Preserving Probelms - Drying the excess tomatoes - but...

Discussion in 'Planting, growing, nurturing Plants' started by d_donahoo, Mar 28, 2003.

  1. d_donahoo

    d_donahoo Junior Member

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    have been succesfuly sundrying jars and jars of tomatoes - as well as making plenty of sauces.
    the sauces are fine, but the sundried tomatoes that i cover with olive oil and include basil, garlic, paprika and pepper are varying.
    some are fine kept in a cool dark place - others have started to ferment?
    why would some ferment - is this due to lack of sterlisation - i have been sterlising for 5 min in boiling water?
    or that the tromatoes have not been dried enough?

    how is everyone eklse dealing with the autumn glut?

    dan d
     
  2. Guest

    The usual sterilisation time for produce in glass bottles is 20 minutes in boiling water.
     
  3. d_donahoo

    d_donahoo Junior Member

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    hmmm. yes. thanks.
    i think i need to stop rushing some processes.
     
  4. Tamandco

    Tamandco Junior Member

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    Just thought with the tomato season in southern Aus fast approaching, I'd drag up this old thread as a bit of a warning.

    Tam
     
  5. sabine

    sabine Junior Member

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    i've got a problem with some of my oven dried tomatoes too - just like Dan said, some of them work, some don't. problem with mine is that the olive oil solidifies in some of the ones stored in the fridge. they don't go rancid though. probably like bluedog said - need to sterilise longer, but any other clues? i don't add herbs, just tomatoes, salt and oil, and only sometimes add vinegar as suggested by Cathy and Tam in an earlier thread.

    gotta love the tomato glut!
    sabine
     
  6. earthbound

    earthbound Junior Member

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    Sabine, it's quite normal for the oil to solidify in the fridge, this is what oil does when the temperature drops... This relates directly to the topic about running diesel cars on vegetable oil, and the problems of oil solidifying during cold weather..

    Damn, talking of tomato gluts already, I only have a few yellow pear tommies ripe at the moment..... :(

    Well done Tam, your so good at going and finding relevant posts and bringing them back up top, I appreciate it... :D

    Joel
     
  7. barely run

    barely run Junior Member

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    :lol: Still having to use store bought tomatoes.....roll on sumer and my first crop will be in.
    I dont boil my dried toms just cover with a 2/3 vinegar 1/3 olive oil and fresh herb mix and leave in the pantry. Haven't had any failures ...yet!!!
    Will try the pack in vinegar and boil for 20mins that someone else posted when I have more stock.
    Cathy
     
  8. Tezza

    Tezza Junior Member

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    Maybe I wait tooo long to plant my veges but id hate to cop another cold/frosty night late in year like few yrs back end nov is my latest frost..

    How i miss Perths temperatures where it never freezes... well very rarely :( :( :(

    Oh well cant have it all ways .....I planting them late meens i have less time to get established before the big dry gets here....but soon ill be growing fish instead courtesy of joels fishing emporium......

    Tezza

    PS when i worked at the Biodynamic farm in Wellard they used to dry theirs in the sun under flywire coverd bench... sprinkle salt over them and dry ,slowly turning for a few days then eating em like that..even i whos not a great tommy eater ate them
     
  9. permaculture.biz

    permaculture.biz Junior Member

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    G'day,

    Tomatoes are very easy and fast in the Fowlers - and you can add garlic/herbs to the mix when bottling - just like Dolmio or the like. For "Crushed Tomatoes" we either Bamix the tomatoes (with garlic/herbs) in a big pot first or just bang them in whole to which you can add condiments of your choice or just plain, cover with rain water and a half teaspoon of salt (no. 20 jars). Best in the No. 20 jars we find as they are about a "can and a half" of the bought ones. Basically I follow the recipe reverse engineered of the cans of imported italian organic tomatoes from Coles.

    As for the dried one's we just keep them in the fridge, with or without the condiments and dig out a serving as required and let the oil melt before consuming. If you have a cool, cool cupboard you could probably do the same: though perhaps with the addition of citric acid or some other low toxic preservative.

    Ciao Darren Doherty
     
  10. Tamandco

    Tamandco Junior Member

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    Bump! Thought this might be useful to some.

    969!
     

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