure if the gasket is bad. Pressure canning tomatoes generally diminishes quality as the tomatoes are heated to higher temps than necessary. Acid is usually added to each jar to ensure the pH is low enough to prevent bacterial spore germination and bacterial growth. Commercial lemon juice is what is generally used, as fresh lemon juice is not regulated for pH. Vinegar or citric acid can also be used. Just follow recipe to get it right. In theory, if you use ONLY heirloom tomatoes, the pH will be low enough, but no reason to take chances when the safety measure is so easy and cheap.
Thanks! I forgot about the water bath method of canning. Regarding your comment about commercial lemon juice...I've got recipes that call for bottled lemon juice for the specific reason you cite.
I had bad luck with beans for the first time since starting gardening, this year. And peaches here are not grown here much. But I have things to can. I am sorry I have a garden every year around now. Kitchen is a mess from now on. May I send you some cucumbers?
I used to have a garden in my suburban 1/3 acre lot. The house was built in the 1940s so the trees were well-established. I gave the thing up when the trees blocked out the sun to the point nothing would grow. I only had good luck with the basics: tomatoes, bell peppers, hot peppers. Things that had a high water content (melons, cukes) looked ripe on the outside, but when I would try to pick them, they would disintegrate in my hand because they were thin-skinned and hollow. I gave up on those early on. I've never grown beans. My mother canned every once in a while, but we never had a garden. She would can tomatoes, and make mustard pickle (cauliflower in a mustard sauce.) Oh...sure. I'll take some cukes. I love me a cucumber, onion and tomato salad.
It does make you ready for fall, though! We look forward to the harvest, but welcome autumn when things slow down for winter.
We grow thru much of winter down here but summer is just too hot to grow much of anything.Our season is real early spring ,late fall and early winter to mid winter.
We moved to Alaska from south Georgia, so I know what it is like to garden in a warmer climate. Our growing season is nearing its end, and we can expect a frost in 2 weeks or so. My wife was mentioning turning the heat on in our little greenhouse if the nights get too cold. Highs now are around 60 F., but we sometimes have a frost followed by two or three weeks of wonderful "Indian Summer" weather before the snow starts. We will heat the big greenhouse with the woodstove if we get the occasional freak cold spell and expect things to warm later, but heating it for long periods of cold weather is just too much work for two old people.