Green Tomatoes

[gdn443]

Last August I planted a small Early Girl tomato I found in Walmarts reduced pile. I just pulled it 4 days ago before our first frost. Not being a fan of fried green tomatoes I found a receipt for green tomato relish. Awesome taste. I think I'll cut back on the cucumber one because this tasted so good. Had 25 on the plant when I pulled it. med - small for sure but thats a lot more than my big boys did. I'll be planting them next year for sure. Two hills of my squash did well as well. 74 was the final count. Of course they took up a big chunk of lawn, but thats ok. As with you guys melons didn't do well for me either. Honey dew or watermelon. I did get three crops of beans, so I'll be cashing in on those next year. Planted garlic this past month. First time for me, see what happens. After losing one chicken to egg birthing the three left are doing fine with 2-3 per day. We have decided to make a larger coop next year to house 10 more. Going to try and mount a metal dog cage with skitters so I can move it around the yard. Just have to figure out how to hang the roosting area to the metal fence. Looking for a used rotor tiller as this 8" one is just too small if I make the garden bigger. May use straw next year as well as the plastic didn't work as well for me between beens and other small plants.
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[jjannie]

One of our garden areas is done using the straw bale method - no tilling required []and at the end of the season you'll have a really good start on some good compost.

We still have our peas/pods growing and blooming in their moveable pots that we can roll in and out of the garage , but we'll likely be harvesting the what produce they have left since today our winter temps and precips have arrived. Up in our mtns some folks have ventured into ice fishing already.

We're already making plans for all our gardening experiments next year. We've put in small greenhouse to hopefully extend some of the gardening later into the fall as well as starting some earlier. We had our first frost back in Sept, and since then night temps are hitting in the mid to higher 20s. The lack of snow with these temps has allowed us more time this year to get our yard and gardens built and prepped for early spring planting.

We did have good luck this fall with storing and ripening of all the tomatoes we had to pick green. We still are getting some really nice red ones, only lost a handful that had to be tossed and they seemed to be the ones that may had blemishes on them.

Would really like a copy of the green tomato relish recipe you tried. We have done what my grandma used to make (Tomato Preserves) with her green tomatoes that is pretty tasty as well - posted below.
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[gdn443]

24 large green tomatoes3 red bell peppers, halved and seeded3 green bell peppers, halved and seeded12 large onions3 tablespoons celery seed3 tablespoons mustard seed1 tablespoon salt5 cups white sugar2 cups cider vinegarAdd all ingredients to list
Directions
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Prep
1 h 15 m
Cook
45 m
Ready In
2 h
In a grinder or food processor, coarsely grind tomatoes, red bell peppers, green bell peppers, and onions. (You may need to do this in batches.) Line a large colander with cheesecloth, place in sink or in a large bowl, and pour in tomato mixture to drain for 1 hour.
In a large, non-aluminum stockpot, combine tomato mixture, celery seed, mustard seed, salt, sugar, and vinegar. Bring to a boil and simmer over low heat 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
Sterilize enough jars and lids to hold relish (12 one-pint jars, or 6 one-quart jars). Pack relish into sterilized jars, making sure there are no spaces or air pockets. Fill jars all the way to top. Screw on lids.
Place a rack in the bottom of a large stockpot and fill halfway with boiling water. Carefully lower jars into pot using a holder. Leave a 2 inch space between jars. Pour in more boiling water if necessary, until tops of jars are covered by 2 inches of water. Bring water to a full boil, then cover and process for 30 minutes.
Remove jars from pot and place on cloth-covered or wood surface, several inches apart, until cool. Once cool, press top of each lid with finger, ensuring that seal is tight (lid does not move up or down at all). Relish can be stored for up to a year.
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Green Tomato Relish
This green tomato relish is a perfect sidekick to sandwiches or entrees.

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Nutrition Facts

Per Serving: 32 calories; 0.1 g fat; 7.6 g carbohydrates; 0.5 g protein; 0 mg cholesterol; 40 mg sodium. Full nutrition
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[jjannie]

Thanks for the recipe Gregg, since there is just the two of here, we may need cut the all the ingredients in 1/2 cause we cant use that much of this in a year's time.
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[gdn443]

I hear you as I usually end up giving half away at end of one year. Enjoy.
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[wiperhunter2]

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