Could you imagine where the pizza industry would be today without tomato sauce? The top two condiments in the United States, ketchup and salsa, are tomato-based. It is safe to say that the tomato is an all-American culinary entity, a piece of Americana sharing ranks with apple pie, maple syrup, and that staple of staples, good ole corn. We've become very familiar with the pale, mild-flavored hybrid tomatoes in the supermarkets, the thick canned pastes, and those cute little cherries at your local salad bar. But, for those of us who really love tomatoes, and are looking for something a little more unique or very specific, we grow our own. I am going to attempt to briefly cover the basics of tomato varieties that gardeners should be familiar with.
Determinate vs. Indeterminate
Many growers have heard these terms applied to a few different fruits. These words refer to the specific plant's fruit production habit.
Determinate tomato varieties produce one large crop and then produce little or no fruit for the rest of the season. They are usually shorter than indeterminate varieties and have a fixed height. So, there is no need to stake them. These are often paste or plum tomato varieties.
Indeterminate or the vining varieties are going to be the most common variety for home gardening. They produce a continuous crop all summer until frost, and then they will start to die back.
Tomato Varieties
Your standard or slicing tomatoes are the common medium-sized round tomatoes. These will most often be used in soups or sliced for salads. You've seen these in six-pack trays at your local supermarket.
Beef Steak are big tomatoes, some up to 2 pounds. These are the ones that, when sliced, fit sandwiches and burgers very nicely. Beef Steak varieties are also great for stuffing and baking. They are rarely found in supermarkets because their size and tenderness makes them more trouble than they are worth for big retailers. However, they are a home garden dream, a big tasty return on the simple investment in a tiny packet of seeds. Some popular cultivars of this variety are 'Better Boy', 'Big Beef', and 'Park's Whopper'.
Cherry tomatoes are very small tomatoes, ranging from barely bigger than your finger tip to the size of a golf ball. They are often very sweet and perfect by themselves just as a snack. They are the sublime salad tomato because they add lots of flavor, and you don't have to slice them. The elongated smaller and sweeter grape tomatoes are also a tasty variation of the cherry tomato. Cherry tomato plants produce a large amount of fruit, so you don't have to plant many to get plenty of tomatoes.
Paste or plum tomatoes are, as the name suggests, often used for canning and sauces. They work well for this because they are less juicy than other varieties, they don't have a core, and they have far less seeds than other varieties. They are usually small and slightly elongated or pear-shaped. They are often lumped together as Roma tomatoes, which is actually just one cultivar of this tomato variety.
Choose Your Tomato Wisely
Breeders have had fun with this popular garden plant. They come in all sizes and colors, from pink and striped to almost black. But, the best way to pick your tomato is to grow for your needs. If you want sandwich tomatoes, grow Beef Steaks. If you love tomatoes in your salad, try some different cherry varieties. If your garden is the source for most of your canned goods, you should probably try to grow a few paste tomatoes. Growing your own tomatoes will give you power over selection and power over growing methods. It is cheaper than than buying them at the supermarket, and it can be much more rewarding. Have a good time in your garden, and grow the tomato that's just right for you.
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Picking the Right Tomato for your Garden
Monday, October 24, 2011
Do-it-yourself
During the long, hot days of summer, the last factor we think about is Christmas looking. After all, that's a task we typically relegate to the month of December, proper? But the truth is, the job of shopping for Christmas items is something numerous men and women loathe. Parking lots are crowded, malls are jam packed, and finding just the suitable reward for that unique someone can take hours, or even days. What if there was a method to get some of your Christmas items ready in the course of the summertime and place them away in storage so they'll be ready to go when the vacation season rolls close to? Before you grab your keys and jump within the car to go purchasing now, stop and take a look around your personal home and garden. There may possibly be some reward possibilities lurking appropriate under your personal nose which are home made, thoughtful, and really inexpensive.
A lot of of us raise vegetable gardens in the summer time, and we wind up with far more recent develop than we can possibly use. As opposed to letting it rot on the vine or giving it all away to neighbors, think about canning. Many vegetables like refreshing green beans and tomatoes may be canned and then given away as gifts at the holidays. Recent bell peppers is often built into relishes, and cucumbers may be pickled and canned. Cans of refreshing produce also make wonderful hostess's gifts when you are invited to holiday parties. Top off the jar having a colorful square of fabric and tie with a ribbon to make the present actually attractive and special.
