Freezing Tomatoes

Well, after my first batch of tomatoes turned into a disaster (I blanched them for 5 minutes instead of 30 seconds--got them confused with green beans!), I have successfully frozen several baggies full. 

With the bigger tomatoes (beafsteak and roma), I blanch them for 30 seconds, plunge them in ice water for 30 seconds, peel them, dice them, scooping out seeds but not worrying too much about it, and then stick them in the freezer.  With the cherry tomatoes, I don't bother peeling.  They taste just fine in stews with the skin on. 

I love freezing the tomatoes because we use them in several recipes during the winter in place of canned tomatoes.  The homegrown tomatoes have such a nice, strong flavor--the difference is obvious.  I use them for beef stew and chilli.  My husband uses them for his delicious jambalaya.  They are perfect for any recipe that calls for canned tomatoes. 

The tomatoes were ripening en masse, but now things have slowed down a lot, since it's gotten so hot.  I hope/expect to have another big crop in the fall. 

Pick Your Own Strawberries

It seems crazy, as much as I love fresh food, but yesterday was the first time I went to our nearby farm that offers strawberry picking every spring.  My older son and I went out and picked two pounds of delicious strawberries.  Today, I made freezer jam for the first time, using an instant fruit pectin.  I made 18 cups of strawberry freezer jam, to be exact.  Hope my boys like it!

If they do, I'll pick more strawberries and make enough to get us through the year.  I'm trying to buy more local.  I had an awful moment in Trader Joe's when I realized that their strawberries were from California, even though we have tons of strawberries growing right now here in Virginia.  It's ridiculous to have to buy fruit that's been shipped 3000 miles when we have the same fruit right here that would taste a whole lot better (and stay fresher) than the shipped berries.

I bought 2 wonderful bell peppers and a delicious cucumber at the same farm.  Now that my youngest child is a little older, I think it will be easier to go gathering produce at the different farm markets.  I refuse to eat flavorless produce anymore.  Life is too short.  I hope that someday, it will be easier to buy delicious, local produce in the grocery store.