A Bumper Crop Bonanza: Conquering Our Mammoth Tomato Harvest

Get this tomato gardening guide now! [Food Gardening Network Preview]( October 18, 2023  [A Tomato Harvesting Story that Might Sound Familiar to You—if You’ve Ever Faced a Tomato Bumper Crop Yourself!]( Get everything you need to know about growing, harvesting, cooking, and eating delicious tomatoes—right now! [Tomato] Hey there, fellow food garden enthusiasts! If you're reading this, you probably share our love for gardening and the satisfaction of growing your own delicious, homegrown produce. Well, let me tell you about the adventure my wife and I embarked on this summer—dealing with the biggest, most bodacious tomato harvest we've ever had! It all started innocently enough in the spring. My wife and I have always enjoyed gardening together—but this year, we decided to go all out with our tomato plants. We built new raised garden beds, invested in some top-quality soil and organic compost, and chose a diverse selection of tomato varieties to cultivate. Little did we know what we were in for! The tomato plants thrived in the warm sun and well-drained soil. As the weeks went by, we watched as our tomato plants grew taller and bushier, laden with green orbs that promised a bounty of flavor. We were ecstatic, but slightly nervous, about what lay ahead. July rolled around, and that's when the real excitement began. The first ripe tomato of the season was like a harbinger of things to come. The little Sunchocola was sweet, juicy, and absolutely perfect. Our mouths watered just thinking about the feast that awaited us. As the days passed, we found ourselves inundated with tomatoes. It seemed like every morning, a new cluster of red, yellow, or green orbs had appeared. Our excitement turned into a delightful challenge—how to manage this tomato explosion? Here are some of the strategies we employed to tackle our monstrous tomato harvest: - Harvest Parties: We invited friends and family over to help us pick tomatoes. It turned into a fun social event, and everyone left with fresh, ripe tomatoes. - Cooking and Freezing: To make the most of our harvest, we decided to preserve some of the tomatoes. We made batches of tomato sauce and salsa, and even some gazpacho. Our freezers were soon stocked with containers of homemade goodness. - Tomato-Themed Meals: We embraced the tomato-centric meals. Salads, tomato and basil bruschetta, tomato soups, and pasta with fresh tomato sauce became regulars on our dinner table. - Freezing Tomatoes: For those days when we didn't have time to cook, we simply washed and froze some tomatoes. They will come in handy for soups and stews during the colder months. - Tomato Swap: We organized a neighborhood tomato swap where other gardeners could trade their excess produce for our tomatoes. It was a great way to diversify our harvest. - Sun-Drying: We tried sun-drying some tomatoes, and they turned out to be a fantastic addition to our pantry. They will add a burst of flavor to winter dishes. As summer turned into fall, we looked back on our tomato adventure with a sense of accomplishment. We had conquered the biggest, most bodacious tomato harvest we'd ever had, and we learned a lot in the process. Our garden had not only provided us with an abundance of delicious tomatoes but also brought our friends, family, and community closer together. It reminded us of the joys of gardening, the rewards of hard work, and the importance of sharing the bounty with those around us. So, if you ever find yourself faced with an overwhelming tomato harvest, remember that it's a challenge worth embracing. Get creative, share the love, and savor every juicy bite of those homegrown tomatoes. And if you’re like me—and 86% of other home food gardeners—tomatoes are your #1 crop. Well, you’re in luck—The Everything Tomato Guide—All You Need to Know About Growing, Harvesting, Cooking, and Eating Delicious Tomatoes is ready for you to read right now! [tomatoes] This premium Gardening Guide about tomatoes is your go-to guide for being the best tomato gardener you can be! You should refer to this Gardening Guide whenever you have questions about your tomato garden—from planning to planting and from maintaining and nurturing to harvesting and reaping the rewards in your kitchen. What’s a summer food garden without tomatoes? So, plan now and get everything you need to know to about growing, harvesting, cooking, and eating tomatoes in The Everything Tomato Guide. ​ This Gardening Guide is packed with practical advice and information about tomatoes. My favorite fun fact about tomatoes? The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 1893 that, for trade and tariff purposes at least, tomatoes are a vegetable (we all know that tomatoes are technically a fruit). Don’t wait—read The Everything Tomato Guide now, so you can get started on ensuring that your next tomato garden is your best ever! First, you get a complete Introduction to Tomatoes—including the history and background of this fabulous fruit. Yes, tomatoes are, botanically speaking, a fruit. And get all