There is something remarkable about growing produce or purchasing at a farmers market. Is it the flavor, the color, the variety, eating pesticide free, added nutritional value, reducing our carbon footprint .... the aesthetic value on the plate or the simple burst of flavor? Perhaps it is all of the above. You eat with your eyes first! If something looks yummy you are more apt to take the first bite and enjoy the flavor. Expanding the pantry for the winter is one of my favorite times of year. It is a lot of work but the satisfaction of running to the pantry for jams, relishes, chutney, pickles, tomato sauce or pickled jalapenos is so much better than a trip through the snow to the grocery store.
There are more than 3,000 varieties of heirloom or heritage tomatoes worldwide and more than 15,000 known varieties. Each year we grow 80-100 tomato plants and roughly 30 varieties. The colors, flavors and versatility for preserving are quite amazing. No longer is a red tomato the only option! Grocery store run-of-the-mill tomatoes with no flavor are a thing of the past! If you love the robust flavor of fresh tomatoes you are in the right place.But ... let's take a quick detour - my spidey senses tell me there is always that lingering question ... What about all the information on the web referencing tomatoes as an inflammatory food? Web MD suggests not giving up foods in the Solanaceae family simply because you will lose valuable nutrients. Tomatoes have lycopene (a carotenoid) and Vitamin C that help curb inflammation and chili peppers have awesome health benefits, including cardiovascular (cayenne). Tomatoes are a primary source of lycopene and one of the most powerful antioxidants! For the past few years researchers have been looking at the positive health affects of lycopene on cardiovascular disease and cancer. Since I boosted my immune system and have chosen supplements that keep me pain free, I have no rheumatoid arthritis pain and I consume a lot of tomatoes.
Thus, you are your best judge for your own food intake. Listen to your body. Choose foods for your garden or from the farmers market that you can eat fresh and varieties easy to preserve. Also choose varieties that are suitable to your own health style and be careful about following popular opinion. You are unique, resilient, smart and intuitive. Trust you!
If you choose to preserve tomatoes for the winter there are many ways to add flavor and color to your pantry and freezer. You also have better control over special dietary needs, such as low sugar or salt. Here are ways to preserve:
- Freezing tomatoes is easy and a great addition to winter chili, stews and soups. Marinara takes about two days to cook down tomatoes for a sauce thick enough for pizza. At this thickness it is too thick to safely hot water bath/pressure can in a jar. Freezing in quart freezer bags (chill marinara first), marinara is the perfect option and ready to use for pizza or a thickener for other dishes.
- Drying is the best method of nutrient retention and if held in a low oxygen container has the longest shelf life. Dried tomatoes are packed with flavor and are the perfect winter snack instead of high fat, high salt chips. They can also be added to soups and stews.
- Canned tomatoes have a shorter shelf life and you need to add acidity for a hot water bath. Perfect for making homemade spaghetti sauce.
- Of course there are many other recipe options and the Ball Complete Guide is one of the most up-to-date and well-researched books for canning safely. Try the green tomato salsa verde!
- A great basics "how-to" book is the So Easy to Preserve written and sold by University of Georgia.
- A free option is the USDA National Center for Home Food Preservation and other .edu and .gov sites.
Having taught canning classes for years, I have learned to value the rewards of a well stocked pantry!
Mother Earth News has some awesome green tomato recipes to choose from as well.
Use the comment box on the home page if you have any questions!
