Yes , I cognize they survive , because I ’ve seen them . I ’m babble out about people who do n’t like tomatoes .
Hard to consider , I realize , so when I forgather one of these creatures I finger like Captain Kirk , who , when his crowd encountered an alien airstream of humanoids , said in his trademark delivery , “ They are , so like us , yet , they do not screw … tomato . ”
Okay , so Kirk did n’t precisely say that , but you get what I mean . The concept of someone not loving tomato plant is so fundamentally strange to me that when I discover a person describe how they do n’t handle for the squashy grain , or their constitution ca n’t handle the seed or the acidity , I just stare blankly . Part of me require to tell them , well , actually there are tomatoes that are n’t spongelike , or poorly , or loony toons , but I end up thinking , “ What ’s the head ? ” They ’ll never see .
Northern Gardener publisher Tom McKusick and his favorite crop.
Then again they ’re talking to someone whose affection for homegrown tomatoes , especially heirloom varieties , go away well beyond a taste , and hovers somewhere between a concerning level of obsession and full - on folly . I hump everything about them : the variety of colors , the tastes , the textures . There ’s really nothing else that compare to a fresh - pickedOaxacan Jewel , slice up on a plate with nothing else .
It appears that some people line up my tomato plant interest group a little strange . They tell me . “ You ’re growing 100 tomato plants ! ? You must be nuts ! ” More questions invariably ensue . “ What do you have , a farm ? ”
No , I tell them , I have two community garden plots and small garden at home and at my office . And I mention that I grow lots of other vegetables as well , but they usually get stuck on that 100 - plant matter . The next question is inevitable . “ What can you peradventure do with all of those love apple ? You must REALLY like them . ”
Just another day’s harvest for Tom.
I guess that ’s a bit of an understatement , and I know how it sounds — but I can explicate . Ever since I start maturate heirloom tomato by seed six years ago , the phone number of plants I produce has originate each year . In 2012 , I started over 400 love apple works , and gave away most of them . Last fountain , I traverse the 100 - industrial plant doorsill in my garden through a compounding of my own seedlings and plants donate by supporter . At the first of the season I was n’t necessarily looking to put in that many , but I ’ve institute that I have a hard time turning down any tomato plant , so as I accumulated more and saw that I was getting close to one hundred I think , why not ?
As for what I do with the tomatoes themselves , that ’s the easy part . Sure , with that many plants , I do get a ton — see the photo of my dining way table from last September . ( That ’s basically one - daytime ’s harvest time . ) But these are nigh all heirloom plant , which ordinarily produce significantly less fruit than intercrossed mixed bag . If I grew 100 intercrossed industrial plant Iwouldneed to operate a truck farm .
As it is , I never finger that I have too many tomato . We have all we need at home for eating novel and canning and freezing and dry and making into sauce , and the rest I give away . Having done this for a few year , there ’s an established list of friends and relatives to whom I give tomatoes , with more being added all the time . I delight seeing the expression on someone ’s face when I give them a box of heirloom ; a jewel - alike salmagundi of colors , shapes and size of it . It ’s like getting an Easter basket .
And I ’m always surprised by how many the great unwashed have never tasted heirloom tomatoes , and gratified when they report back to me later how they used them , and which ones they especially enjoy . That aid me when it add up to determine which mixed bag I ’ll arise next time , because as much as I ’d like to , I ca n’t develop ‘ em all .
Now , in January , is when I go over my notes from last season and make my selection for this class , remember which ones had thicker skins that did n’t split easily after it rains , which were most productive , had splendid flavor , a little or a lot of cum . ( See my favourite from 2012 in tomorrow ’s post )
Sometimes it just come down to the name . Heirloom tomato are often fancifully named , and for me that ’s part of their appeal . So I think over over if I want to tryClint Eastwood ’s Rowdy Red , White Rabbit , Hogs Heart , orDing Wall Scotty . Whichever I opt , I ’m well-chosen for the chance to discover a newfangled favorite .
And now that I ’ve achieved the 100 - flora mark in my garden , I ’m set to cut back . This yr I ’ll only grow 80 .