In case you get pleasure from cooking, take into account utilizing your refreshing produce to make other things like home made spaghetti sauce, fresh salsa, or pickle relish that could be canned. For a actually great touch, put a couple jars of spaghetti sauce into a gift basket after which consist of some related products such as a pound of pasta along with a loaf of contemporary Italian bread. Other great touches may possibly incorporate an Italian cookbook, a bottle of good red wine or gourmet olive oil, and even some refreshing Parmesan cheese. The thought of themed present baskets based on your home made canned goods can be expanded into other areas, too. As an example, if you've created some refreshing salsa, contain products in your present basket like tortilla chips, margarita mix, plus a bottle of great quality tequila.
Homemade items from the garden don't have to be limited to only vegetables. In case you grow fruits such as blueberries, cherries, or raspberries, contemplate making homemade jams or pie fillings that is often canned for vacation gifts. Nice additions to round out a gift basket with these goods could contain a new pie dish, or some do-it-yourself bread for toasting. Fresh fruits can also be built into syrups that may be given as presents along with some selfmade pancake mix. Furthermore, if you grow fresh herbs just like parsley or basil, take into account producing recent pesto at the end of the summertime and canning it into little jars to give as items.
Related Post: Homemade Christmas Gifts
Tomatoes Using
The English word tomato comes from the Spanish tomatl, first appearing in print in 1595. A member of the deadly nightshade family, tomatoes were erroneously thought to be poisonous (although the leaves are poisonous) by Europeans who were suspicious of their bright, shiny fruit. Native versions were small, like cherry tomatoes, and most likely yellow rather than red.
The tomato is native to western South America and Central America. In 1519, Cortez discovered tomatoes growing in Montezuma's gardens and brought seeds back to Europe where they were planted as ornamental curiosities, but not eaten
Start with great tomatoes and the right cut. You'll get the best results if you buy ripe tomatoes at a farm stand or farmers' market or get them from your own garden. They'll be the tastiest and juiciest, since they've been picked at their ripest. How you cut the tomatoes is important, too. A half-inch dice is the perfect size, because it will give you a juicy sauce while maintaining the integrity of the tomatoes.
Add a good amount of olive oil. The oil serves a double purpose here. First, it combines with the juices drawn by the salt to make the sauce. No oil means no sauce, just tomato juice. Second, a good fruity extra-virgin olive oil will lend its rich flavor to the dish, giving it lots of body and depth.
Toss the sauce with hot pasta. This is key: The heat of just-cooked pasta helps release the flavors in the tomatoes and creates a better integrated dish than if you mixed the sauce with cold pasta. Please send your review to Indo Munch
The high acidic content of the tomato makes it a prime candidate for canning, which is one of the main reasons the tomato was canned more than any other fruit or vegetable by the end of the nineteenth century. For more information http://www.indomunch.com
Grandma Hystad's Recipes, Drinks, Bar mixes, Food and Cooking Tips
CONTENTS
GRANDMAS FRENCH ONION SOUP
VANILLA PUDDING
SUPER EASY VEGAN SALAD
PEACH MUFFINS
GRANDMAS FRENCH DRESSING
GRANDMAS HOMEMADE MAYONNAISE
LIGHTSIDE
BACK TO COOKING SCHOOL
FOOD INFORMATION
BAR MIXES
NON-ALCOHOLIC DRINKS
ARCHIVES
GRANDMAS FRENCH ONION SOUP
3 tablespoons.(45 ml)butter
2 cups(500 ml)thin sliced onion
4 cups(1125 ml)bouillon
Salt and pepper to taste
Worcestershire sauce to taste
2 teaspoons.(10 ml)sugar
French bread
Parmesan cheese or other finely grated cheese
heat butter, add onions, simmer about 10 minutes or until soft
and lightly brown. Add bouillon, bring to boil and simmer 20 minutes.
Season to taste with salt, pepper and Worcestershire sauce. Add sugar.
