Tomatos

One goal that did reach fruition in the garden this year was our tomatoes.  We have planted tomatoes each year and have yet to have a decent crop beyond handfuls of cherry tomatoes. This year was different; we had lots of tomatoes.  Our plants grew well in every little corner I had tucked them into.  We had tomatoes off our deck, tomatoes from pots, tomatoes from the back garden, and tomatoes from our little square garden.  And yet again, my high ambitions grabbed me and I started dreaming of my cabinet filled with jars of home-made ketchup, tomato sauce, and tomatoes.  I eagerly grabbed up books and started digging into recipes.  Then I thought I had better just try canning plain ol' tomatoes first before I started making all these great concoctions so I could get a feel for it.  Wow, did I learn a lot and am glad I didn't try to make recipes first. 

One thing I learned, canning tomatoes makes a big mess in all kinds of ways.  First, there are lots of pots involved in the canning process for tomatoes; for blanching, boiling, sterilizing, and canning.  And not only that, but they are all big pots.  Egad.  I hope Joe is OK with washing them all 'cause I don't want to clean up that mess. 

Next is the mess that comes with the peeling and slicing process.  Double egad.  This step was incredibly messy. On top of that, it took a few hours for the whole thing to get going, which was on top of entertaining children while trying to bestow the virtues of our own homegrown tomatoes.  They didn't seem to be buying that bit about how delicious summer would taste in the middle of winter.  They just wanted to be done with this process and were quite happy to be coloring or running around or doing something else out of the kitchen and my eyesight, which maybe caused a delay in the whole process.  I bet this is one of those things that takes 20 minutes without kids, kind of like driving somewhere to DC "it only takes 20 minutes without traffic..." 

But, I digress.  I also learned that it takes a whole darn lot of tomatoes just to make one can of them.  Sigh of disappointment. At the end of the whole procedure, I only had a few cans to show for all those tomatoes and all that work.  But honestly, I was so thrilled with those few cans that I wasn't even too disappointed that I couldn't make ketchup or tomato sauce.  Those can be saved for next season.  I will be enjoying my bites of the garden in the middle of the winter months for sure, maybe while I am sitting and planning next year's garden and where to put even more tomato plants so I can make everything.  And devising strategies to not have children around when canning time comes!