Haddock's is driving me crazy this year. It's August 28th, and above is the first of my pukka tomatoes to ripen. Just one so far, and as you can probably see, still not completely ripe.
On top of which I am having to compost several tons of grapes and far too many courgettes. The grapes because otherwise we become inundated with huge sugar-hungry Hornets, and the courgettes simply because we have too many, as does everyone else.
I am now seriously beginning to wonder if I'll actually get to bottle much ratatouille, or other tomato based preserves this year.
I am now seriously beginning to wonder if I'll actually get to bottle much ratatouille, or other tomato based preserves this year.
I have lifted the onions, and grubbed-up the beans. We have wonderful carrots, big fat savoy type cabbages, and our Swiss chard is superb. We also have loads of peppers and aubergines. But the tomatoes are infuriating!
If I can't start preserving soon, we just may have to buy certain vegetables this winter. Quelle horreur!!!
23 comments:
what a shame, if we were neighbours, I would swap you courgettes for green beans which we have in abundance here!
The year started off with such promise, and looks to end like a damp squib.
Not enough ripe produce or sunshine to do our sun dried tomatoes this year. So I've just picked a load of cherry tomatoes this morning and put them in a cool oven to attempt slow roasted tomatoes. Then I'll store them in jars in olive oil. Not sure if this will work with cherry toms but worth a try.
It's cucumbers I'm composting, way too many. From the same batch of seed that gave me nothing last year. Topsy turvey indeed.
You could make loaves of lovely Zucchini bread and freeze them for the Winter.
Gran used to cut away most of the tomato leaves so that the fruit could ripen...but...when Mother Nature decides to run a different timetable there isn't much one can do.
It breaks my heart to read this. Alex adores grapes and I love courgettes.
It breaks my heart to admit to it too. If only I had my usual glut of tomatoes, I'd be using everything. The grapes are not really 'eating' grapes; we make juice with them, but that's all.
I suppose I could, but....
Yes we used to do that back in Blighty, but here it usually seems unnecessary. They'll all ripen now; give it a week and I'll be over-run.
Same here Cro - my tomatoes are rubbish this year.
Oh wow, I sure wish I could take some of those grapes off your hands. Do you ever make homemade wine with them?
Sorry about the tomatoes.
We are just getting tomatoes now but with all that has been going on here I have grubbed out everything else, such a loss.
I make a nice courgette sauce for pasta by just cooking them down slowly in a well-flavoured oil until they break down - then mash them with a potato masher and beat in lots of parmesan and maybe a dash of cream. Delicious. But everyone here has a surfeit of them too.
I love the shape of those tomatoes - hope they ripen soon.
Haddocks sounds as if it's done really well. The last few days of sunshine has ripened my tomatoes to the point of being knee deep in them. what a shame you don't live nearer - would have swapped you some tomatoes for your grapes, I love them.
Have you ever made fried green tomatoes? Um, um, good.
My bosoms are driving me crazy too
I tried making wine on two occasions; it tasted of petrol.
I'll try that, Weaver. That does sound very good, and we are big pasta eaters.
I made some last year, but I think I prefer them fried when ripe.
I quite expect we'll be inundated next week. Then I'll be moaning about having too many.
Could you make the ratatouille as normal sans the tomatoes then process the tomatoes separately when ripe and combine the two preserves when needed? Just a thought!
I think everything should be OK for next week; I'm keeping my fingers crossed!
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