Pour soup into individual soup dishes. On top of each, float a slice
Of sauted French bread and sprinkle with grated cheese. Put in oven
350 F, (175 C), until cheese is melted.
YIELD: 6 servings.
TIME: 60 minutes.
VANILLA PUDDING
1 cup, 2 tbsp. .(280 ml)pudding mix
2 cups(500 ml)water
2 tablespoons(30 ml)butter or margarine
1-teaspoon(5 ml)vanilla
Combine pudding mix and water in saucepan. Bring to boil, turn
Stove down and boil gently for 2-3 minutes. Stir constantly. Remove from heat, add
margarine and vanilla. Stir. Let stand for 15 minutes, stir again and chill.
YIELD: 4 servings.
Super Easy Vegan Pasta Salad
2 cups whole wheat pasta, cooked & cooled
2 ripe tomatoes, chopped
1/2 green pepper, chopped
1 green onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cucumber, chopped
1/2 cup organic sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup ketchup
1/4 cup vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
Directions:
Mix together the sugar, ketchup, vinegar, oil, salt, pepper and paprika. Pour the dressing over the pasta and veggies, and stir well.
Peach Muffins
1 cups flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
4 teaspoons oil
2 eggs, beaten lightly
cup peeled peaches
Bake at 400 F., 15-20 minutes.
GRANDMAS FRENCH DRESSING
1 teaspoon (5 ml)sugar
2 teaspoons..(10 ml)..salt
teaspoon..(2.5 ml)...pepper
teaspoon .(2.5 ml)...paprika
1 cup(375 ml).salad oil
cup(125 ml).vinegar
1 clove of garlic (if desired)
Put sugar, salt, pepper and paprika in jar. Add oil, vinegar and
garlic. Shake well. When dressing is thoroughly blended, pour
over salad.
YIELD: approximately 2 cups (500 ml)
CALORIES: 92 per tablespoon (15 ml)
TIME: 10 minutes.
GRANDMAS HOMEMADE MAYONNAISE
1 egg yolk
teaspoon (2.5 ml) salt
teaspoon(2.5 ml).dry mustard
teaspoon ...(1.25 ml)...paprika
dash cayenne
2 tablespoons ..(30 ml)vinegar
1 cup .(250 ml)..salad oil
Put egg yolk and seasoning in bowl and mix well. Add 1 tablespoon(15.ml) vinegar and beat well. Gradually beat in oil until cup of mixture is used. Then add 1-2 tablespoons (15-30 ml) at a time. As mixture thickens add remaining vinegar. If oil is added to quickly, mayonnaise will curdle. To fix this add 1 more egg yolk and continue.
Store mayonnaise in covered jar and refrigerate.
YIELD: approximately 1 cup (310 ml).
CALORIES: 104 per tablespoon (15 ml).
Time: 15 minutes
LIGHTSIDE
A Sure Cure
An older lady came out screaming after being told by the young Doctor she was pregnant. The head doctor of the clinic stopped her and asked her what the problem was. She tells him and he gets her to settle down in a chair, and then rushes over to the young doctor that she came from.
Whats the matter with you, telling a 80 year old lady she is pregnant he asks the young Doctor.
The Doctor kept writing the prescription he was filling out, and without looking up at his superior, asked, Does she still have the hiccups?
BACK TO COOKING SCHOOL.
TENDER CUTS of meat can be cooked by dry heat, as in broiling, pan-broiling, or roasting.
TOUGH CUTS can only be made tender by moist heat, as in pot-roasting and Stewing.
Our main object is to prevent shrinkage in so far as possible, and produce a tender, juicy, tasty product. In roasting, searing does little to help keep in juices, less shrinkage results at a lower temperature for a longer time (300 F). Searing however makes the meat look attractive and the outside layers taste better.
An uncovered pan with a rack in the bottom gives the best results in roasting. Cooking time varies with preference.
For rare meat, 16 minutes per pound.
For medium meat, 22 minutes per pound.
For well done meat, 30 minutes per pound.
Add salt during or after cooking, not before. The salt flavour does not penetrate more then 1 inch. If the meat does not reach the desired colour during roasting, increase the heat to (500 F) for a few minutes before removing from the pan.
Methods of searing is subjecting the meat to a high temperature until it is nicely browned.
