What to do with ripe tomatoes?

[Eric Hardy]

This year we are overwhelmed with a bumper crop of ripe tomatoes, both in the greenhouse and outdoors. For once there hasn't been a sign of blight.  We have just grown Marmande and a very sweet little cherry tomato. We are supplying all our friends and neighbours and using as many as we can ourselves but still they keep coming. Any ideas what to do with them rather than waste them please?

Eric H

[NightHawk]

You must be doing something right to have such a prolific crop of tomatoes Eric 

Great in one respect, but having too many for your own needs is a problem.

We don't grow tomatoes, so can't really offer any advice for the use of your surplus stock.  We'll step aside for more knowledgeable suggestions from our other members 

[ideasguy]

Tomato soup Eric! (and into the freezer)
My son has been using up some of my surplus.
His recipe to follow.

[Eric Hardy]

Oh good, George. I look forward to the recipe.

Eric H

[ideasguy]

Simon uses this recipe, Eric:-
http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/tomato_soup_56817

He adds - adjust to taste!

[Palustris]

Roast the Marmande gently and freeze them for Winter use.
Purée and freeze for Winter use.

12 Marmande seeds in th packet, 8 germinated, only one is actually a Marmande, the rest are heaven knows what tomatoes with no size and little taste. Cannot remember where she got the seeds from either, so cannot complain to them.

[Eric Hardy]

Simon uses this recipe, Eric:-
http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/tomato_soup_56817
He adds - adjust to taste!

Thank you George, I have had a look at the recipe and it looks good (and rich) 
Eric H

[Eric Hardy]

Thank you Eric, that sounds good too.

12 Marmande seeds in the packet, 8 germinated, only one is actually a Marmande, the rest are heaven knows what tomatoes with no size and little taste. Cannot remember where she got the seeds from either, so cannot complain to them.

That is bad. We find a lot of seeds you buy these days are a rip off.
Our Marmandes have been going for some time. Each year Anthea makes a card about postcard size from something like an old cereal packet then takes seeds from a ripe Marmande and puts them singly in neat rows on the card. They stick to the card with their own moisture and she uses the seeds next year with almost 100% success.

Eric H

[Eric Hardy]

Roast the Marmande gently and freeze them for Winter use.
Purée and freeze for Winter use.

We took your advice, Eric. Great success and we now have a good  supply in the freezer.

Eric H

[Pensioner]

I'm a little late to throw in tuppence ha'porth, but we have had a good crop of tomatoes as well.  We have cooked them up, skins and all with onion, garlic and basil (also from the garden) and frozen the resulting mash in the plastic containers you get from Indian take-aways.  Once frozen into a block you can remove the tomato from the container and bag several blocks together, which take up less space.

Our chillies have also been prolific and we have made a variety of hot sauces.  Drying them and then using a coffee grinder to make chilli powder also solves a storage problem.

[ideasguy]

Thanks for your tuppence ha'porth Richard.
I think its well worthy of a thrupennybit   

We've given loads to the family and friends (and they are still going strong!)
Your recipe will be used here Spaghetti Bolognese is a favourite by young James

[Palustris]

Here are some done today (and no nasty additions either!)

[Eric Hardy]

I'm a little late to throw in tuppence ha'porth, but we have had a good crop of tomatoes as well.  We have cooked them up, skins and all with onion, garlic and basil (also from the garden) and frozen the resulting mash in the plastic containers you get from Indian take-aways.  Once frozen into a block you can remove the tomato from the container and bag several blocks together, which take up less space.

Thanks for that, sounds great - but psssst -  don't mention garlic to the other Eric [Palustris]  He already thinks I am degenerate, I love it 

Eric H

[ideasguy]

Begorrah, we must be degenerate as well
Only joking Palustris. We all have our likes and dislikes.

[trishs]

Hello everyone! Sorry I've just not had time to check in for ages, it's been such a busy summer!

We too have had/ are still having, a bumper tomato crop this year.  I bought the variety Lupitas which I discovered the previous year and found to be brilliant.  I was also sent a free packet of Green Zebra by the seed company but this year's plants were a mixed bunch!  Having looked at the other heritage varieties that the company sells I think there must have been some mixing of the seed since we appear to have two other of their Heritage varieties, which we are delighted with, and no Green Zebra this time.  Anyway, I'm picking every other day and have containers full to eat in order of 'age'.  Fortunately Lupitas seems to keep quite nicely.  I'm keeping the plants going until the cold weather starts (later this week if the forecast is correct).  I've trimmed off all the surplus leaves and empty stalks and I'm hoping that a few more of the green fruits will turn colour in the next few days before we HAVE to empty the cold greenhouse to make way for overwintering pots.  The plants in the frost free greenhouse will grow on a few days longer but then they too will have to come out to make way for the dahlias when the time comes.  It is such a busy time.  I get very anxious that I won't get everything done before it gets too cold/wet/windy for me to be able to move around outdoors!  I'm currently midway through planting up this years deliveries of bulbs but I'm still waiting for some to be delivered.

Back to tomato eating though....  We've been eating baked/roasted veg at least twice a week for ages now.  We use homegrown courgettes, peppers and tomatoes cooked with shop-bought onions, with pasta and grated pecorino cheese and a few rashers of the crispy bacon that Sainsburys sell.  We also just tried out a new recipe we came across recently which has tomatoes cooked with various spices, tinned butter beans and sweet potato.  The recipe was enough for four so we've frozen half to see how it goes.  We will be eating it again soon and if all is well I think we'll be making a bigger batch of that to freeze and have as an easy quick stand-by supper dish.