Bursting Tomatoes
 

This has been my first proper year of growing tomatoes, and all things
considered, I'm very pleased with the results, given too much rain, and
not enough sunshine. All my plants seem to be producing fair
quantities without me doing much apart from supporting and trimming
them. Though I have noticed that if you leave the fruit on the plant
too long, the skins seem to split, which doesn't seem a good thing.
On the other hand, the longer you leave the fruit, the riper and
sweeter and tomatoier (if there such a word) they get. There must be
some recognised way of dealing with this dilemma.



Ken Cohen

wrote:

there must be
some recognised way of dealing with this dilemma.

Roast them overnight in a really low oven (100C) on a bed of coarse
salt, garlic, rosemary, thyme and a little sprinkle of olive oil and a
drop of balsamic. Maybe throw in a shallot or two.

Works best with very ripe tomatoes that are possibly about to spoil. The
recipe suggests to skin them after overnight roasting, but the skins are
fine by me. I serve them as a starter with some crusty bread.

Delicious.

--
http://www.intercuts.com/blog/

Hugh Chaloner wrote:

wrote:

there must be
some recognised way of dealing with this dilemma.

Roast them overnight

Oops! Forgot to say to halve them initially, and put 'em in the baking
tray skin side down.

--
http://www.intercuts.com/blog/

Hugh Chaloner wrote:

Roast them overnight

sorry, forgot to tell you to halve them first and put them cut side down
in the roasting tray.
--
http://www.intercuts.com/blog/

On 16 Sep 2005 12:19:40 -0700, wrote:

This has been my first proper year of growing tomatoes, and all things
considered, I'm very pleased with the results, given too much rain, and
not enough sunshine. All my plants seem to be producing fair
quantities without me doing much apart from supporting and trimming
them. Though I have noticed that if you leave the fruit on the plant
too long, the skins seem to split, which doesn't seem a good thing.
On the other hand, the longer you leave the fruit, the riper and
sweeter and tomatoier (if there such a word) they get. There must be
some recognised way of dealing with this dilemma.



Ken Cohen

Generally, splitting is caused by irregular water supply, so if you
grow in growbags and water evenly, you *should* get away with it. But
in the soil, in recent weather hot/flood/hot/flood etc it always seems
to be a problem.

Depends on variety too - I gave up trying to grow cherry tomatos like
'Gardeners Delight' in the soil for this reason, but they (and their
successor varieties) are fine in growbags.

(BTW - question for anyone- can you still get Gardener's Delight, or
are they totally withdrawn now?)

Regards, Mark

On the other hand, the longer you leave the fruit, the riper and
sweeter and tomatoier (if there such a word) they get. There must be
some recognised way of dealing with this dilemma.



Ken Cohen

Pick them on the turn and let them ripen off the vine.

On 16 Sep 2005 12:19:40 -0700, wrote:

This has been my first proper year of growing tomatoes, and all things
considered, I'm very pleased with the results, given too much rain, and
not enough sunshine. All my plants seem to be producing fair
quantities without me doing much apart from supporting and trimming
them. Though I have noticed that if you leave the fruit on the plant
too long, the skins seem to split, which doesn't seem a good thing.
On the other hand, the longer you leave the fruit, the riper and
sweeter and tomatoier (if there such a word) they get. There must be
some recognised way of dealing with this dilemma.

I have had this problem this year but never before.
I am sure it is due to lack of water. Because of changed circumstances
I have not been able to get to my allotment so often this year, and
there has been very little rain during the flowering and fruiting
period of the tomatoes. U know they have not had the watering of
previous years.
The ones which are splitting are largely the cherry ones and in
particular, Sungold.
Due to blight I have had to uproot all my tomatoes and have picked the
so far unaffected fruit. The cherry ones do not have blight but I have
picked them anyway and have them spread on trays in my house.
They are continuing to split.
I am madly making tomato puree to freeze and eating and giving away as
many as I can!

Pam in Bristol

In article ,
(Mark) wrote:

(BTW - question for anyone- can you still get Gardener's Delight, or
are they totally withdrawn now?)

Easily obtainable

Steve Harris - Cheltenham - Real address steve AT netservs DOT com
A useful bit of gardening software at http://www.netservs.com/garden/

Our patio pot tomatoes have done very well, both cherry & medium sized.

