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| Will a light frost ruin green tomatoes and prevent them from ripening indoors? Should I pick them all at the very first chance of any frost? I'm going to be sad when frost kills my tomato plants... my cherry & grape tomatoes are doing so well, and my indeterminates are putting out another flush just now... first frost in about 2-3 weeks. |
Follow-Up Postings:
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| I picked up most of my tomatoes, one week ago, when the lowest temperature at night was 40’ F. I wouldn’t wait for 32’ F just to see what happens. My tomatoes were also doing great. Now, the green tomatoes are ripening just fine in the basement. Meantime most of the tomato plants have new flowers and branches / suckers. The tomatoes that I didn't pick outside were ok with those 40' F, but I couldn't take the risk of the cold air that came last Friday from Canada, which could easily bring the temperature to the freezing point. At 10 pm there were 65' F, while at 5 am only 40' F. So 25' F in a few hours. The temperature could easily go down 8 more degrees, in 2-3 hours. I know how cold air coming from Canada works - I remember clearly last winter. In 2-3 hours, that cold air could bring freezing temperatures down to... Georgia. Bellow I posted a link that might interest you. |
Here is a link that might be useful: What to Do With Your Tomatoes When the Plant Freezes?
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| I am thinking I should also pick mine when the temp forecast is 40, because I had frosts in the Spring when it was supposedly warmer out... unless they are brand new fruits and I want to take a chance with them.. Nice pic! I won't have anything like that... a bucket of cherries :) |
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| I wouldn't trust the forecast. Freezing temperatures can arrive unexpected, overnight, in only few hours. I wouldn't take the risk. |
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- Posted by containerted 6a (My Page) on Thu, Sep 25, 14 at 15:30
| Here's what I do with most of my late season green tomatoes. They go into the food processor and then are canned as relish. I like sweet relish, so we do the "Bread & Butter" pickling process. I add in some green bell peppers and, if I choose, I add some hot peppers. All winter long, it is consumed with soup beans, as a condiment with hot dogs, as an ingredient in deviled eggs, and on some of the hoagie sandwiches we make. But, one of the main reasons we make it is, "Have you checked the price of relish lately?" I usually make about a dozen pints. |
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- Posted by containerted 6a (My Page) on Thu, Sep 25, 14 at 15:32
| Here's a look down the throat of the jar we're working on right now. |
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| Ted, that looks so good. I can see that with my vegetarian corndogs and hot dogs. Or to cool down too hot chili in the bowl. |
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- Posted by containerted 6a (My Page) on Thu, Sep 25, 14 at 16:29
| The jars in the pictures above contain a small amount of red bell pepper and/or ripe jalapeno pepper. You can also add in some carrot or veggies of other colors to increase the eye appeal of the contents. My relish is so popular in the neighborhood, that I have to make a lot of half pints for giveaways. Here at the house, we consume about 5 or 6 pints each winter, the other half of the dozen I referred to above are half pints that those neighbors get. Other things that can be added are onions (red/yellow/white), tomatillos, partially ripened tomatoes (all colors/sizes), and, of course, cucumbers. The key is to use things that are firm, like pickling cucumbers are firm. I've tried the veggie dogs and burgers and other such things as tofu. I was raised on mainly wild game, and can reaffirm that I am still a lifelong carnivore. I respect other folk's life styles, but my body is accustomed to animal protein. You can vary the pickling process to get the taste you prefer - sweet, dill, kosher, etc. You can also add this to fresh salsas and really blow away your guests with a taste they might never guess. Take care and good eating. |
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| How long would it last without canning? |
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- Posted by containerted 6a (My Page) on Thu, Sep 25, 14 at 19:41
| Peter, if you put things in a jar and kept the jar in the fridge, it will last easily as long as store-bought relish once it's opened. The key to pickling is that will allow you to use a "boiling water bath" canning method that will allow storage for 2 years or more. Pickling can be VERY easy if you use products such as Mrs. Wages pickling mix. Walmart carries Mrs. Wages products in their section which also contains canning jars and such. You can perform boiling water bath canning in a large sauce pot such as those used to make chicken & dumplings. The jars, canning spice mixes, recipe, and detailed instructions are on the Mrs. Wages packages, and they conform to the recommended safe guidelines published by the USDA. |
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| Cool, maybe I will give it a try... thanks for the suggestion. |
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| You can also pickle them just as you would pickle cucumbers. In my opinion, green tomatoes make better pickle than cucumbers. |
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