I am really late getting my garden in this year and finally have the
ground prepared. Whatever tomatoes I planted last year just didn't do
well for canning purposes. I'm not starting from seeds and get my
plants at Lowe's or Home Depot. Any suggestion on a good variety to
can (that I would find at either of those two stores)? My garden is
*very* small so I can't put in too many plants.
Sue in the San Joaquin Valley of Calif.

On May 11, 7:11*pm, Sue wrote:
I am really late getting my garden in this year and finally have the
ground prepared. *Whatever tomatoes I planted last year just didn't do
well for canning purposes. *I'm not starting from seeds and get my
plants at Lowe's or Home Depot. *Any suggestion on a good variety to
can (that I would find at either of those two stores)? *My garden is
*very* small so I can't put in too many plants.
Sue in the San Joaquin Valley of Calif.

If your canning for sauce Roma's are the best and the grow in a fairly
compact plant.

On Wed, 11 May 2011 16:21:55 -0700 (PDT), "
wrote:

On May 11, 7:11*pm, Sue wrote:
I am really late getting my garden in this year and finally have the
ground prepared. *Whatever tomatoes I planted last year just didn't do
well for canning purposes. *I'm not starting from seeds and get my
plants at Lowe's or Home Depot. *Any suggestion on a good variety to
can (that I would find at either of those two stores)? *My garden is
*very* small so I can't put in too many plants.
Sue in the San Joaquin Valley of Calif.

If your canning for sauce Roma's are the best and the grow in a fairly
compact plant.

Sorry. I should have been more specific. No, I grow for stewed
tomatoes - tomatoes with onion, celery and bell peppers.
Sue

On May 11, 7:48*pm, Sue wrote:
On Wed, 11 May 2011 16:21:55 -0700 (PDT), "

wrote:
On May 11, 7:11*pm, Sue wrote:
I am really late getting my garden in this year and finally have the
ground prepared. *Whatever tomatoes I planted last year just didn't do
well for canning purposes. *I'm not starting from seeds and get my
plants at Lowe's or Home Depot. *Any suggestion on a good variety to
can (that I would find at either of those two stores)? *My garden is
*very* small so I can't put in too many plants.
Sue in the San Joaquin Valley of Calif.

If your canning for sauce Roma's are the best and the grow in a fairly
compact plant.

Sorry. *I should have been more specific. *No, I grow for stewed
tomatoes - tomatoes with onion, celery and bell peppers.
Sue

Then any tomato that is usually called slicing tomato. They are
lighter in color and tend to be bigger than a Roma.

Sue wrote:
On Wed, 11 May 2011 16:21:55 -0700 (PDT), "
wrote:

On May 11, 7:11 pm, Sue wrote:
I am really late getting my garden in this year and finally have the
ground prepared. Whatever tomatoes I planted last year just didn't do
well for canning purposes. I'm not starting from seeds and get my
plants at Lowe's or Home Depot. Any suggestion on a good variety to
can (that I would find at either of those two stores)? My garden is
*very* small so I can't put in too many plants.
Sue in the San Joaquin Valley of Calif.
If your canning for sauce Roma's are the best and the grow in a fairly
compact plant.

Sorry. I should have been more specific. No, I grow for stewed
tomatoes - tomatoes with onion, celery and bell peppers.
Sue


Any tomato will work then. Maybe plant a couple Better Boy and one
something-else (Roma?) Better Boy is a hybrid all-purpose tomato. It
has good flavor and usually yields very high.

Bob

zxcvbob wrote:
Sue wrote:
On Wed, 11 May 2011 16:21:55 -0700 (PDT), "
wrote:
On May 11, 7:11 pm, Sue wrote:
I am really late getting my garden in this year and finally have the
ground prepared. Whatever tomatoes I planted last year just didn't do
well for canning purposes. I'm not starting from seeds and get my
plants at Lowe's or Home Depot. Any suggestion on a good variety to
can (that I would find at either of those two stores)? My garden is
*very* small so I can't put in too many plants.
Sue in the San Joaquin Valley of Calif.
If your canning for sauce Roma's are the best and the grow in a fairly
compact plant.
Sorry. I should have been more specific. No, I grow for stewed
tomatoes - tomatoes with onion, celery and bell peppers.
Sue


Any tomato will work then. Maybe plant a couple Better Boy and one
something-else (Roma?) Better Boy is a hybrid all-purpose tomato. It
has good flavor and usually yields very high.

Bob

Find a local green house nursery instead of the big box warehouse places.
Nurseries will have healthier and a greater selection of plants.

