What to Do with All These Tomatoes

Lucky girl... Boil them quickly to remove the skin - then quarter them and put them back in the pot (throw out the water) add some onions, garlic, basil etc and cook it slow all day -- wala the best spagetti sauce you ever ate.

tomato sauce for spaghetti. salsa....

You are lucky to have that problem. Why can't I find tomato-rich friends?! :-P
You should do a recipe search for homemade salsas and sauces. Spaghetti sauce can be frozen, which is a bonus. I can't give you a recipe off-hand, tho, cuz I've never had a surplus of tomatoes; I eat them too fast, heh. Enjoy the bounty, you lucky gal!

I sliced mine and put them in the dehydrator this morning. I've never tried it but I hear they rehydrate well and can be used for soups and casseroles later this fall and winter. Plus, you can crunch up the dried ones and use them for salad toppings or other such things.

The easiest thing to do is dip them in boiling water for about 1 minute, slide the peel off, cut them up and freeze them in freezer bags. They will work great for soups and sauces this winter. Enjoy!

Hi T.,
Sorry I don't exactly use recipes very often. I just experiment with my natural cooking knowledge.
Tomato soup is really simple if your family likes it. you just blend the tomatoes up with a little water and cook the puree until it looks like the tomato and the water are one and not separated. Add milk and any other flavorings. I always keep the skins and seeds on before blending but most recipes will tell you to remove these.
You can just google tomato soup recipe, I am sure you will find one.
I also love making tomato sauce for pasta. Again just blend up the tomatoes and cook (for a long time). You would need basil, oregano, garlic, thyme and salt. You can add meat too.
I like it when I cut up onion and garlic and sautee them in a little olive oil before adding the rest of the ingredients. You just cook it down on low heat until the sauce seems thick enough.
I bet you could find a recipe for this too, unless you are comfortable just doing it.
The good thing is you can freeze these foods until you want to use them. The best thing is the taste of home made soup and sauce. Yummy!

Barbara Kingsolver has a website based from her book "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle". She has lots of wonderful recipes that she uses for her tomatoes. Unfortunately, I am having the same problem as other responders...I have 7 huge tomato plants in my garden and have only gotten a handful of tomatoes from them. I am still hoping that they will produce, but it is a very different year!

T...do you have a freezer where you could freeze them? I don't can...so freezing is the only way for me to go. Wash the tomatoes and dry them, then place them in plastic zip loc backs....remove as much of the air as possible without damaging the tomatoes and pop them in the freezer. When you are ready to use them simply take out the amount that you want to use, cut the stem out, rinse them under cool running water and use your fingers to "peel" the tomato. They are PERFECT for soups, stews, anything that you would use canned tomatoes in!!! Just chop them up into whatever size you want while they are still frozen. Yum!!!!
R. Ann

Well if you're coming to Kansas City, you can drop them off at my house! :-)

If you or your family like salsa, it is easy to make and takes up a bunch of tomatoes. That's what we do when we get tomatoes from my grandma.

wow I wish I had your problem! For us and anyone we know locally tomatoes haven't done well this year. I wanted to can them but have only had enough to can 1 jar when we use over 50 jars a year just for our family. For us canned tomatoes are the way to go & store bought is just not the same. We also like to eat them just sliced, on salads & sandwiches etc. If you can't keep up with them maybe pass them on to someone who could take them and use them. I don't know where you're located but I'm in St. Charles, MO if you're nearby I'd can them and use them!

L.

definitely salsa...or bring some to me ha!

I don't really have to many tomato recipes but if you can simply put "tomato recipe" in your search engine and bring up a least 100,000! You might also consider re-gifting the excess. Give them to other friends or donate them to your local church pantry.

When life gives you tomatoes, make salsa! I boil the whole tomatoes just until the peal comes off easily. Throw them in the blender with some bell pepper, jalepenos or sorentos, onion, minced garlic and cilantro if desired. Return to sauce pan after draining the water from boiling. Add lemon and or lime juice, salt (fresh sea salt is best) and fresh ground black pepper to taste. Simmer at least another 15 minutes then place in fridge to cool. You can add a little chili powder for extra kick, or even a little liquid smoke for a great roasty flavor. Expirament and have fun! A drained can of black beans and/or some frozen (or fresh) corn make great additions too.
PS Extra can be easily frozen in a freezer bag for later use.