What to do with a Million Sweets,
Sweet Million Tomatoes that is!!??
My patch almost literally has produced a million, or more, of these sweet gems.
The rest of my garden hasn't amounted to too much but that's
not the case for my tomatoes.
The plants grew so large and became so heavy with
their fruit that the spindly cages bent under all the weight!
I bravely stepped into the mangled mess and the plants
and cages attacked me - eek.
My flip-flops got tangled and the cherry tomatoes
went flying as I slowly went down, hitting the hard ground
roly poly - ouch!
The first picking went directly into
my freezer.
So easy - just wash, destem and place on parchment lined
cookie sheets to freeze.
Once frozen - put these frozen
"marbles" into freezer bags for
use in future sauces, adding
a fresh tomato taste.
The next picking - even larger, really made me think of what to do
this time......
 |
| Before |
I decided to slow roast this batch.
The tomatoes and several cloves of garlic were sliced in half and
drizzled with olive oil, seasoned with sea salt and pepper, and spread onto parchment lined cookie sheets.
The roasting took approx. 2 1/2 hours at 250F (stirred at the half point). Smelled so good! These can be kept in air tight containers in the fridge for up to 5 days or frozen for yummy soups or sauces.
 |
| After |
Some of the fresh ones were tumbled in seasoning and made for
a wonderful addition to the fresh veggie tray as an appetizer.
This Tumbled Tomatoes recipe was served to us by our friends in Mexico
and are so refreshing and delicious.
Now, what will I do with all the "big brother" tomatoes?
I see a few jars of stewed tomatoes and fruit relish in the next few days.
This Tumbled Tomatoes recipe was served to us by our friends in Mexico
and are so refreshing and delicious.
Tumbled Tomatoes
1 Tbsp. Herbs de Provence - Presidents Choice carries this (I picked mine up in Mexico)
1 tsp. Coarse Sea Salt
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 pint of cherry tomatoes
Mix herbs with the salt and garlic powder - pulverizing it in a mortar and pestal or salt grinder.
Wash the tomatoes in cold water, drain but do not dry. Place the tomatoes into a large bowl (or container with room to tumble). Toss tomatoes with the herb salt mixture until evenly coated. Refrigerate, tumbling occasionally until water is evaporated. Once water is evaporated, the herb salt mixture forms a light crust on the tomatoes. Serve chilled. This keeps for several days in the fridge. The drier and crustier the coating - the better they taste!
Now, what will I do with all the "big brother" tomatoes?
I see a few jars of stewed tomatoes and fruit relish in the next few days.
Till next time ............ Happy Labour Day everyone.....enjoy the day!
Oh my oh my...that's a lot of tomatoes. I'll have to show our son this post as he had a bumper heavy crop, too! Happy Labour Day!
ReplyDeleteFreezing them sure is the easiest way to deal with tomato bounty. Refrigerator space gets squeezed fast this time of year though. I like your other suggestions as we too are about to be swimming in home grown tomatoes.
ReplyDeleteWow! what a crop! And I can only imagine the sweet taste!
ReplyDeleteOh, my gosh, I want to be your neighbor!!! Lucky you with all the gorgeous tomatoes!
ReplyDeleteOh, your tomatoes look delicious! I like the idea of freezing them. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteI'm savoring all those tastes in my mouth right now. I have enough tomatoes to enjoy them daily. This year I will buy some...but I use exactly the same method as you do for freezing and roasting. They are so easy to preserve. A bountiful supply for sure.
ReplyDeleteTomatoes galore..same here! I roast a few batches as well for winter use..delicious on pizza. I also throw the 'big brothers' in a bag for the freezer and make sauce in winter or for soups. I am only now learning to eat tomatoes in my 'old age' and I am especially enjoying the tiny yellow/white tomatoes, they are called white cherry and they are the sweetest ever!!
ReplyDeleteI love tomatoes! I crave them right now!
ReplyDeleteHoly cow, that's a lot of tomatoes! I got about a dozen, and then a squirrel ate whatever was left on my plant So envious of your bounty. Gotta try the Tumbled Tomatoes recipe! Of course I'll have to buy the tomatoes :)
ReplyDelete