Bye-bye tomatoes

After checking the weather for the coming week, and realizing that I really don't have the energy these days to cover our tomato plants each night (and uncover them each morning) ... we came to a decision.

Bye-bye tomato plants.

So, last evening the four of us went out and picked all the green tomatoes.  As we were looking through the 5 plants, I came across this ...

... a tomato horn worm. EEEEWWWWWW.  Now we know what was eating the leaves, and nibbling at the fruit. 

After about an hour's work, the plants were emptied and disposed of, and we were left with this ...

274 final little bundles of Vitamin C and Lycopene.  This puts the grand total of our 5 tomato plants well over 1000 tomatoes!  Not bad for our first year! *grin*  The "tricks" to getting this bountiful harvest were taught to me by my girlfriend, Jess.  Make sure it's a raised bed, and mix mushroom compost (that I purchased at Home Depot) in with the topsoil.

I've diced and frozen tons of tomatoes, and canned a bunch too!  We ate sandwiches and salads to our hearts content this summer.  Made soup and bruschetta.  Yummy!  I'm looking forward to our first chili of the season, and adding fresh (frozen) tomatoes to our spaghetti sauce all winter! 

(Next week we're digging up the leeks, and making potato leek soup to eat and freeze with my sister - her recipe is KILLER!)

We'll see how long it takes me to use what we've stored, but I think that next year I'm gonna put in double the plants.  I want to learn how to make canned salsa (which is much more particular than fresh salsa) and spaghetti sauce next summer.

So, now it's time to ripen these green beauties.  I took off the stems - and separated out the ones that have "bug nibbles".  They went into boxes (in a single layer) on newspaper.

They'll get covered with another layer of newspaper, and I'll put in an apple or banana (which will release gasses that will help to ripen them).  Then I'll shut the boxes and put them in the garage.  Every day or two I'll check on them, and take out any "yucky" ones, and any ripe ones too!  I'm looking forward to canning / freezing / eating these final summer beauties!

Bye-bye tomatoes ... and hello PUMPKINS!

raspberry picking

Last Saturday we went raspberry picking as a family.  It was just about the end of the season for fall raspberries, but we still got 2 pints-worth in under an hour!  We went to Reilly's Summer Seat Farm - a place recommended to me by a sweet friend - and it was WONDERFUL!

Aaron loves raspberries, probably more than any other fruit/berry.  So, he was excited by the idea of eating fresh ones, and I was hoping to get just enough to make some jam, or at least put over vanilla ice cream.

... The boys, on the other hand, thought it was "cruel and unusual" punishment, and that they were way too young to be subjected to such tortuous practices. (I distinctly remember being 4 and spending all morning in the fields at my grandparent's farm with the other grandkids picking raspberries and strawberries and the like - so at 5 1/2, Alex is definitely NOT too young to help for 5 minutes. - MUCH discussion was held on the topic while were were there.)  In Harrison's defense, the prickly thorns were just at his eye level, so I can at least understand some of his displeasure.

Alex "occupied" himself with tickling everyone ...

... and everyTHING in sight.

Eventually Harrison led the mutiny.  He ran down the row, and "disappeared" into the parking lot.  Alex wasn't too far behind, and Aaron went to "check on them."

Apparently "stone picking" really makes one thirsty.

And at least they could SEE where I was.... (You can see that since it's the end of the season, they stopped mowing in between rows, and the weeds were beginning to creep back in...)  Alex and daddy had a nice conversation about camaflouge while they were in the parking lot.

Eventually, I put my foot down, and told Alex that we weren't leaving until he picked some.  Begrudgingly (and quite vocally) he started helping.  I think he picked five.

Daddy and Harrison (who were sooooo ready for dinner) finally got in the action so we could finish off the two pints.  

Ahhh. These are the REALISTIC memories we all have of family outings.  Next summer when we go back to pick more raspberries (and blueberries, blackberries and strawberries), hopefully it will be a more congenial trip. ... Or maybe I'll get a babysitter and leave the kids at home.  We'll see. *grin*