May 2016

There is a lot of buzz among gardeners about heirloom seeds, especially heirloom tomato seeds. If you’re thinking, “Wait a minute, what is an heirloom tomato?” don’t worry, you’re not alone! We’ll help you understand exactly what the term means before you go out shopping for heirloom tomatoes. What is an Heirloom Seed? Let’s start […]

“Only two things that money can’t buy And that’s true love and homegrown tomatoes” Singer Guy Clark tells it like it is. There is simply no way to match the exquisite flavors of a homegrown tomato. The best of the store bought varieties tastes like plastic after you’ve enjoyed a summer of tomatoes fresh from […]

Proper pruning will help you get the most out of your heirloom tomato plants. Pruning encourages heirloom tomato plants to grow larger, more flavorful tomatoes, produce more tomatoes throughout the season, escape disease and stay a more manageable size. Left unchecked many heirloom tomato plants can reach eight to ten feet in height with sprawling […]

The best tomato canning recipes are simple, fast and delicious. You can process whole tomatoes, tomato juice or tomato sauce to have on hand for any of your favorites stews, soups or sauces. Or you can prepare these items ahead of time to have fast and wholesome meals at a moment’s notice. For basic, easy […]

Stewed tomatoes are just regular canning tomatoes a little dressed up. They are cooked with onion, sweet pepper and spices before going in the jar. Canning stewed tomatoes makes cooking later on even easier. All the basic sauce ingredients are already added in. You can modify the ingredients to make your stewed tomatoes sweet, spicy […]

Planning your garden is one of winter’s most enjoyable activities. And every garden plan should include space for at least a few open pollinated heirloom tomato seeds. There are hundreds of heirloom tomato varieties to suit any climate, soil or space. You can plant sprawling indeterminate heirloom vines that stretch up to ten feet in […]

Canning tomato juice at home is a simple way to supply your family with healthy, wholesome juice. Home canned tomato juice is a low sodium and low cost alternative to V8. You can also use it easily in many recipes calling for tomato sauce or whole tomatoes. Canning tomato juice gives you a convenient base […]

There are hundreds of heirloom tomato varieties to choose from. Some thrive in cool weather while others tolerate heat, some are tiny cherry or dwarf tomatoes while others grow to massive sizes. It can be overwhelming trying to decide which heirloom tomato varieties to grow in your garden. Part of the fun of growing heirloom […]

While heirloom tomatoes have amazing flavor that makes the perfectly red and smooth hybrid varieties in the grocery store taste like plastic, they lack the disease resistance that has been bred into modern tomatoes. Even the best heirloom tomatoes rarely produce as long or as well as a hybrid strain because they succumb to disease […]