Just ordered some seeds

[catman529]

just placed two orders and will get the broccoli planted under the lights soon as it arrives. If I had done better last year and actually saved tomato seeds, I would barely have to buy any. I only saved ghost chili seeds from last year. Couldn't save my favorite cherry tomato though - sungold F1 (hybrid). Gotta buy that one every year.

The seeds I just bought are -

tomato - Sungold F1
tomato - Red Brandywine
tomato - Indian Stripe
Broccoli - Di Ciccio

I have a couple leftover seed packets for certain tomato varieties too. But I am not going to grow half the tomatoes I did last year. Too much to keep up with. I will use the extra space for cantaloupes and butternut squash and/or cheese pumpkins.

It's getting to be that time... still got a month before I plant pepper and eggplant seeds, and a little longer before I plant tomatoes, but I gotta make sure I have the seeds I want and it's already getting late to order seeds.

 

[Nimrod777]

Man, can't believe I've already got my head in the garden forum. My first-time-plot had awfully sketchy results this past year.

 

[Crosshairy]

Catman, do you can/jar your tomatoes or just eat lots of them as they grow?

I have never gotten into canning personally (only made my first jars of preserves last fall), but it seems like the ticket for stretching the fruits of your labor - pun intended - across several seasons.

Most folks in my family don't eat raw tomatoes, but we love them cooked into dishes. I'm thinking of growing some and then doing big batches of stewed tomatoes into jars.

 

[Diehard Hunter]

Canning tomatoes makes the work worthwhile. I plan on growing enough to can this year. Not sure what variety yet. Planing on more okra, peppers, and beans too. The less I visit the grocery store this coming year the better.

 

[catman529]

I dont have a pressure cooker to can them but I could if the acidity is high enough for a water bath. Haven't tried it though. Grew too many tomatoes last year, downsizing this year. More room for cantaloupes... speaking of which, gotta buy cantaloupe seeds too.

 

[jb3]

Canning and pickling tomatoes this year. Had a pastrami sandwich with pickled green tomatoes on it and it was awesome.

 

[Diehard Hunter]

I dont have a pressure cooker to can them but I could if the acidity is high enough for a water bath. Haven't tried it though. Grew too many tomatoes last year, downsizing this year. More room for cantaloupes... speaking of which, gotta buy cantaloupe seeds too.

We never used a pressure cooker for tomatoes. We did use a vey large pot to heat them in, then sealed the tops with a water bath. We did scald and peal the tomatoes before we canned them, and added a little salt to each jar.

 

[woodchuckc]

Just a note regarding canning tomatoes with a water bath canner - some of the new hybrid varieties actually have a low enough acid content to not make them safe to can except using a pressure canner. You can add some vinegar to lower the pH to a safe level for water bath canning, as it is the low (acid) pH that prevents botulism and other nasties from growing (and why you cannot safely water bath can beans and other garden veggies or meats). Of course, all of the old heirloom / open pollinated tomatoes that we have canned for years are fine, but if you are growing some of the new hybrids (especially those that are marketed as being "low acid") you probably want to take that into consideration.

 

[Crosshairy]

Just a note regarding canning tomatoes with a water bath canner - some of the new hybrid varieties actually have a low enough acid content to not make them safe to can except using a pressure canner. You can add some vinegar to lower the pH to a safe level for water bath canning, as it is the low (acid) pH that prevents botulism and other nasties from growing (and why you cannot safely water bath can beans and other garden veggies or meats). Of course, all of the old heirloom / open pollinated tomatoes that we have canned for years are fine, but if you are growing some of the new hybrids (especially those that are marketed as being "low acid") you probably want to take that into consideration.

Good info that I was completely ignorant of. I guess that's why pickling was so common back in the day, huh?

 

[wlf89]

hey catman have you ever tried the gurneys giant canteloupe? i did 2yrs ago and had some about 14+lbs and they was sweet to. the best all around one i have tried but the seeds are kinda pricey. out of the 2 vines that didnt drown in a flood we had i bet i had 15-20 of them and none of them under 8-10lbs

 

[catman529]

hey catman have you ever tried the gurneys giant canteloupe? i did 2yrs ago and had some about 14+lbs and they was sweet to. the best all around one i have tried but the seeds are kinda pricey. out of the 2 vines that didnt drown in a flood we had i bet i had 15-20 of them and none of them under 8-10lbs

that is the best tasting cantaloupe I have eaten, and I might consider buying seeds for them again this year. They would not grow big for me though. Regular cantaloupe size but very worth growing because of the flavor.

 

[Bayou Buck]

I dont have a pressure cooker to can them but I could if the acidity is high enough for a water bath. Haven't tried it though. Grew too many tomatoes last year, downsizing this year. More room for cantaloupes... speaking of which, gotta buy cantaloupe seeds too.

We never used a pressure cooker for tomatoes. We did use a vey large pot to heat them in, then sealed the tops with a water bath. We did scald and peal the tomatoes before we canned them, and added a little salt to each jar.

This it what I have always done also.

 

[a retrohillbilly]

A couple table spoons lemon juice will lower pH for water bath canning. Extension has great canning books available.

 

[BlountArrow]

I asked this on another post, but was kind of hoping to get a quick answer so I can get some seeds on order today...

Out of these tomatoes listed here, brandywine sudduth, opalka, sungold F1, black krim, red brandywine (landis valley strain), kellogg's breakfast, giant belgium, delicious, and german red strawberry, Yellow Brandywine, & Marianna's Peace, what would you say would be your choice for canning tomatoes?

Many thanks for all the education you've been giving me lately.

 

[BlountArrow]

Any canners?

 

[catman529]

Opalka would be my first choice. Red brandywine might be good too because they are small and round tomatoes. But opalka is a low moisture paste type tomato like a Roma but with much more flavor. Would probably be best for canning but then I have never canned tomatoes.