Tomato Anxiety? Problem Solved

Summary

The author has found a solution to the annual overwhelming surplus of homegrown tomatoes by using a fruit dryer to preserve them efficiently.

Abstract

The article discusses the author's struggle with the abundance of homegrown tomatoes that requires immediate attention and processing. Despite attempts to grow fewer tomatoes and the humorous suggestions from family and friends, the surplus continues to be an issue year after year. The author's discovery of a fruit dryer, which significantly reduces the volume of tomatoes by removing their liquid content, has been a game-changer. This method has allowed the author to efficiently store a greenhouse full of tomatoes into a single jar, thus solving the storage problem and alleviating the associated anxiety.

Opinions

The author expresses a love for fresh, homegrown tomatoes but also a sense of being haunted by them during the harvest season due to the urgency of preserving them.
There is a hint of humor in the author's description of the tomato "frenzy" and the extreme measures considered, such as eating tomatoes with every meal or making chutney that friends and family no longer want.
The author previously believed that a tomato "Tardis" for storage was a myth but was pleasantly surprised to find a practical solution in the form of a fruit dryer.
The author views the fruit dryer as a savior and recommends it as a practical method for dealing with a large number of tomatoes.
The author suggests that the process of drying tomatoes is not only efficient but also transforms the tomatoes into a sophisticated and space-saving form, as implied by the "posh dinner" analogy.

For years I assumed the tomato Tardis was a myth

Photo: Penny Grubb

There’s a time of year when tomatoes haunt my dreams. I have nothing against homegrown tomatoes, I love them. It feels good to saunter through the greenhouse and pluck and eat a ripe tomato.

But how swiftly that relaxed saunter morphs into a jungle expedition, where they all clamour for attention. We’re ripe! We’re ready to be picked! Ready for storage! Don’t delay!

Then it’s tomato frenzy. Tomatoes of some sort with every meal (or else). The surplus is frozen or stored until every corner of everywhere fills up. Things get fraught:

Where will the apples go?

Get some tomato sauce on those cornflakes!

Why did you plant so many?

Let’s make chutney. We’ll give away the surplus.

Yeah, right. We’re still eating 5-year old chutney and people send us Christmas cards that say: Happy Christmas, no more chutney thanks.

This can’t go on. Solutions are needed.

Grow fewer tomatoes — seems obvious but I try this every year and fail. I wrote about it here.

Find a tomato Tardis that can store a million tomatoes in a matchbox. I thought this was pie-in-the-sky, then … Bingo! I found one.

Our saviour is a fruit dryer. It removes all the liquid — that’s a lot. Pro tip: if you’re at a posh dinner and wish to come across as a sophisticated dainty eater, treat whole tomatoes as live grenades and steer clear.

A few days ago, I was fighting my way through this little lot with a machete. I’m now on the way to reducing a whole greenhouse to a single jar.

Dried tomatoes. Photo; Penny Grubb

Happy days.

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