Glut of tomatoes

Do you grow tomatoes outside? I didn't think it was possible in the UK.

What other Family and neighbours can you give them some.
I suppose you could leave some outside your house with a note asking people if they want some.

I invested in a passata machine, freeze the results and they last me all year.

offer them to neighbours and friends or perhaps the local hospice

I grew four different types this year and lots of chillies, but we have been eating them all (and now and then gave a bowlful to family) I can eat tomatoes with anything.

I bottle my tomatoes as we’ve so many the freezer would be full. Skin and chop, then pack into jars (any old jars with good screw cap- mayonnaise, sauce, jam). Then put in pressure cooker with lids loose, bring to pressure for about 5 min, Screw tight as soon as taken out. Will keep for at least a year. If no pressure cooker, can put jars in pot of water and boil for about 15 min.

All these things sound delicious!
Thank you: I would never think of them if left to my own devices.

I've done the oven-drying thing. I slice the tomatoes onto a baking tray, and sprinkle them with salt, a little olive oil and a some crushed bay leaves. I put them in a very low oven (you can do it when you've had the oven on for something else) until they dry and shrivel, but get them out before they burn or go crisp. Then I freeze them in little cartons - they are very shrunken and concentrated, so they don't take up much space. I like them in dishes like risotto, but you can use them wherever you might use sun-dried tomatoes.

ps I've just seen that OldMeg suggested the same thing - sorry!

I've just remembered something I read a while ago :
All you need to do, whatever the size, is seal them in plastic bags, put in freezer, and use during the winter to add to stews, soups etc. No preparation needed.

No problems here. DH brought in about two pounds of tomatoes from the allotment 15 minutes ago, three different varieties. I've already eaten them.

The big ones occasionally make it into roasted tomato soup.

Jalima I can't remember, it was a while ago that I last did it. I've not grown tomatoes lately. I think it was a medium heat - it isn't critical. It depends what setting the oven is on for something else. If it is lower, they will take longer, if it is higher, they burn faster!

I've kept the recipe - never tried tomato jam.

I also have a glut, but with visitors we're working our way through it - next door offered us more!
I only grew beef tomatoes this year, but one weighed, believe it or not, 1lb 9oz!

We found with the big tomatoes they were about 70% water. So needed a long slow stew to reduce.
Never tried to preserve the cherry ones.

What temperature Elegran?

If you left it a bit too long and there are many black bits, it doesn't look very elegant, still tastes OK though.

I put it in the oven while cooking something else, to save heating the oven up separately. It only takes a few minutes to prepare.

That sounds good Elegran
I'm sure we have another lot out there waiting to be picked so I may try that.

I make tomato sauce the easy way. Halved tomatoes cut side up on a baking tray, like yours, Jalima, with a coupld of chopped onions and a couple of chopped gralic cloves sprinkled over, then a drizzle of olive oil and an hour or so in the oven. The whole lot is scraped into a food processor (including black bits) when it has cooled a bit, and the tray rinsed (deglazed if you want to sound posh) with a splash of wine or water to get all the scraps. Whizz it to the required consistency, then freeze in convenient amounts. It makes a sauce for pasta, or is added to a casserole, or used to make tomato and beetroot soup in the winter. The soup is a lovely cherry red, and tastes rich and gorgeous with some feta crumbled over for garnish.

We have a glut too and I was going to dry some and store them in olive oil.
Apparently you halve them, place on baking paper on a baking sheet cut side up in a very slow oven (50C to 100C) for several hours (the recipes varied!) then place in jars - you can layer with garlic slivers and bay leaves - then cover with olive oil and store for up to 3 months.

However, I have managed to give most of them away

We had a lot of cherry tomatoes frozen from last year. I have used them a lot in tomato and cheese omelettes through the winter. The little ones are not too mushy when frozen.

I love them any old how!

They are too mushy when defrosted to eat raw, but fine to cook with.

Well, I never knew it was ok to just freeze tomatoes.
How lovely: they're one of my favourite things and I have lots this year.

I missed out to mince the cooled lemons or whizz them in a food processor.

It's a long time since I made tomato jam/marmalade, but I have dug out the recipe.

4 lb tomatoes (skinned and quartered)
4 lemons (Sliced whole, and depipped, cooked till soft in a small amount of water, or five mins in pressure cooker)
4lb sugar

Bring to the boil, Cook to a set.

I have added a note to it "Did not set. Added 1 bottle Certo. Success"

You may have to experiment.