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Old April 7, 2016   #16
heirloomtomaguy
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The ones here are 3.99 lb. at chains stores. They are either mush or rocks....either way not edible.
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Old April 8, 2016   #17
saltmarsh
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So much disappointment on this thread. Let me try to help a little.

A hot water bath will improve the flavor of most varieties of tomatoes.

First you need some tomatoes. I use red slicers. Here in North Mississippi, red slicers are normally on sale for $.88 per pound from November until the local tomatoes come in late June.
These are the red inedible rocks we're all familiar with.

All rocks are not created equal. Select tomatoes which are less than ripe but without bruises or breaks in the skin. Ask a store employee when their truck runs from the warehouse and shop for tomatoes the day after the truck runs (best selection). If they don't have fresh tomatoes on the produce isle, ask to select some from the storage area in the back of the store (share the hot water bath with the employees, they probably like a good tomato sandwich as well).

I normally wouldn't consider using Roma tomatoes for a tomato sandwich, but the hot water bath improves their flavor enough to be acceptable. Most Romas here are too ripe to work well. The only tomatoes I've found which aren't improved by a hot water bath are the "Tomatoes On the Vine". I think they must have bred all the flavor out of them.

Now that you have tomatoes, get a large pot (you did buy enough to last a week didn't you?)
and use a meat thermometer to fill it with 125 degree hot water. Place the tomatoes in the hot water and cover them with a saucer to hold them down. Leave them in the hot water for 5 minutes.

After 5 minutes remove them to a kitchen counter (don't refrigerate) and allow them to ripen for a week.

Now all you have to do is keep some ripening all the time.

-- Tomatoes -- 5 minutes in 125 degree water -- ripen on the counter for a week --

If you bought a tomato today because you gotta have it tonight, do the hot water bath as above, but leave it in the bath for an hour instead of 5 minutes and use it.

The reason I started growing tomatoes again after 40 years was because I couldn't buy a good tasting tomato at the store. With the hot water bath, now I can have a good (not great) tomato sandwiches all year round.

When your tomatoes start producing; if your are disappointed in the flavor of a variety, even if it's a spitter, give a couple of them a hot water bath before you give up on them.

For home grown tomatoes you want to try the bath on, I'd start with tomatoes showing good color, about half ripe. Claud

Last edited by saltmarsh; April 8, 2016 at 01:25 AM.
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Old April 8, 2016   #18
Starlight
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Quote:
Originally Posted by saltmarsh View Post
So much disappointment on this thread. Let me try to help a little.

A hot water bath will improve the flavor of most varieties of tomatoes.

First you need some tomatoes. I use red slicers. Here in North Mississippi, red slicers are normally on sale for $.88 per pound from November until the local tomatoes come in late June.
These are the red inedible rocks we're all familiar with.

All rocks are not created equal. Select tomatoes which are less than ripe but without bruises or breaks in the skin. Ask a store employee when their truck runs from the warehouse and shop for tomatoes the day after the truck runs (best selection). If they don't have fresh tomatoes on the produce isle, ask to select some from the storage area in the back of the store (share the hot water bath with the employees, they probably like a good tomato sandwich as well).

I normally wouldn't consider using Roma tomatoes for a tomato sandwich, but the hot water bath improves their flavor enough to be acceptable. Most Romas here are too ripe to work well. The only tomatoes I've found which aren't improved by a hot water bath are the "Tomatoes On the Vine". I think they must have bred all the flavor out of them.

Now that you have tomatoes, get a large pot (you did buy enough to last a week didn't you?)
and use a meat thermometer to fill it with 125 degree hot water. Place the tomatoes in the hot water and cover them with a saucer to hold them down. Leave them in the hot water for 5 minutes.

After 5 minutes remove them to a kitchen counter (don't refrigerate) and allow them to ripen for a week.

Now all you have to do is keep some ripening all the time.

-- Tomatoes -- 5 minutes in 125 degree water -- ripen on the counter for a week --

If you bought a tomato today because you gotta have it tonight, do the hot water bath as above, but leave it in the bath for an hour instead of 5 minutes and use it.

The reason I started growing tomatoes again after 40 years was because I couldn't buy a good tasting tomato at the store. With the hot water bath, now I can have a good (not great) tomato sandwiches all year round.

When your tomatoes start producing; if your are disappointed in the flavor of a variety, even if it's a spitter, give a couple of them a hot water bath before you give up on them.

For home grown tomatoes you want to try the bath on, I'd start with tomatoes showing good color, about half ripe. Claud
Thanks for posting that tip. May have to give it a try. I have to have my tomatoes year round and that means store bought during off season and even with a ton of mayo you just can't hide that sort of nasty rotten taste. Maybe this hot bath will help.

That's some big bucks for an heirloom. Wonder if they sell alot before they go bad. That's almost 3 times what regular tomatoes cost. Wonder what local farmers and growers are getting at market for their heirlooms.
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