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Gardening

Tomato glut

(31 Posts)
GrandmaH Sat 14-Jun-14 16:30:54

OK- I'm being a bit previous but I have just counted my tomato plants & I have 43!!
Red, orange, yellow & black. All thriving.

I have sold about 30 at WI so far & donated some to neighbours & family but even so I am going to have a heck of a lot of tomatoes come August.
Apart from chutney (still have 8 jars from last year untouched) & soup does anyone have any good recipes that use LOTS of tomatoes please? I think need to plan ahead.
Oh yes & 12 chilli plants- all different varieties & strengths. Luckily these will freeze well.
I just got carried away & everything germinated for once.

GrandmaH Fri 27-Jun-14 12:26:47

Loads of bees here in Surrey garden. We even have a colony of bumbles in a bird nesting box for the 2nd year running.
However I have noticed that there are a lot of bees coming indoors looking a bit sad- I rescue about 4 day & put them outside.

WI did sterling work promoting plight of bees over last 4 years & got Government to act on it but then their Centenary Rose bred for next year's celebrations is not bee friendly- very disappointing.

Before anyone asks - you can tell a sad bee, they look all droopy.

GrandmaH Mon 30-Jun-14 09:15:20

Bees all gone today by the look of it & wasps have taken over so I think they have killed off the bees for the nest & food.

rosequartz Mon 30-Jun-14 10:22:13

I have skinned them then frozen them whole in poly bags to use later in soups, casseroles etc.

Also make a fairly concentrated tomato sauce for pasta which I freeze in plastic boxes.

I doubt we will have that many this year, everything seems a bit late.

rosequartz Mon 30-Jun-14 10:27:03

Paula, I think they do grow as we get little plants growing from the composted soil where we threw tomatoes. They do say use 'fresh' seed from packets - is that because of potential disease or just to make you buy new seed?

I have grown peppers from pepper seeds from a bought pepper and pumpkin from seeds from a pumpkin.

rosequartz Mon 30-Jun-14 10:27:41

Am I on the right thread here?