The weather seems to have been milder for longer compared to last year so i risked leaving my tomatoes outside for longer than normal. However i couldnt put it off forever and i had to bring in the last of my toms. It always feels like winter really is on it's way when the toms are taken down.
This year I grew Ferline, Yellow Stuffer and Country Taste. I also tried Pineapple as a bit of a gamble as it says it prefers a greenhouse. The gamble didnt pay off though as the toms never ripened.
Ferline toms are my reliable crop that I always grow. They have good blight resistance and produce large, sweet, firm toms. Yellow Stuffer produced large toms that did what they said they would 'good bakers'. My overall crop wasnt as bountyfull as last year but they remained completely blight free!
Theres so many different things you can do with tomatoes. My favourite ways to preserve them so you get the taste of summer through the winter are 'Green tomato Chutney' and 'Homemade Tomato Sauce'.
I think Green Tomato Chutney is a must have recipe! The fact that it can turn a crop that would otherwise go on the compost heap, into a tasty chutney is pretty amazing. There are loads of different recipes out there but my favourite is from My Tiny Plot http://www.mytinyplot.co.uk/recipes/green-tomato-chutney/ .
I also like to make a tomato sauce to rival any ketchup. I got the recipe from the River Cottage book of perserves by Pam Corbin.
I roasted my tomatoes with garlic and herbs to make a passatta.
Then you cook it with added spices, vinegar and sugar.
It soon makes any ordinary sandwich very special and tasty.
