Saving tom seeds... - Page 2

I recognised later blight in some of my GH toms from your description, Dovefromabove, in a previous thread, took the affected leaves off as was advised and the crop was just as good as previous years. Without going out side to count there were about 6-7 plants in a bed so couldn't be moved, in fact the other 6 plants due to space couldn't be moved either   I had fruit ripening from about mid July possibly sooner, Christmas grape was the first along with a striped zebra variety.

I've found each year seems to throw up different challenges, last year it was BER, red, yellow pear and the cherry varieties I grew seemed the only one's affected and these were grown in pots. It was put down to irregular watering and that some varieties are susceptible to BER. Grew red pear again this year and they were fine but I changed my watering habit and put gravel in the tops of pots to prevent evaporation.  

A must this year is to change the soil in the GH bed.

I must say that despite the Blight and the appalling weather, the tomatoes themselves have been the best I've ever grown, no greenback, no blossom end rot, no splitting, no problems at all , even if the big ones have had to be ripened indoors.  The cherries have ripened outside on the terrace in a sunny corner. 

Dovefromabove.

I'm running out of idea's as to what to do with  ripe toms. I've even frozen them whole and there's still some left on the plants. I've never had yellow toms before, been eating them in salads, adding them to pasta dishes and am now looking for a recipe to do a yellow relish. There are so many more ways to eat red toms.

Using up cherry toms was easy pessie, took those into work for the morning tea breaks as snacks.       

Hi Zoomer, when I have more than we can eat fresh I oven roast them and then freeze them - then I have the makings of lots of lovely Italian dishes throughout the winter http://www.davidlebovitz.com/2012/05/oven-roasted-tomatoes-tomato-recipe/

Dovefromabove wrote (see)

As you know Italophile, half of my outdoor Marmande plants showed clear signs of what appeared to be Late Blight in mid July - by removing every affected leaflet as soon as the infection showed (inspecting 3 times per day), and moving the affected plants to another part of the garden away from all other tomato plants, the affected plants continued to grow and fruit and the infection did not spread. 

 

I'll go to my grave wondering what that problem was. It looked like classic LB, especially that water-soaked leaf. But, anyway, well done. You proved that fungal issues don't need to mean panic and yanking the plants. Judicious housekeeping will see a normal crop. And "blight-resistant" toms are another money-maker for the plant companies.

Zoomer44 wrote (see)

 

I've found each year seems to throw up different challenges, last year it was BER, red, yellow pear and the cherry varieties I grew seemed the only one's affected and these were grown in pots. It was put down to irregular watering and that some varieties are susceptible to BER.

 

You got BER on cherries? That's unusual. The pear-shaped varieties are certainly prone to it, though. No one knows why.

Zoomer44 wrote (see)

and am now looking for a recipe to do a yellow relish.       

Zoomer, here's my recipe for relish. I grow a yellow French heirloom variety called Jaune Negib 'specially for it but it works for toms of any colour.

Per roughly 2kg of toms:

The toms, coarsely chopped. I leave the skins on for texture.

A couple of cups of chopped onions.

Ditto seeded and cored capsicums.

Combine the chopped veg in a baking dish or similar large enough to spread out the veg. Salt well, stir well, cover with plastic wrap and leave overnight.

Next day, drain off the liquid the veg has shed. Put them into a pot, add enough malt vinegar just to cover them. Bring to the boil and simmer till the onion and capsicum are cooked.

Add 400g sugar and simmer, stirring, till it dissolves. Add 1 tbsp of salt and spices of your choice. I use 1 tbsp of curry powder, 1 tbsp mustard powder, a dash of tumeric and some cayenne powder.

Simmer till it reduces to the consistency you want, then taste and adjust seasonings if need be.

Then bottle in sterilised jars.

It's good stuff.