By Browning in an uncovered pan in a hot oven (450 F-500F).
By Browning in hot fat in a frying pan on the surface burner.
By Adding boiling water and cooking at boiling temperature until the outside of the meat has lost its red colour.
Reasons For Cooking Meat
To develop flavour.
To soften the connective tissue when present in large quantity.
To kill any living organisms that may be present
FOOD INFORMATION.
How safe is our food supply?
Increasingly, the corporations that supply us with processed foods are unable to guarantee the safety of their ingredients. As a result, not just red meat and poultry, is now a potential carrier of pathogens, government and industry officials concede. As the drive to keep food costs down intensifies, most corporations do not even know who is supplying their ingredients, let alone if those suppliers are screening the items for microbes and other potential dangers.
Some concede that they cannot ensure the safety of items from frozen vegetables to pizzas and that they are shifting the burden of safety to the consumer. It seems the only time we know the products are unsafe, is when there is a problem, people get sick, and the product is recalled.
The Grocery Manufacturers Association has called for new safety initiatives. They include new training and more food safety audits. The grocers also want a new internet-based recall system to speed up the process of finding and removing recalled food products.
For information on receiving recalls by e-mail, or for other food safety facts, visit: www.inspection.gc.ca
Dont just guess to tell when meat, poultry and seafood are done. Instead, use a food thermometer to make sure foods have reached at least the following internal temperatures:
Steaks: 145 degrees F (medium rare)
Ground beef: 160 degrees F
Chicken breasts: 165 degrees F
Whole poultry: 165 degrees F
Pork: 160 degrees F
Fish: 145 degrees F
Officials of Ottawa Health Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency remind home canners and consumers that home canning and bottling of seafood is popular in Canada, but food safety awareness should be the priority when home canning or when buying home canned products from vendors.
Improper preparation, canning or storage, especially of low-acid foods such as clams, lobster and whelks, can cause serious illness, even botulism. Bacteria that produce colourless, odourless, tasteless, invisible toxins not necessarily destroyed by cooking cause botulism.
To keep home canned food safe, the Canadian health agencies advise canners remember to:
Use a pressure canner and strictly follow the manufacturer's instructions for low-acid food canning or bottling. Recipe ingredients, amounts, or jar sizes should not be changed because these can affect times/pressures needed and could result in bacteria remains in the food.
Clean and keep sanitizing hands, all work surfaces, food, utensils, and equipment during all stages of the canning process.
Use home canned product within one year. Once the container has been opened, refrigerate leftovers immediately.
Never eat canned foods if the closure or seal has been broken, or if the container is swollen or leaking. If in doubt, throw it out.
The Memorial Day weekend is coming up. It marks the unofficial start of summer. Many will celebrate with a cook out or picnic, two things that can lead to food borne illnesses.
Food safety experts say hand washing and cooking food thoroughly can help prevent those illnesses.
Never use the same plate to carry both raw and cooked food.
And that burger-flipping spatula? Same principal applies: Don't use the same one to drop the burgers on the grill and then retrieve them once cooked.
Most people believe that when meat turns brown, it's done. In fact, one out of four burgers turn brown before it reaches 160 degrees. Use a cooking thermometer.
IF IT'S STEAK, MAKE SURE IT'S WELL SEARED
Cooking steak is not the same as cooking ground beef. Bacteria like to congregate on the surface and edges of steak. So be sure to sear it to kill toxins.
BAR MIXES
If you have teenagers, or in fact any adult, impress on them the risks of driving while intoxicated. Statistics demonstrate drunk drivers cause many fatal road accidents.
It should be known that like any other drug, addiction is a potential hazard. Excess of alcohol will affect organs such as the brain, heart, and liver.
BLACK VELVET
In tall glass add half chilled Guinness stout, and half chilled champagne. Stir quickly.
Rum Punch
Pint Puerto Rican Rum
Pint peach Brandy
Pint Lemon or Lime Juice
5 tablespoons Bitters
6 Pints Soda Water
Stir rum, brandy, juice and bitters in a bowl. When ready to serve, add block of ice and soda.
Serve 10 persons
House Standard
1 jigger Tequila
2 jiggers Tomato Juice
2 dashes Tabasco
Shake with cracked ice and strain.
