Re: 2013 Tomato Tuesday - N&C Midwest

**llama momma** 6/25/2013, 10:17 pm

Lol, I'll start the little photo shoot tomorrow morning Very Happy

Goosegirl 6/25/2013, 10:27 pm

llama momma wrote:Lol, I'll start the little photo shoot tomorrow morning

I have to wait a few days for my next volunteer pic - I mowed it yesterday. Just as I realized "Hey, there's a squash volunteer!" the front end of the mower was shadowing it.....

GG

**llama momma** 6/25/2013, 10:32 pm

Sounds like something I would do Smile

R&R 1011 6/28/2013, 12:56 am

LM- Ive never heard of a blue tomato.

Goose- Love your pics. Nice looking toms. Smile

We got the cattle panel archway up today. I put 2 next to each other. They look so cool. I still have to get my plants up the trellis. Ran out of time today having to rush to work. I also caught out of the corner of my eye one of my sweet 100 toms had a string of babies on it. Im one proud mama. Ill try to find to take pictures tomorrow.

No one told me cucumbers have prickly stems. OUCH!

**llama momma** 6/28/2013, 1:19 am

R and R, Baker Creek seed catalogue offers a variety called Blue Berry Blend so I thought I'd try it. The skin really is blue, don't know if the flesh is blue, will soon find out.. You can google info and pictures of it, if interested.

Goosegirl 7/17/2013, 8:14 pm

I've got 'maters!!!

Dakota Gold's ( thanks

Cheyannarach!) Notice the hot pink thumbnail below for size comparison rofl

2013 Tomato Tuesday - N&C Midwest - Page 2 Pict0011

GG

**walshevak** 7/18/2013, 4:47 am

Yay!!!!!

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Kay

Goosegirl 7/25/2013, 11:13 pm

Tonight is supposed to be 53. but the next 2 nights are forecast for 47. My tomatoes may need a blankie!

GG

**llama momma** 8/6/2013, 10:08 am

Just about 5-1/2 weeks from tomato flowers to edible fruit. This is the first red tomato--
2013 Tomato Tuesday - N&C Midwest - Page 2 Tomato10

and this is a trellis started with spindly weak plants that spent too much time in solo cups but still produced red, white(more like yellow) and blue tomatoes-it's also my problem trellis #3 that is fighting blight...
2013 Tomato Tuesday - N&C Midwest - Page 2 2013_t10

2013 Tomato Tuesday - N&C Midwest - Page 2 2013_t10

**llama momma** 8/6/2013, 4:35 pm

If you are looking for a sweet tomato then Hillbilly may be just what you're looking for.
I sliced up the tomato from the post above and the strangest thing, it was more sweet and fruity than a robust tomato flavor. Very meaty and little gel inside with very small number of seeds. Turns out 'Hillbilly' is very low acid and known for its sweetness. My husband won't eat raw tomatoes and was so surprised how much he enjoyed this variety. Said it can be eaten by itself without salt or mayo and I agree. I went online and there was a fellow by the name of Gary Ibsen on youtube who grows over 500 tomato varieties and confirmed that Hillbilly is the sweetest tasting tomato he has ever grown.

herblover 8/7/2013, 11:30 am

If only I could get mine to ripen! I have picked a handful of yellow plums and have 1 'German Red Strawberry' slowly ripening but everything else is stubbornly green! Should take lessons from my 'Thai Hot Chili' peppers!

R&R 1011 8/7/2013, 12:12 pm

Those Hillbilly tomatoes sound delicious. Im intrigued. LM- Do you think I should start my strawberry bed in the fall like you did or wait until next spring? You started your roots in the fall, right?

Herb- Most of my tomatoes are still green too. My purple cherokees and sweet 100 cherries have been ripening on a daily basis. I took a picture of my loot the other day. My beds look crazy. I havent had time to tend to them since I went back to work FT.

2013 Tomato Tuesday - N&C Midwest - Page 2 Img_0310

2013 Tomato Tuesday - N&C Midwest - Page 2 Img_0310

2013 Tomato Tuesday - N&C Midwest - Page 2 Img_0311

**llama momma** 8/7/2013, 2:23 pm

Herblover
I know what you mean about the waiting part, 99 percent of mine are still green. Some things are beginning to blush and I check on them twice a day to see how much closer I am to harvesting.

R & R
your harvest looks great!!
I started my very first strawberry bed in the spring of 2012. Documented the whole thing here, maybe it'll help you out.
https://squarefoot.forumotion.com/t13734-2012-pictures-of-birth-of-new-strawberry-bed-through-1st-renovation?highlight=strawberries+birth!

I have runners that are planting themselves right now. My neighbor is getting those. But I think it is usually recommended to start in the Spring. You could call the extension service and they should know why if a spring planting is better. I bet it is so the roots can firmly become established to survive the winter.

**llama momma** 8/20/2013, 1:21 pm

2013 Tomato Tuesday - N&C Midwest - Page 2 Sam_2014

2013 Tomato Tuesday - N&C Midwest - Page 2 Sam_2017

I'm pointing to some of the leaves that have purple sploches. These have a long way to go before ripening. I read the purple color is the same anthocyanins that are in blueberries and supposedly contain the same kind of antioxidents.
2013 Tomato Tuesday - N&C Midwest - Page 2 Sam_2018

2013 Tomato Tuesday - N&C Midwest - Page 2 Sam_2018

R&R 1011 8/20/2013, 3:12 pm

llama momma wrote:

I'm pointing to some of the leaves that have purple sploches. These have a long way to go before ripening. I read the purple color is the same anthocyanins that are in blueberries and supposedly contain the same kind of antioxidents.

Beautiful! Let us know how they taste. Im getting ready to freeze another batch of tomatoes and can a batch of bread & butter pickles. The dill pickle recipe i found online had way too much salt in it so now my batch of dill pickles isnt so yummy. My concord grapes are ripening so I need to get ready to can them as well. Ughh Ive been sooooo busy lately.

Marc Iverson 8/20/2013, 4:08 pm

Wow, if they have the same sort of anti-oxidants that blueberries have (and blueberries are so small!), then you have a tremendous nutrition powerhouse there!

Are those purple ones called "Blueberry Blend"? Where did you get them?

**llama momma** 8/20/2013, 4:19 pm

Yes Marc, Blue Berry Blend, purchased from Baker Creek, through their supplier called wild boar farms. Only 10 seeds per packet and it was 30 cents per seed.
I know... Shocked

...but the novelty of it appealed to me during those winter doldrums!

Marc Iverson 8/20/2013, 9:16 pm

Thanks LM. I think I'd like to try those even if they're bland, just for the health factor. Also because they'd look spectacular on a plate of mixed tomato slices.

I guess it's a hybrid and seed saving is out?

One more question -- does it retain the purple color when you cook it, like blueberries do?

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