17 Garden-Fresh Tomato Recipes That Showcase This Garden Staple (2024)

FAQs

What can I do with lots of fresh tomatoes? ›

Here are several options for what to do with an excess of tomatoes: Canning or Preserving: Consider canning or preserving your tomatoes to enjoy them throughout the year. You can make tomato sauce, tomato paste, tomato jam, or canned whole tomatoes.

Storing and Handling Guidelines

Tomatoes stored at refrigeration temperatures below 41 °F will have approximate shelf life of 5 days. Tomatoes stored at temperatures under 75 °F will have approximate shelf life of 1 to 2 days. Storing tomatoes above 75° F is not recommended.

Tomatoes may be frozen raw or cooked, whole, sliced, chopped, or puréed. Tomatoes do not need to be blanched before freezing. Frozen tomatoes are best used in cooked foods such as soups, sauces and stews as they become mushy when they're thawed.

Ripe Tomatoes

And unless you're eating them immediately, ripe, locally grown tomatoes will also last longer in the fridge; eat within a few days. Store ripe tomatoes in your fridge stress-free and enjoy them within a couple days of purchasing.

Water newly planted tomatoes well to make sure soil is moist and ideal for growing. Early in the growing season, watering plants daily in the morning. As temperatures increase, you might need to water tomato plants twice a day. Garden tomatoes typically require 1-2 inches of water a week.

Tomato plants require a good amount of these resources, so if they're planted closely together, they will compete and likely all lose. Low Production – Even if tomato plants growing closely together survive, they may not produce as many tomatoes as they could have if properly spaced.

How many tomatoes can you put in a 5 gallon bucket? ›

The Benefits of Using 5-Gallon Buckets

The standard size of these buckets allows for at least two tomato plants per bucket. This makes them an efficient use of space in small gardens or balcony spaces.

Crush the tomatoes by hand or in a food processor or blender, depending on the consistency you're going for. Add the crushed tomatoes to an airtight, freezer-safe container, and transfer it to the freezer.

Bad tomatoes also tend to leak fluid. If you pick up a tomato and notice that there is fluid underneath it, then it has gone bad. Feel – if a tomato is soft or mushy when given a light squeeze, it has gone bad. Smell – if you find that a tomato is producing a bitter or putrid smell, then it has gone bad.

The standard rule is to keep tomatoes out of the refrigerator. It all comes down to science: Tomatoes contain an enzyme that reacts to cold temperatures, causing the cell membranes to break down and leaving you with a piece of fruit that's mushy and mealy.

All you have to do is wash and dry the tomatoes. At this point, you may want to hull the tomatoes to remove the woody stem and core if you plan to use the tomatoes whole in months to come. Next, store the tomatoes in a zip-top bag and force out as much air as possible before lying them flat in the freezer.

A: The best way to store fresh tomatoes so that they last is to pick them at the breaker stage (shown on the left) … store at 50°F (10°C) … and out of direct sunlight. Move them to a place at room temperature a few days before you want to use them.

To store the tomatoes in the refrigerator or freezer, place them in a zip-top bag and squeeze any extra air out. Put them in the refrigerator for up to a month or stick them in the freezer. To store tomatoes in oil, sterilize a mason jar by boiling it for 10 minutes.

Canning Tomatoes

It's best to remove the skins from the tomatoes before canning, and it's important to use new jars, as used jars might not seal properly upon processing. Once processed, home canned tomatoes can often last as long as one year if stored in a cool, dry, and dark space.