Serve with slice of lemon.
NON-ALCOHOLIC DRINKTea Punch
3 cups brewed strong black tea
1 quart orange juice
1 cup lime or lemon juice
2 cups raspberry syrup
1 cup crushed pineapple
Bar sugar to taste
2 quarts club soda
Pour all ingredients except soda over a large block of ice in a punch bowl. Stir well. Let it chill. At serving time, add chilled soda.
Sunday, October 23, 2011
Winter Dinners in a Jar
The reason I mention heritage fruits and vegetable is that with items such as tomatoes, you will not need to add another acid to your mix. However if you choose to buy your fruits in the grocery, you will need to add some lemon juice to your mix. The rule of thumb here is two tablespoons lemon juice or teaspoon citric acid into each quart of tomatoes, added before you fill your jars.With spring around the corner, farm markets and road side stands are getting ready to offer you a wide variety of organically grown heritage food stuff. Now is the time to start thinking about your foods for the summer and next winter. And canned dinners is a good place as any to begin.Planning dinners so far in advance can seem not only time consuming, but a daunting prospect. The simplest thing to do is to go into your cabinets and see what store-bought goods you already have there. Most of us havespaghetti sauce,pizza sauce,baked beans and BBQ sauce -great for sweet and saucy ribs. And if you have children, canned pastas seems to be the mainstay.
There is very little information on canning your own pasta dinners out there. Yet the major companies as well as homesteaders have been doing this for years. The problems occur with what types of pasta you want to can and how much of it you stuff into a jar. You will need only enough to loosely fit into the can/jar, never jam pack it in, or fill it to the brim. As with any home canning you need to leave at least inch of head space. Elbow macaroni, shells or spaghetti noodles are the easiest. It is not recommended that you can pasta because dense foods are harder to heat all the way through during processing.Homemade pastas are simple, and something that everyone should try their hand at. And you can add your own twist, or flavoring, to the noodles, like beet, spinach or Parmesan. Once you have your noodles, forming them into shapes is simple, pack them into the jar, loosely and then add your sauce. Kids love meat ravioli, spaghetti and meatballs, and beef and macaroni. Processing takes the same amount of time as your meats do, 75 minutes for pints and 90 minutes for quarts at 10 pounds pressure, unless you live at an altitude more than 1,000 feet; consult your canning manual for directions for increasing your pressure.
Soups, like chicken noodle soup, are a wonderful item to always have on hand. Any of the soups you buy at the store can be modified to your taste, removing or adding certain vegetables, seasoning, and salt . If you have meats in your stock, processing time will take longer then a plain, chicken, meat or vegetable stock. Stews, like roast beef, are the same.And speaking of meats, canning your own meats, poultry, fish and seafood is very rewarding. These items are cooked and stewed in their own juices creating an extra tender meal in a natural stock. Canned Beef strips make an excellent stroganoff. Canned chicken works wonders as a quick chicken with almond rice, while canned salmon makes an irresistible salmon and raisin pie.Which ever dinner tempts your the most, remember that healthy eating requires that you know what is in your food, that you follow all the canning instructions carefully, never eat anything that isn't sealed properly, and throughly cook all your foods. And most importantly, enjoy.
Topsy Turvy Tomato Planter - Does it work? Read my review!
 |
| topsy turvy (Photo credit: looseends) |
Topsy Turvy Tomato Planter - What is it?
I love to cook, and I've recently been experimenting with making my own homemade salsa and pasta sauces. Obviously, I've been using tons of canned tomatoes in the process. A friend at work recently brought me a few home-grown tomatoes, and I asked her how she possibly had time to grow tomatoes herself. She said she's been using a Topsy Turvy Tomato Planter. I was instantly interested in finding out more. I thought that would be a wonderful way to save money on buying tomatoes at the market, and have much better home-grown tasting tomatoes at the same time.
The Topsy Turvy Tomato Planter is a simple planter that allows you to plant tomato seedlings upside down. The roots stay in the planter and the plant hangs underneath. The sun warms the planter, which acts like a greenhouse. This makes the roots very happy. When you water, it allows the moisture and any tomato food you use to drain directly down onto the plant.
