Late Tomatoes

[tlwagg]

Had anyone planted late tomatoes? I haven't done it in 20 years but hubby wants more homemade spaghetti sauce. I know I'm down to just a few days but I think I still have time.

Has anyone use the Cherokee Purple for sauces?

[Abigayle]

T. I think you will find the Cherokee Purple, while a good slicer, is a little too thin for spaghetti sauce.  You may do better with a sauce tomato, such as San Marzano, which is awesome for sauce.  You can also can the tomatoes and make the sauce, using them this winter, if you choose.  If you have Amish Paste, or Romas they work.  Margherta  Are ready in about 65 days...  If you ask an Italian cook, many will put their faith in the San Marzano.  Good luck!  P.S. they also put anchovy in their sauce, but you would never know it was there, it just does something wonderful....
Since I have canned Cherokee Purple,but never used it straight for sauce, I may be missing something and you may want to set me straight!  I am throwing all my left over tomatoes in a pot right now and making a blend for my end of season. My garden got away from me so it's now grab and throw...

[Starlady]

I have used them and many other 'eating' tomatoes in sauce, even cherries and the orange or yellow ones.   It's just a matter of simmering it down enough for the right consistency.  SIMMER, not boil.   Made with my normal spicing (onion, garlic, basil, a small touch of oregano and occasionally green pepper, no one has ever known it wasn't 'paste' tomatoes.  If you can it, remember to add lemon juice as most eating tomatoes these days DON'T have enough acid.

I just put it through the Vitorio grinder and in the crockpot with the lid cocked overnight on low, excess moisture evaporates and you don't stand there stirring for an hour.  I spice it after it gets where I want it.

Since most paste tomatoes are determinate (i.e. you basically get one big crop) I'd say that the majority of my home canned sauce right now is NOT paste based tomatoes. 

I am also very fond of slicing cherry tomatoes in half and dehydrating.  When ready to use for a 'Tuscan' meal - add 1/2 c of water to a wide pan/pot with a handful of dried tomato, some chunky onion, green pepper, other veggie of your choice (zucchini, green beans, etc.), garlic powder, LOTS of basil and simmer for till the veggies are cooked/rehydrated.  Add a bit more water if needed.   Pour the entire thing over regular or angel hair pasta, add cheese and you have a great meal.

[Ravenwood1950]

I have 7 tomato plants that I started from seed that are just now big enough to start blooming. I am hoping that I have tomatoes for fresh eating up to frost from them. If they really do well I will can some but I have canned tomatoes left from last year or the year before, I can't remember.
Ravenwood

[Fixit]

For late tomatoes  i just prune suckers off the tomatoes I already have and stick them a muddy soil . Roots will form and I have young new plants . Cute a lot of time off of starting from seed.

[Abigayle]

I have done the same thing as Fixit.  Some do well, others were a little more prone to blight than those started from seed, so if you decide to do this, you might want to plant a few extra.  It is a good time saver, as Fixit suggests...

[Abigayle]

TLWAGG, how are the late tomatoes coming?  What did you end up planting.  I had some come up near the chicken coop and now have cherry tomatoes.  They are still green and don't get much attention.  Any branches that get near the fence are fair game for the chickens, so not the prettiest of plants....but food, still food...

[RWS]

I had some indeterminate tomatoes that put on a second crop when the temperatures cooled off a bit in late summer.  The tomatoes were still green when cold weather set in.  The evening before a hard frost, I picked them and we had fried green tomatoes.  The cold weather put a tang in them.  They were supper good!