Tomatoes for canning are divided into two categories, "Plum" and "Globe".
Plums tomatoes are great for sauces they have a higher pulp to juice ratio.
Plums also have Plum shape to them, tends to be long and tapered at the
ends. Globes are more rounded and good for general canning and for soups.
Romas "plum" tomatoes are good for sauces and Big Boys "globe" tomatoes are
good for Juices and Soups.

Get a Roma food strainer for canning tomatoes.

http://www.amazon.com/Roma-Strainer-...5163133&sr=1-4

This is cheap model their are other machines. I would also get the Ball
Complete book for home preservation. The bible of home canning.

http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Prese...5163671&sr=1-2


--
Enjoy Life... Nad R (Garden in zone 5a Michigan)

Nad R wrote:
Sue wrote:
Sorry. I should have been more specific. No, I grow for stewed
tomatoes - tomatoes with onion, celery and bell peppers.
Sue

I could not let myself pass that one up. If you are canning with peppers
and and onions I hope you are using a pressure canner. Using a water bath
canning with peppers can be very very bad news. For the note a pressure
canner is not the same as a pressure cooker. Something like in the link.

http://www.amazon.com/All-American-9...5164352&sr=8-1

--
Enjoy Life... Nad R (Garden in zone 5a Michigan)

On Wed, 11 May 2011 16:11:44 -0700, Sue wrote:

I am really late getting my garden in this year and finally have the
ground prepared. Whatever tomatoes I planted last year just didn't do
well for canning purposes. I'm not starting from seeds and get my
plants at Lowe's or Home Depot. Any suggestion on a good variety to can
(that I would find at either of those two stores)? My garden is *very*
small so I can't put in too many plants. Sue in the San Joaquin Valley
of Calif.

This is an unconventional answer because it's a cherry tomato, but the Sun
Gold makes incredible sauce. The Sun Gold is terrific eating tomato, the
sweetest of any tomato that I've eaten. It's also an extremely prolific
plant, they start producing early and they continue to produce for months
so you'll have more tomatoes that you'll know what to do with. I made
about 5 gallons of sauce from them last year which I'm still eating. I
freeze my sauce, I don't can so I'm not sure how well it will work for
that, but for frozen sauce they're great.

As an aside, don't buy your plants from a big box store, buy them from a
local nursery. The big box stores don't carry interesting varieties, a
good nursery will have many more choices including heirlooms, and the
plants will be better adapted to local conditions. The plants will also be
healthier, the big box stores wiped out the entire New England tomato crop
a couple of years ago by selling plants that were infected with late
blight.

On Thu, 12 May 2011 01:41:17 +0000 (UTC), Nad R
wrote:

Nad R wrote:
Sue wrote:
Sorry. I should have been more specific. No, I grow for stewed
tomatoes - tomatoes with onion, celery and bell peppers.
Sue

I could not let myself pass that one up. If you are canning with peppers
and and onions I hope you are using a pressure canner. Using a water bath
canning with peppers can be very very bad news. For the note a pressure
canner is not the same as a pressure cooker. Something like in the link.

I've always used water bath with the peppers and onions. So far, so
good. I've used recipes that allow water bath with these veggies. I'm
terrified of pressure canning.
Sue

On Thu, 12 May 2011 01:29:59 +0000 (UTC), Nad R
wrote:

zxcvbob wrote:
Sue wrote:
On Wed, 11 May 2011 16:21:55 -0700 (PDT), "
wrote:
On May 11, 7:11 pm, Sue wrote:
I am really late getting my garden in this year and finally have the
ground prepared. Whatever tomatoes I planted last year just didn't do
well for canning purposes. I'm not starting from seeds and get my
plants at Lowe's or Home Depot. Any suggestion on a good variety to
can (that I would find at either of those two stores)? My garden is
*very* small so I can't put in too many plants.
Sue in the San Joaquin Valley of Calif.
If your canning for sauce Roma's are the best and the grow in a fairly
compact plant.
Sorry. I should have been more specific. No, I grow for stewed
tomatoes - tomatoes with onion, celery and bell peppers.
Sue


Any tomato will work then. Maybe plant a couple Better Boy and one
something-else (Roma?) Better Boy is a hybrid all-purpose tomato. It
has good flavor and usually yields very high.

Bob

Find a local green house nursery instead of the big box warehouse places.
Nurseries will have healthier and a greater selection of plants.

Chuckle. We have no local green house. The closest possible would be
35 miles from here. Since I have no pressing need to go out of town
in the next few days (my only reason is for doctor's appts) the cost
would be pretty awful considering the price of gas right now.


Tomatoes for canning are divided into two categories, "Plum" and "Globe".
Plums tomatoes are great for sauces they have a higher pulp to juice ratio.
Plums also have Plum shape to them, tends to be long and tapered at the
ends. Globes are more rounded and good for general canning and for soups.
Romas "plum" tomatoes are good for sauces and Big Boys "globe" tomatoes are
good for Juices and Soups.