I bought this back in April, and I decided to plant cherry tomatoes in it. You can put three plants in each planter. You can even mix different tomato varieties, or even grow other vegetables or herbs. But, for my first try, I decided to stick with small tomatoes. A few weeks ago, my plants just exploded! My plants grew so fast, and then tomatoes started popping up- I have picked probably a hundred tomatoes so far and we probably have a hundred more ready to pick! The vines are almost touching the ground! I can't even describe how wonderful they taste!
Topsy Turvy Tomato Planter Issues I had
I have a small garden, and I wasn't sure where I was going to hang my planter. But, I have an old clothes line in the backyard (which I've been begging my husband to get rid of for years) which ended up being absolutely perfect for hanging my Topsy Turvy from. The only con has been that the planter does get pretty heavy with 3 plants, dirt, and water, so you have to have a good sturdy hook to hang it from. My clothes line ended up needing a bit of reinforcement, but it's working just great now.
For the first several weeks, I was afraid it wouldn't grow. I followed the directions and watered my plants twice a day. I noticed about midway through the first bloom that some of my tomatoes were splitting. I read that this sometimes happens due to over-watering, so you'll need to figure out how much water works just right for your location. I adjusted how much I was watering, and the problem went away. Very easily fixed.
Benefits of the Topsy Turvy Tomato Planter
Easy to set up and use Grow your own ORGANIC tomatoes Mix and match different tomatoes Works for growing fresh herbs or other vegetables Grow three plants in each planter (up to 30 lbs) Hangs on a deck or balcony for patio gardening
Eliminates:
Use of pesticides you don't get any normal garden pests Caging and staking like for normal tomato plants Digging, weeding and other hard garden work
Topsy Turvy Tomato Planter - Final thoughts
For me, this is the easiest way to garden. My Topsy Turvy tomatoes are growing faster and fuller than my other potted plants. I love the fact that I don't have to worry about pesticides or weeding. Since this can work for other vegetables and herbs, I can't wait to try some more kinds of plants. I have grand plans for having a whole garden full of Topsy Turvy planters. I think they even have a strawberry planter. I'm very happy that it has turned out this well, I'll have enough cherry tomatoes for ALL my summer salads, salsa, and pasta sauces. I might even try some canning so I can have my own home grown tomatoes all year long.
Diane English
Article Source
Related articles
Saturday, October 22, 2011
Easy Ways to Eat Green
Going green doesn't have to involve radical transformations overnight. Making small changes to your life can have a big impact on your health and on the environment. The more consumers demand healthy alternatives and safe food practices, the more and more these will become available. Furthermore, it is a well documented fact that as more people buy organic and local, the cheaper these products will become.
First things first. If you want to save money and the planet cut down on your meat consumption. You do not have to give up your favourite roast entirely, or even cut out the occasional sausage, but you will have to think more carefully about where you buy your meat and how much you really need. Opting for vegetarian options more frequently is a great way to go. So try out a vegetarian cookbook and see how you can use beans, soy products, tofu, and other filling protein to replace the meat portions in your favourite chillies or stews.
Because you've reduced your meat consumption, you should be able to afford to buy more quality meat rather than quantity. Buying locally raised, antibiotic free, free range, organic meats (or whatever is most important depending on the meat involved) will give you better tasting healthier meat and will help to ensure your own safety. Eating less but better quality meat, fish and poultry is a great way to go green and lower your carbon footprint.
Seasonal Indulgence. Trying to buy fruits and vegetables that are in season is also a good way to eat greener. Transportation of foods across long distances not only lowers their quality and freshness, but also wreaks havoc on the planet. If you can, try to plan meals around what is in season in your local area. In this way you can buy more products that are locally grown. Seasonal fruits and veggies are also fresher and generally less expensive.
Grow It Yourself. If you are fortunate enough to have a backyard or small plot in which you can grow your own vegetables and herbs than by all means do so. Growing your own does take a little time and know-how, but this will more than pay off in the end. Not only will you know exactly what you're getting and be saving money, but the food will not doubt taste better knowing it comes from the sweat of your own brow. Freezing, canning and storing foods for the winter will make your garden last through the changing of the seasons.