We've been sending out mixed boxes of tomatoes until now, but we've now hit peak tomato season and we can now list some varietals separately! Do you have a favourite yet? Our Green and Red Zebras are an old favourite duo, both heirloom tomatoes. The Green Zebras are perhaps the sweetest tomato we grow, and are also quite soft. The orange are also soft and sweet, with a beefsteak marbling of the flesh inside and the variety is Marmalade. Pink tomatoes are next in line with a bit more acidity to balance the sweetness, this year we're growing Muchoo an Asian varietal that we're finding has the same wonderful pink flavour without splitting and bruising which were issues with our pinks in the past. Next comes our classic red, Arbason which we started harvesting underripe by accident... so we're trying to give it more time on the vines before sending it your way. Softness is generally the telltale sign that a tomato is perfectly ripe, but we like to harvest them in time to give you a few days to eat them ;) Finally, Kakao is our black tomato variety with the most acidity, which some describe as the most "tomatoey" although I find that's highly subjective. The black tomatoes pair nicely with balsamic and sharp cheddar while the sweeter tomatoes are often nice in mixed salads, dishes and sandwiches... but everyone has their favourites. This week we're able to list several of the varietals on the swap list in case anyone wants a single varietal in their box :)
We're also at peak production for canning tomatoes (also known as paste or sauce tomatoes). We've planted a big patch in the fields by popular demand. They're available by the 20lb box in the "Extras" section, so pop on over and grab some to play in the kitchen this weekend :) The variety is a San Marzano type, known as Paisano which is making a lovely smell throughout the house as they boil down on my stove... mmm... it's going to be a delicious winter! You can also select them by the quart if you're swapping or just want sauce for a dinner (they're the same price as our regular tomatoes, but twice the volume). If you've never canned before, my favourite reference is the USDA guide which is available online for free as a collection of pdf files that explain the basic science of home canning complete with recipes for nearly everything.