One problem I had last year was that I didn't have enough tomatoes at
any given time to can. I'm thinking maybe my error was in getting two
different varieties (2 plants each). I don't know. They just weren't
successful.
Sue

On 12 May 2011 02:01:40 GMT, General Schvantzkoph
wrote:

On Wed, 11 May 2011 16:11:44 -0700, Sue wrote:

I am really late getting my garden in this year and finally have the
ground prepared. Whatever tomatoes I planted last year just didn't do
well for canning purposes. I'm not starting from seeds and get my
plants at Lowe's or Home Depot. Any suggestion on a good variety to can
(that I would find at either of those two stores)? My garden is *very*
small so I can't put in too many plants. Sue in the San Joaquin Valley
of Calif.

This is an unconventional answer because it's a cherry tomato, but the Sun
Gold makes incredible sauce. The Sun Gold is terrific eating tomato, the
sweetest of any tomato that I've eaten. It's also an extremely prolific
plant, they start producing early and they continue to produce for months
so you'll have more tomatoes that you'll know what to do with. I made
about 5 gallons of sauce from them last year which I'm still eating. I
freeze my sauce, I don't can so I'm not sure how well it will work for
that, but for frozen sauce they're great.

As an aside, don't buy your plants from a big box store, buy them from a
local nursery. The big box stores don't carry interesting varieties, a
good nursery will have many more choices including heirlooms, and the
plants will be better adapted to local conditions. The plants will also be
healthier, the big box stores wiped out the entire New England tomato crop
a couple of years ago by selling plants that were infected with late
blight.

I was pretty sure I'd get some objections when I posted about Lowe's
or Home Depot. At least I didn't say Wal*Mart. We have no local
nursery. Used to many years ago. The closest possible is 35 miles
away. Gas prices being what they are....
Apparently we haven't had the blight problem here as this is a major
commercial tomato growing area and if we'd had it there would have
been a huge hew and cry.
A few years ago I made an attempt at canning catsup. That was just
too much work for one measly pint. I'm guessing that making tomato
sauce would be the same. I tried making spaghetti sauce once, but it
came out bitter. Tried twice and didn't like the results either time.
I thought I'd burned it the first time since my stove doesn't turn
down as low as it should so the second time I stirred it for the
entire 20 or 30 minutes. Waaay too much work and still awful.
I've always grown some Sweet 100s that were just delicious eating
tomatoes. Almost like candy.
Sue

Sue wrote:
On Thu, 12 May 2011 01:29:59 +0000 (UTC), Nad R
wrote:

Find a local green house nursery instead of the big box warehouse places.
Nurseries will have healthier and a greater selection of plants.

Chuckle. We have no local green house. The closest possible would be
35 miles from here. Since I have no pressing need to go out of town
in the next few days (my only reason is for doctor's appts) the cost
would be pretty awful considering the price of gas right now.

You must be living in the city. I live in the country were their are lots
of green houses and nurseries. I love the nurseries where thousands of
plants of many kinds surround you. The colors and the numerous sweet earthy
smells... Better than going to a movie.

Tomatoes for canning are divided into two categories, "Plum" and "Globe".
Plums tomatoes are great for sauces they have a higher pulp to juice ratio.
Plums also have Plum shape to them, tends to be long and tapered at the
ends. Globes are more rounded and good for general canning and for soups.
Romas "plum" tomatoes are good for sauces and Big Boys "globe" tomatoes are
good for Juices and Soups.

One problem I had last year was that I didn't have enough tomatoes at
any given time to can. I'm thinking maybe my error was in getting two
different varieties (2 plants each). I don't know. They just weren't
successful.
Sue

I will subdivide tomatoes once again. Their are two kinds of tomatoes
plants, "Determinate" and "InDeterminate". Determinate tomatoes ripen on
the vine all at once which are great for canning. Determinate tomatoes have
a single stalk that grows upwards, Romas and Beefsteaks are determinate.
Indeterminate tomato plants provide fruits throughout the season, never
enough for canning. Indeterminate tomato plants are bush like with no main
stalk. Examples of indeterminate tomato plants are "Early Girl" and
"Cherry". You will not get enough to even think about canning.

Indeterminate tomatoes use those ring like tomato supports. Determinate
tomatoes plants tend to use ladder supports. I would think for canning
small amounts, six plants at least would be a minimum. Around Three pounds
of tomatoes for each quart of whole canned tomatoes. I will be growing
close to forty tomato plants for canning this fall for me myself and I.