They've both exhibited the "splitting" you talk about, but only when they're ripe. So we take this as signifying they're ready to remove. Taste is good.

As for water, we've been doing it daily, sometimes twice, throughout the summer drought here on the South Coast. No lack of water, or irregular watering. Given them regular "Tomorite" feed - say once a week.

( And of course, it depends what you mean by "splitting" too - what we're talking about is more like a "smile" across the tomato surface, not a chasm )

Our patio pot tomatoes have done very well, both cherry & medium sized.

They've both exhibited the "splitting" you talk about, but only when they're ripe. So we take this as signifying they're ready to remove. Taste is good.

As for water, we've been doing it daily, sometimes twice, throughout the summer drought here on the South Coast. No lack of water, or irregular watering. Given them regular "Tomorite" feed - say once a week.

( And of course, it depends what you mean by "splitting" too - what we're talking about is more like a "smile" across the tomato surface, not a chasm )

i found this information about splitting is this what you mean

http://fortyeight.net/lh.php?lXc=4338

No mate. This is some kind of wind-up!

"Blossom" wrote in message
...

BUDDY Wrote:
i found this information about splitting is this what you mean

http://fortyeight.net/lh.php?lXc=4338

No mate. This is some kind of wind-up!

I'm afraid it's an attempt to make your PC a zombie - if you went there, I
strongly recommend a full virus scan and spyware scan. Block this individual
NOW.

Regards,
--
--
Jason Teagle

I have been growing tomatoes under cool conditions for nearly 40 yeatrs and
this is an on going problem. The books say and I agree, that too much water
is the problem-out of doors, late in the season, especially with cherry
tomatoes and Sugar plum the issue may be too little transpiration-balance
between water in /out.
Irregular watering causes the ends of the fruit to go black and corky-the
rest of the tomato is still edible.
Transpiration problems would be overcome in a heated greenhouse- but that is
going commercial.
Late in the season I pick the tomatoes earlier when they have turned colour
but before they have reddened up completely. They still taste better than
shop fruit.

"Mark" wrote in message
...
On 16 Sep 2005 12:19:40 -0700, wrote:

This has been my first proper year of growing tomatoes, and all things
considered, I'm very pleased with the results, given too much rain, and
not enough sunshine. All my plants seem to be producing fair
quantities without me doing much apart from supporting and trimming
them. Though I have noticed that if you leave the fruit on the plant
too long, the skins seem to split, which doesn't seem a good thing.
On the other hand, the longer you leave the fruit, the riper and
sweeter and tomatoier (if there such a word) they get. There must be
some recognised way of dealing with this dilemma.



Ken Cohen

Generally, splitting is caused by irregular water supply, so if you
grow in growbags and water evenly, you *should* get away with it. But
in the soil, in recent weather hot/flood/hot/flood etc it always seems
to be a problem.

Depends on variety too - I gave up trying to grow cherry tomatos like
'Gardeners Delight' in the soil for this reason, but they (and their
successor varieties) are fine in growbags.

(BTW - question for anyone- can you still get Gardener's Delight, or
are they totally withdrawn now?)

Regards, Mark

In article , Mark
writes
On 16 Sep 2005 12:19:40 -0700, wrote:

This has been my first proper year of growing tomatoes, and all things
considered, I'm very pleased with the results, given too much rain, and
not enough sunshine. All my plants seem to be producing fair
quantities without me doing much apart from supporting and trimming
them. Though I have noticed that if you leave the fruit on the plant
too long, the skins seem to split, which doesn't seem a good thing.
On the other hand, the longer you leave the fruit, the riper and
sweeter and tomatoier (if there such a word) they get. There must be
some recognised way of dealing with this dilemma.



Ken Cohen

Generally, splitting is caused by irregular water supply, so if you
grow in growbags and water evenly, you *should* get away with it. But
in the soil, in recent weather hot/flood/hot/flood etc it always seems
to be a problem.

Depends on variety too - I gave up trying to grow cherry tomatos like
'Gardeners Delight' in the soil for this reason, but they (and their
successor varieties) are fine in growbags.

(BTW - question for anyone- can you still get Gardener's Delight, or
are they totally withdrawn now?)

Regards, Mark

Hi

I bought 3 Gardener's Delight plants from my local garden centre earlier
this spring, so you can still get them - they also did really well and I
ended up with very many tomatoes!

Lynda