There is something undeniably cheery about seeing your very own tomatoes ripening on the vine.
Cherry tomato, variety 'Koralik'
For the first time ever, thanks to a small but very sheltered backyard, I have, despite the vagaries of the Irish summer, outdoor tomatoes that are actually reddening. Much as I am fond of using green tomatoes, little bursts of red do a great deal to brighten up an otherwise dreary day.
Green is good but red is better
Coming to fruition, as it were
Beauties! Our evil squirrels have denuded our tomato plants. :( But yay for you:)
I am jealous. Ours are a good week away from being edible. But, there are plenty of them. Did you know that if they ever ‘fail’ to ripen for you, you can put them in a little box, layered with old newspapers and leave them in a closet for a week or two and they will turn red. But, it looks like you will not need that little tip this summer!
Jenni: Luckily, I haven’t spotted any evil squirrels about – iffin’ I do, there’ll be trouble :D
Móna: Indeed I do know about that ripening tip – up to this, that was the only way I could ever manage to end up with tomatoes that were any way red :)
I’m growing some San Marzanos in the greenhouse at the moment hopefully the awful summer won’t affect them too much; grew them last year and had a fair few green ones left over which I made lovely chutney from using a recipe in Darina Allen’s Forgotten Skills book.
Good luck with your San Marzanos Stef (and at least there’s green tomato chutney to fall back on for the ones that don’t make the red grade :) ) – speaking of which, I must check out that Darina Allen recipe myself
I have no trouble getting my toms to red, but because of the aforementioned squirrels I gave up on planting any this year. Now I miss them… GREG
That’s such a shame Greg – those squirrels have a lot to answer for!
I completely agree! It’s what keeps me gardening despite all the work. :) Gorgeous photos.
I wish I had a garden to do this!
Tomatoes straight off the vine always taste so much better than your typical tomato.
Lori: so true – of course it’s a lot easier to go out and just buy tomatoes, but that would miss the point :)
Aine: Don’t they just! I don’t have much of a garden myself these days, but it’s surprising what you can do even with only a small amount of space.
Precious jewels :) I agree and get quite excited when they start to ripen and show their glorious colors :)
Your tomatoes look good. I didn’t bother this year. My tomatoes weren’t great last year.
Yeah, it’s a great recipe, found it here on the Ballymaloe website if you’re interested:
http://www.cookingisfun.info/saturdayletter/2010/11/13/pathways-to-growth/#Ballymaloe+Green+Tomato+Chutney
We bought a cheap greenhouse at Homebase last winter and my gardener hubby is growing tomatoes in it this year after having no luck with outdoor tomatoes for the past few years. He is watching their progress with great pride!
I have failed to make my tomatoes bear fruit in London – the pungent leaves and flowers sitting on my kitchen window sill taunt me always! This summer is back home where the tomatoes are growing like weeds and I have to keep watch as they split open in the summer heat!
your tomatoes look like jewels =).
Magic of Spice: it’s such a simple, satisfying pleasure!
Jacqueline: it’s my best year with them so far, have definitely had years when they’ve been not so great too
Stef: thanks a mill’ for that
Kristin: ah that’s great! my next mission will be to try my luck using some kind of cheapo mini-greenhouse too
gastroanthropologist: Oh to have tomatoes growing like weeds! Ain’t that the beauty of summer in California :)
TheY look like little beauties! I like nothing better than picking them on a warm day and popping them into my mouth.
That’s exactly how I like to eat them too, Nic!