I'll have to show that mater sandwich to my mom since she has to watch her carbs. Looks really good!!

Wow, does that tomato "bun" get really messy?

Not if you wear gloves and a raincoat .

robynanne said:Wow, does that tomato "bun" get really messy?

This made me look back at the photo again... TK, you mentioned that you dehydrated the tomato for 3 days; was it actually 3 days, or was that supposed to be 3 hours? It seems to me that it would have been a lot more shriveled after 3 days, but then again, maybe not (I've never put anything that thick in my dehydrator).

Actually, now its 4 days at 115. They are no longer a juicy mess. Less heat lets mold grow. More cooks them. They are very good.

So my tomatoes are growing great but one of the heirlooms I was very excited about is apparently not the best for my Southern US climate: La Vie en Rose has some sort of wilt. Mortgage Lifter looks like it has the same thing and the two plants are not near each other. Still they have lots of green tomatoes so hopefully I'll get some maters before the plants die. All the other tomato varieties I'm growing must be immune to this wilt because they aren't showing the same yellowing.

SCButtercup said:So my tomatoes are growing great but one of the heirlooms I was very excited about is apparently not the best for my Southern US climate: La Vie en Rose has some sort of wilt. Mortgage Lifter looks like it has the same thing and the two plants are not near each other. Still they have lots of green tomatoes so hopefully I'll get some maters before the plants die. All the other tomato varieties I'm growing must be immune to this wilt because they aren't showing the same yellowing.

Oh NO!!! That is truly sad.

I know LA VIE EN ROSE was one of the most healthy tomato plants in the garden last season. And I had 6 plants of them.

Never had any luck with Mortgage Lifter here. Yup, each year ( and I tried at least 3 times) it would get yellow and the plants would simply die.

texaskitty111 said:Actually, now its 4 days at 115. They are no longer a juicy mess. Less heat lets mold grow. More cooks them. They are very good.

I'm going to have to try that -- I can just about taste the concentrated tomato flavor from dehydrating them that way!

I have been using smaller ones to make salsa and spaghetti sauce for the freezer.

Ugh, tomato wilt now is so sad! Last year I was just starting to get little plants into the ground now.. and this year I've got them outgrowing their cages and setting fruits. With all the green... I'm dealing with early spots and such too and it is far more concerning than the fall stuff was. It is harder to spray them with neem when they have flowers and bees all over... I hate spraying stuff with bees.

robynanne said:Ugh, tomato wilt now is so sad! Last year I was just starting to get little plants into the ground now.. and this year I've got them outgrowing their cages and setting fruits. With all the green... I'm dealing with early spots and such too and it is far more concerning than the fall stuff was. It is harder to spray them with neem when they have flowers and bees all over... I hate spraying stuff with bees.

Just spray the plants just before the sun goes down. Then it will not bother the bees, as they will be asleep. Neem is supposed to be sprayed in the early evening.

evelyninthegarden said:

Just spray the plants just before the sun goes down. Then it will not bother the bees, as they will be asleep. Neem is supposed to be sprayed in the early evening.

Interesting. I was out last night about 7:30ish. There was a bee browsing the plants. I just sprayed the ones where he wasn't, and generally the undersides near the ground anyway so I think it was OK.

The sun doesn't go down here until nearly 10 p.m.

OK, these are the dehydrated tomatoes I kept today. There were a dozen more, but they had a little mold on them. So, I upped the temp to 120°.
You should be able to squash them with a fork, and not much juice will squeeze out.

So, TK,
That's FOUR days at ~115-120° to dry the tomatoes? How thick did you slice them?

And, how do you use them after they're dried? Remember, I have TWO boxes of greenies wrapped in newspaper sitting in the closet...

LMK.

Hugs!

120° Only slice them in half (between stem and whatamacallit) and leave the skin on. Big ones are better, unless you're making sliders. Dehydraters vary, but I like mine when they just start to blacken on the cut part. OR, use a fork and squash gently. No seeds should squish out. They will be almost flat. I use them warm as buns. No mayo needed because they are, despite all efforts, juicy enough. They don't taste as good after refrigeration, as they soften.
Today's sample. The darker (blackened) ones are ready:




I use the smaller ones with imperfect fresh tomatoes to make salsa or spaghetti sauce.
This is what they look like a day before they're ready:



So I squish around the edges to flatten them:



FYI - 1. 125° makes them tough and impossible to bite, 120°, I lose a few to mold. Chickens get those.

2. I have yet to get a tomato so big it makes a regular sized hamburger bun. Those would also take more days, and might mold. Mine are sliders

This is my first EVER Cherokee purple:



I wanted to try it as it's a favorite. I would have let it ripen more, but we got 4" of rain last night and most ripe tomatoes split. Anyway, it was good, but I bet the next ripe one will be more impressive.

Gymgirl said:So, TK,
Remember, I have TWO boxes of greenies wrapped in newspaper sitting in the closet... :hearts

Make that, "HAD" two boxes of greenies...." I checked yesterday morning, and those greenies have turned to a gorgeous shade of deep RED, LOL!

Plan B: Roasted tomato sauce!!!
I sure hate to heat up the kitchen in all this heat, so, on a recommendation from a co-worker, I'm gonna drop those tomatoes into some boiling water, remove the skins, and vacuum seal them until it gets cooler. THEN, I'll make that roasted tomato sauce!

What a wonderful way to finish your harvest, Linda. I've also frozen tomotoes to make sauce later--it makes a lovely late winter bonus!!!

Linda. Howdy 😁!!!
Your, havest over !😕!!! How ???
I only grow determinate tomatoes. They, produce all season long for me. 90s to triple digits, all summer long.
Humm ?😕😕😕??? Maybe ! It's because, Fresno Ca, has dry climate?

I don't heat kitchen up, either.
I put tomatoes in blender, or food processor, whole, and unpealed, untill, smooth. Then, stir, every few minutes, till air is out. Then freeze.
Don't they say.... The skin, has all the vitamans ?
😎😎😎