Of course here at the urban farm...what did I do with the tomato trimmings, caps, culls, etc.? If you know me at all you are correct if you said I fed them to the chickens. You bet I did! Those 4 older hens and this spring's 9 pullets did a head dive right into the pile when I dumped them in the chicken run. Here you will see the pile of trimmings as well as some of the now almost fully grown spring chicks that are equal in size with their foster Mother, the light golden Buff Orpington hen in the middle/right side in the upper photo and the once little day old chick that is now more golden than her Mother, is really a standard Buff Cochin. The other photo is just more of the now nearly grown spring chicks, mostly the Dutch Wellsummers, enjoying the tomato culls and caps. I just cut off the stem area and am not too picky about any loss as we have had so much intense heat that even though you cannot see it here, there are a lot of them that had some cracks on top of them from fast growth and intense heat.
I have some other photos to share with you but will wait for another day. By the way, I just got some new business cards so if I ever meet you or you request one, I will mail one or just hand it to you...nice cards for sure, with a chicken on it even. I also ordered a few hats with GARDEN DADDY on it! I leave you today with our ongoing urban farming affirmation in mind: "URBAN FARMING: ONE EGG AT A TIME!"
I know that you did not ask for any advice, but.... If you just dip the tomatoes for a few minutes and then into icy, cold water, the skin slips right off and you can easily get the stem area off without losing all the top. However, it seems you have done it a better/differnt way that involves no hot, boiling water.
ReplyDeleteWhen you put them in the food processor, are you left with the skin/peeling of the tomato in your tomatoes you can? No problem for me, just curious. It just sounds like you did not dip in boiling then in cold. No problem again. Just curious.
I never peel tomatoes, sliced for the table or sandwiches. I like the peel/skin.
How many quarts did you can? I never make soup or put spices in the tomatoes I can. That way, the tomatoes are more versatile. However, I never put tomatoes in anything but homemade soup. I found two quarts from two years ago that were down low behind things where I cannot see or stoop to see. In the middle of the summer, I will be making vegetable soup with a bit of ground round for the meaty flavor. This hot week is the week I make soup and die from the heated kitchen.
My three hens would be loving those tomatoes too. I can just imagine the head dive!
Are you going to post a picture of your new hats?
Your tomato crop embarrasses me because mine were so late in being put out.