It's a bit early to give up on ripening tomatoes, but these ones grown in a growbag with a flimsy plastic canopy got the chop.
Not from me but from the weight of fruit and the blustery wind. The stalk just snapped.
Broken Stump
To make the best of it I made up some of our favourite Green Tomato Chutney.
So not a complete disaster after all. I should add that these were Gardeners Delight but we also have 5 Sungold plants, grown from seed, already producing a steady supply of ripe red (actually orange) cherry tomatoes.
Yes it is time to accept that these tomatoes are not going to ripen. I had enough to make a relish and a chutney, although they hardly differ in colour:
Added to the larder shelf where space is running out.
The tomatoes are San Marzano and had hardly any seeds. They need a southern Mediterranean climate to ripen fully and while I like green tomato chutney I wouldn't grow for that purpose.
Just so you don't feel too sorry for me the Sungold tomatoes ripened just fine as usual, providing a steady flow of cherry tomatoes:
There are three bays of cookery books in our local bookshop, celebrity chefs beaming out from the front cover of most volumes, but I could find only one book devoted to preserves (a worthy River Cottage manual). So I was more than happy to hear about this new book by Holly Farrell published today. In one volume there are fifty recipes covering the the full breadth of ingredients and techniques. The presentation is modern: recipes are afforded a page each with a facing page picture. The content is modern to match: No old fashioned Piccalilli, but in it's place Giardiniera (or Mostarda di Frutta if you really have a craving for mustard). No pickled onions as such but pickled garlic instead.
The organisation and internal cross referencing, from the fulsome Contents page to the separate indices for plants and recipes, ensure easy navigation to your chosen topic one way or another. I particularly appreciate the "Use in" jam jar tag on the Growing pages. So if you have a glut of apples, for instance, you can see that there are eight recipes which include this ingredient. Unlike the celebrity chefs this author is happy to keeps a low profile and allow the recipes to take top billing.
My Pickled Rhubarb
My first cheeky question to the publisher was: Are there any rhubarb recipes? and sure enough there are two - both of which I have now had a stab at. There is also the option to make rhubarb cordial/syrup. The instructions were easy to follow and the quantities sensible rather than industrial. Other inclusions you wouldn't find in traditional preserves books: Pesto, Chilli jam and Chilli dipping sauce as well as "so retro as to be modern" Rosehip syrup. I have not focused closely on the Growing pages mostly because I am up and running on the ingredients front. All the signs are that the recommendations have been well considered. I feel a novice would have to be very patient to hold off on these recipes until their growing plans came to fruition but I guess that is the nature of growing. You can also buy when seasonal to enjoy the lowest prices. Having said that, now that I have a recipe, I just might get a quince and/or medlar.
All in all I have no hesitation in giving this book 5 stars and recommending it to anyone looking for a comprehensive contemporary preserving guide.
Following on from my last post here are the potted and labelled results.
All that is left to be harvested now is: Parsnip, Swede, Cabbage, Brussels, Kale, Mooli, Jerusalem Artechoke, Leek, and the tail end of the Beetroot, Seakale Beet, and carrots still to be lifted. Back at home the stored supplies of onions and potatoes are running down. Will they last until Christmas???
It's time to admit defeat on the tomato front and get chutneying.
That's not to say we don't like green tomato chutney, which is a winter staple in our house - and the shops don't sell green tomatoes!
For the record here was the state of play in the greenhouse before the cull. Some of the tiger/stripey tomatoes (left) ripened, none of the San Marzano plum tomatoes ripened (middle) and the Sungold cherry tomatoes continued to produce a steady stream of sweet ripe fruit. These last are too small to chutney and will be brought into the warmth of the kitchen to continue ripening over the coming weeks.
Note to self: "Start tomatoes from seed earlier next year!"
