Tuesday, August 6, 2013

It's the most wonderful time of the year

No, not Christmas.  And not back to school, for you exhausted parents out there.

It's TOMATO SEASON.

What you see there on the counter is about 30 pounds worth of plum tomato goodness, which will be rendered down into many quarts of sauce.

I tend to make my tomato sauce more liquid - partly because I'm too impatient to cook it down until really thick, and partly because I can always do that later; I like having the thinner tomato sauce on hand for soup base all winter long.  Nothing like a good hearty bowl of tomato vegetable soup in the middle of February.  When you pop the top off the jar, it's instant August.

Depending on how many jars this turns into, I may be doing the same thing again in two weeks.  There's a really good farmer's market in NJ where Mario visits his family, and I don't think you can have too many jars of tomatoes put by.  This 30 pounds cost me $18.  You can't beat that.

Wish my backyard tomatoes looked this good.  They're abundant, and coming along, but still for the most part a lovely shade of green.  The sun needs to come out and stay out.

3 comments:

Rose said...

The tomatoes look beautiful - bet they make a delicious sauce! We just cleared out our tomatoe patch after a very productive season. (It's too hot in Florida now.) We'll be eating well all year.

Graca said...

They are beautiful and you're so lucky. The tomatoes in the backyard are green and small right now. But I'm hopeful. Enjoy them.

The Sewing Bee said...

Hi, I live in New Jersey right across the Walt Whitman Bridge, I was wondering what farmers market you go to? I am growing tomatoes but they are not ready for picking so I would love to get the ones that you have, they look yummy!!!! Enjoy!!! :)