Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[picklestheduck]

I hear ya! We’ve had tomatoes coming out our ears! We’ve made salsa, canned a ton, and dehydrated what feels like millions and there’s still loads in the garden

 

[Folly's place]

I need to do tomatoes, and didn't get the Romas planted, so have to buy some this year. Soon, and get them done. I boil the cut tomatoes, boil them for a while, and then run them through the Victorio strainer. Then cook the sauce down a bit and can it. No peeling the tomatoes first!
Maybe next weekend...
Mary

 

[Candy442]

Ok, some "chicken" culture for all you folks I hope you can go to this link and enjoy! https://fb.watch/mYnTt-rDxn/ It has sound!

 

[Meg22]

Ok, some "chicken" culture for all you folks I hope you can go to this link and enjoy! https://fb.watch/mYnTt-rDxn/ It has sound!

My daughter loved it. Thanks for sharing.

 

[Sally PB]

Even if there is no other reason to can tomatoes, it might be worth doing it for the sole reason of fully appreciating how easy peaches are to can.

I think peaches and tomatoes are on par with difficulty/ease of canning. Both get the scalding/cold water treatment for peeling, both need their center part removed.

I haven't canned peaches in a long time...

 

[RaZ]

I didn't plant a garden this year. I did plant 4 cherry tomato varieties. I just pick the ripe ones and eat them right there.
Even though I didn't have a garden I have still been working that monster compost heap. All of that black gold would have made for a beautiful garden. Maybe next year.

 

[jpalmatier83]

I didn't plant a garden this year. I did plant 4 cherry tomato varieties. I just pick the ripe ones and eat them right there.
Even though I didn't have a garden I have still been working that monster compost heap. All of that black gold would have made for a beautiful garden. Maybe next year.

Idk, 4 cherry tomatoes?

That’s a borderline garden.

You’re holding the soil over for next year.

Better than some of us (me) did this year.

 

[saysfaa]

I think peaches and tomatoes are on par with difficulty/ease of canning. Both get the scalding/cold water treatment for peeling, both need their center part removed.

I haven't canned peaches in a long time...

Hm, well, I don't scald/chill the peaches, I can peel them faster and nearly as cleanly with a paring knife. Or the tomatoes, for that matter, since discovering the freeze first method.

The peach pits may slow me down as much as the tomato cores when the tomatoes are as high quality as the peaches are. I'm not sure though; the pits twist out pretty well when the peaches are in the right ripeness window and I'm not sure I've ever had high quality tomatoes to can. Growing up, we sold the good ones. Growing my own recently has been problematic. I bought canning tomatoes last year but it was a terrible year for tomatoes - I tried a half dozen usually good sources that didn't have any before finding one that had some I wouldn't have bought under any other circumstances. I mean, yes, the core cuts easily and only half the peach comes clean with the first twist but with tomatoes you have to deal with how much to cut and with the splashy mess of it.

Perhaps there are other differences in how we do each.

 

[Sally PB]

Hm, well, I don't scald/chill the peaches, I can peel them faster and nearly as cleanly with a paring knife. Or the tomatoes, for that matter, since discovering the freeze first method.

Well, I have never heard of this method! I might try it... except that I can a lot of tomatoes. I don't know if I have enough freezer space. 42 quarts this year. Since I had a lot of sunscald/rot on the shoulders, I probably did 60-70 quarts' worth of 'maters. LOTS of waste, so it was good that I planted so many plants.

 

[Candy442]

And then there is "Peanut"! Here in Michigan!! https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smar... now 21 years,From the World's Oldest Chicken.