--
Enjoy Life... Nad R (Garden in zone 5a Michigan)

Sue wrote:
On Thu, 12 May 2011 01:41:17 +0000 (UTC), Nad R
wrote:

Nad R wrote:
Sue wrote:
Sorry. I should have been more specific. No, I grow for stewed
tomatoes - tomatoes with onion, celery and bell peppers.
Sue

I could not let myself pass that one up. If you are canning with peppers
and and onions I hope you are using a pressure canner. Using a water bath
canning with peppers can be very very bad news. For the note a pressure
canner is not the same as a pressure cooker. Something like in the link.

I've always used water bath with the peppers and onions. So far, so
good. I've used recipes that allow water bath with these veggies. I'm
terrified of pressure canning.
Sue

I am terrified of botulism. New pressure canners have safety features.
Count yourself lucky so far. The link is just one of many. For veggies I
prefer pickling or freezing otherwise the pressure canner is the only way
to go. I use the pressure canner for all veggies including tomato products.
Tomatoes can go either way Water Bath or Pressure. The only time I use the
water bath is for Fruit jellies.

Once you learn how to use your pressure canner. One can make different
kinds of soups and I can the extra with my small four quart pressure
canner. Great for stocks also. One can get good at it, by the time I eat
dinner and clean up, the extra is canned good for the year.

http://www.pickyourown.org/canningpeppers.htm
--
Enjoy Life... Nad R (Garden in zone 5a Michigan)

Sue wrote:
On 12 May 2011 02:01:40 GMT, General Schvantzkoph
wrote:

On Wed, 11 May 2011 16:11:44 -0700, Sue wrote:

I am really late getting my garden in this year and finally have the
ground prepared. Whatever tomatoes I planted last year just didn't do
well for canning purposes. I'm not starting from seeds and get my
plants at Lowe's or Home Depot. Any suggestion on a good variety to can
(that I would find at either of those two stores)? My garden is *very*
small so I can't put in too many plants. Sue in the San Joaquin Valley
of Calif.

This is an unconventional answer because it's a cherry tomato, but the Sun
Gold makes incredible sauce. The Sun Gold is terrific eating tomato, the
sweetest of any tomato that I've eaten. It's also an extremely prolific
plant, they start producing early and they continue to produce for months
so you'll have more tomatoes that you'll know what to do with. I made
about 5 gallons of sauce from them last year which I'm still eating. I
freeze my sauce, I don't can so I'm not sure how well it will work for
that, but for frozen sauce they're great.

As an aside, don't buy your plants from a big box store, buy them from a
local nursery. The big box stores don't carry interesting varieties, a
good nursery will have many more choices including heirlooms, and the
plants will be better adapted to local conditions. The plants will also be
healthier, the big box stores wiped out the entire New England tomato crop
a couple of years ago by selling plants that were infected with late
blight.

I was pretty sure I'd get some objections when I posted about Lowe's
or Home Depot. At least I didn't say Wal*Mart. We have no local
nursery. Used to many years ago. The closest possible is 35 miles
away. Gas prices being what they are....
Apparently we haven't had the blight problem here as this is a major
commercial tomato growing area and if we'd had it there would have
been a huge hew and cry.
A few years ago I made an attempt at canning catsup. That was just
too much work for one measly pint. I'm guessing that making tomato
sauce would be the same. I tried making spaghetti sauce once, but it
came out bitter. Tried twice and didn't like the results either time.
I thought I'd burned it the first time since my stove doesn't turn
down as low as it should so the second time I stirred it for the
entire 20 or 30 minutes. Waaay too much work and still awful.
I've always grown some Sweet 100s that were just delicious eating
tomatoes. Almost like candy.
Sue

For sauces, the skins and seeds need to be removed with a food strainer.
Seeds and skins can cause the sauce to become bitter. Also hot house
tomatoes tend to be bitter anyways. Commercial tomato venders cannot
provide a good vine ripen tomato, no way, just not possible. Fresh vine
ripe is always sweeter almost candy like.

Minutes to make sauce for canning... Try hours....

Either you are on the other side of the planet or cat like me and up half
the night. Three in the morning here watching the lighting in the distance
dark sky.

--
Enjoy Life... Nad R (Garden in zone 5a Michigan)

Sue wrote:

-snip-
One problem I had last year was that I didn't have enough tomatoes at
any given time to can. I'm thinking maybe my error was in getting two
different varieties (2 plants each). I don't know. They just weren't
successful.

With 4 plants, I'd be concentrating on good eating tomatoes. Buy the
canning tomatoes from a local farm by the bushel. Enjoy the fresh
ones while you are able.

I plant a dozen plants and don't plan on canning any. [if I have a
good crop I'll do some chili sauce]

Jim