Plum Tomatoes
Gardening Tips: Speed-freeze Tomatoes
There's always too many tomatoes and there's never enough time to can them all. Here's an easy way to freeze them instead. Wash the tomatoes and cut out the little core at the stem leaving as much of the good flesh as possible. Then, simply fill one-gallon plastic freezer bags with the fruits. They do not need to be blanched and can be used by just dropping them into soups or sauces. If you prefer them skinless, just thaw them and the skins will slip right off. Paste tomatoes (like Milano Plum Tomatoes) are fleshier and work the best, but you can use other types if that is what you have.
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Absolutely nothing compares to eating a sun-warmed, homegrown tomato straight off the vine. This garden mainstay is easily grown and most rewarding. Start seed in a warm, bright, well-ventilated area six to eight weeks before setting out. Transplant out after the last frost date. To encourage stockiness, sink seedlings deeper into the well-enriched soil than you grew them - soil should cover the lowest layer of leaves. Position stakes, cages or supports at that time to avoid disturbing the plants later on. Keep soil evenly moist and well-fertilized. Once harvested, store tomatoes at room temperature, as anything below 50°F destroys the enzyme which gives tomatoes their flavor.
When a variety is said to have determinate vines, it means that the vines top out and all of the fruit ripens at once. When a variety is said to have indeterminate vines it means that the vines keep growing and bearing fruit until a killing frost.
Average seed life: 2 years
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#4285 San Marzano 2 Plum Tomatoes: 80-90 days
Originating in the volcanic fields near Mount Vesuvius,
this acclaimed variety comes to us from the foremost Italian
seed house. Known as the best cooking tomato in the world,
we can not sing its praises loudly enough. San Marsano 2 is
disease-resistant and grows in bunches of five to six, large
fruits on indeterminate vines, ripening to a brilliant red
with lustrous green shoulders. Producing over a long period
of time, the crack-resistant fruit holds well on the vine.
San Marzano 2 has a wonderful, delicate taste and a solid,
meaty texture and is easy to use in the kitchen. It has an
elongated, plum-shape, only two, small seed pockets that are
easily scooped out and an easy-to-peel skin. San Marzano 2’s
high sugar content helps create its big tomato taste and
rich consistency. You had better plant loads since you will
want to make vats of herbed tomato sauce for coveted use
throughout the year. It is the only plum tomato that great
Italian chefs use in their prized recipes. It will soon be
your exclusive choice too. (VF) (OP.)
Packet of 50 Seeds / $2.95
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#4290 Milano Plum Tomatoes: 60-65 days
We’re crazy about Milano, a hybrid which ripens at least a month earlier than traditional types! It was our favorite Italian plum-type at trials last year. If you like plum tomatoes, give Milano a try, and revel in the results. Determinate, compact plants yield lots of deep red, elongated pear-shaped fruits. We import this exclusive seed from Italy, where its dense, thick flesh makes Milano a favorite of sauce-makers and sun-driers alike. Unlike many plum tomatoes, these fruits have a big rich, sweet taste. Perfect for enjoying fresh in salsas or transforming into rich, thick sauces or sun-drying. (We like to skin, seed, chop and freeze Milano Plum tomatoes
in thin, flat air-tight freezer bags for use over the
winter. Just snap off sections to use in little sauces,
soups, omelet fillings or stews. Very handy. It is also
quite rewarding to see all of the little “envelopes” lined
up in our freezer door.) (VF) (F1.)
Packet of 50 Seeds / $3.25
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#4295 Banana Legs Tomatoes: 75-80 days
As you would likely guess, Banana Legs is an unusual tomato: a must-grow just because of its appearance, to say nothing of its taste. Shaped like a small, bright yellow banana, it is about 4" long and 1 1/2" in diameter with pale green stripes that mature to light orange. A prolific, rare, paste-type tomato, its fruit drapes from lacy, determinant vines in clusters. Its mild-flavored flesh is a bit crunchy yet meaty with only a few seeds. Banana Legs are great sliced in salads where you can show off its striking color and enjoy its great taste. (OP.)
Packet of 50 Seeds / $3.05
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