This is What 50 Pounds of Tomatoes Looks Like

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Because I woke up this morning and said to myself, “Self, you do not have enough tomatoes. Must. Get. More. Between the bowls in the fridge, the bowls on the counter, the bowl that was just roasted, the bowl that was oven-dried, and the tomatoes still in the garden what you really need right now is another 50 odd pounds. Give or take a few. Mostly give.

Okay, that’s a lie. The real story is that I ordered these from the Sosnickis at the Farmer’s Market two weeks ago in a moment of weakness (aka insanity). I was only going to order 25 pounds but then I saw in the order book that my friend Jen had ordered 50 pounds so I figured if she was going to jump off a bridge into a lake of ripe, organic, roma tomatoes then so was I, damn it! And so I did. My order came in today.

Send help.

Gayla Trail
Gayla is a writer, photographer, and former graphic designer with a background in the Fine Arts, cultural criticism, and ecology. She is the author, photographer, and designer of best-selling books on gardening, cooking, and preserving.

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13 thoughts on “This is What 50 Pounds of Tomatoes Looks Like

  1. i have your feed on my livejournal
    and im always amazed with your photos
    but when i saw fifty pounds worth of tomatoes
    i have to admit i was a little jealous at first

  2. Come over and I’ll show you how to can those. I’m taking between 40-50 lbs every 2 days out of the garden.

  3. Nicole Anne: Just remember I have to can ALL of this within the next few days.

    Sorellina: Ha. Thanks. I can something every year… I’ve just never gone into the 50 pound realm before.

  4. oh, 50 lbs, no problem. just get some really big mason jars, a big pot, and a pairing knife. invite a friend over, and go at ‘er. core them then two pokes of the knife on the side, blanch for 30 seconds, shock in cold water and peel. it’s maybe easier to do it in stages though. core them all, take a break…. blanch them all, break again. then can them. meh, ain’t no thing!!! or heck, freeze them.

  5. I was at the market yesterday and bought pounds of heirlooms. I have no idea why … I have so many tomatoes at home … but Solnickis’s produce is always so very tasty and I feel compelled to buy more than I can possibly consume … I saw people picking up those crates of roma’s and I had to flee for my life or else I would have ordered some as well and then I would never be able to move around my kitchen!

  6. If you have a chance, let me know how you oven-dried the tomatoes. I’ve been wanting to dry some, but thought I needed a special dehydrator-do-hicky.

    Have fun with those beautiful ‘maters! =)

  7. I’m not a big fan of romas (as far as paste goes I am enjoying Ukranian Sabre way too much) but those are the most beautiful Romas I have ever seen! I have never seen them get so dark like that, almost like a Black Krim. Are they heirloom?

  8. you should try to sundry some of them… and then make some sauce to can with the rest. looks like fun! in the mean time you should have LOADS of tomato salad and roasted tomatoes. best of luck!

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