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To: Pete from Shawnee Mission; Diana in Wisconsin
I think the quantity of plants for paste/sauce tomatoes would take up too much room in my little tunnel but the only tomato canning I've done is a 7 qt load of stewed tomatoes so I don't really know how many plants I would want or need to do 2-3 loads of sauce. USDA guide to canning says 35-42 lbs for 7 qts of tomato sauce or 30 lbs for 9 pints of pasta sauce. pages 3-8 and 3-13/14

Tunnels are popular for tomatoes for small farmers but they tend to have more than one tunnel and use one or more just for tomatoes. They did a survey of Kansas farmers using tunnels and some were starting tomatoes 4-6 weeks earlier than in the field so there's definitely a benefit.

I really should start shopping Johnny's for seeds because no one else has the filters they do including greenhouse/tunnel rating.

Cauralina looks like a good candidate for a dual purpose tomato for the tunnel. Johnny's is very proud of them at almost a dollar a seed ($13.75 for 15) but if I could grow 15 plants in one row in the tunnel and get 2-3 loads of sauce plus a few to snack on, that would work.

Getting enough at one time from an indeterminate for a canner load is another story. Cauralina are 8-14 oz so at 8 oz, two per lb and I need 30-42 lbs which is 60-84 tomatoes? (Pozzano are 4-6 oz - if 4 oz, four tomatoes per lb or 140-168 fruits - insane)

So for all you tomato sauce/juice makers; Does 30-40 lbs or 60-80 or more fruits seem right for a canner load? How do you store tomatoes until you have enough for a load? Peel and freeze?

828 posted on 07/30/2025 6:59:52 AM PDT by Pollard (Sick of the weather? Wait a minute.)
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To: Pollard

Unless you’re planting Determinate tomatoes that will all come in at the same time, then freeze the tomatoes until you need to use them. The skins slip right off after freezing/thawing.

Personally? I core them, but I always leave the peels on tomatoes. Either the Foley Food Mill takes care of them, or the immersion blender does the trick for V-8 or Salsa or Tomato Soup. It’s good roughage. I’ve never had any complaints on texture or ‘mouth feel.’ Why waste the perfectly good peels? ;)


852 posted on 07/30/2025 3:21:12 PM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin (I don't have, 'Hobbies.' I'm developing a robust Post-Apocalyptic skill set.)
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