the history about the origins of the tomato and how this once-despised food item became popular in Europe and the United States. Then, you get Feature Articles about Tomatoes that include: - Types of Tomato Plants—learn the difference between standard and hybrid tomatoes. And find out exactly what constitutes an heirloom tomato. - How to Avoid Cross-Pollination of Heirloom Tomatoes—discover the best ways to avoid cross-pollinating your heirloom tomatoes, complete with pictures to help explain the methods. - Classifications of Tomato Plants—do you know the difference between determinate and indeterminate tomato plants? And why it matters for your planting needs? Find out the answers now. - A Word About Varieties of Tomato Plants—varieties of tomatoes explained! Get a quick summary about the varieties to grow for your eating pleasure, plus some valuable tomato-harvesting tips. [Food Gardening Network Charter Gold Membership Special Offer—Just $10 for an Entire Year! UPGRADE YOUR MEMBERSHIP TODAY! Become a Charter Gold Member today and get the Food Gardening Magazine and Library, Gardening Guides, and Recipes! [Gold Membership] Check out all that this new food gardening club has to offer you today! YES, SIGN ME UP NOW FOR JUST $10!]( - Choosing to Grow from Seeds or Seedlings—find out what it takes to grow your tomato plants from seeds, or whether you’re better off starting your tomato garden from seedlings. - Growing in Open Land, in Containers, or in Raised Beds—everything you need to know about growing your tomatoes on your property. Find out which type of garden is best for your needs and situation. - Starting with the Right Soil for Your Tomato Plants—get specific advice about the best soil for growing your tomatoes. Plus, a list of good and bad “companion” plants—make sure you don’t plant some of these items near your tomatoes! - The Right Sunlight for Your Tomatoes—ensure that your tomato plants get just the right amount of sunlight with this advice. Avoid exposing your tomato fruit to too much sunlight! Find out how in this article. - Should You Fertilize Your Tomato Plants?—if and when you should fertilize your tomato plants, fully explained. Plus, specific fertilizer types for your soil that are perfect for growing tomatoes. - How—and When—to Water Your Tomato Plants—watering your tomato garden should be easy. Here are the best methods for ensuring your plants get the right amount (not too much and not too little) of water. Plus, discover the best times of day to water your tomato garden! - How to Spot, Treat, and Prevent Tomato Diseases—this is your guide to ensuring that your tomato plants don’t suffer from common plant diseases. Prevent diseases in the first place—plus, best tips for treating any affected tomato plants. - What to Do About Pests that Can Harm Your Tomato Plants—easy tips for eliminating pesky pests from your tomato garden! - The Right Way to Weed Your Tomato Garden—find out the best ways to ensure you stop weeds in the first place! Keep your tomato garden weed-free with this advice. - Tomato Rot: How to Identify, Treat, and Prevent Blossom-End Rot—make sure your tomato harvest is bountiful and avoid tomato rot that can really spoil your fruit. - Essential Tools and Equipment for Growing and Enjoying Tomatoes—get the full list of essential gardening tools and equipment for growing tomatoes … and some cool kitchen tools, too. Next, this premium Gardening Guide highlights six popular tomato varieties to help you choose the varieties you want to grow—this is just a sampling of the many varieties available: - Cherry Tomatoes - Grape Tomatoes - Roma (or Plum) Tomatoes - San Marzano Tomatoes - Red Beefsteak Tomatoes - Green Beefsteak Tomatoes [Food Gardening Network Charter Gold Membership Special Offer—Just $10 for an Entire Year! UPGRADE YOUR MEMBERSHIP TODAY! Become a Charter Gold Member today and get the Food Gardening Magazine and Library, Gardening Guides, and Recipes! [Gold Membership] Check out all that this new food gardening club has to offer you today! YES, SIGN ME UP NOW FOR JUST $10!]( And all of your tomato-gardening efforts are made more satisfying when you have quick and easy-to-make recipes, to ensure your harvest is enjoyed by everyone you serve at your home. The Food Gardening Network is all about providing delicious recipes for making yummy dishes. Try these recipes and enjoy your tomato harvest: - Cherry Tomato Salad - Balsamic Bruschetta - Fresh Salsa - Salsa Seafood Soup - Roasted Tomato Sauce - Stewed Tomatoes - Fried Green Tomatoes Next, you’ll learn all about the health benefits of tomatoes with Nutrition Facts about Tomatoes and Home Remedies & Health Benefits of Tomatoes. Learn about all the wonderful and beneficial attributes of tomatoes—and how you can use tomatoes to boost your overall health. And to be sure you have everything you need to grow your own tomatoes, this Gardening Guide includes a Resources about Tomatoes section—so that you can easily find additional tools and information about tomatoes. Finally, the Glossary section gives you the explanation of key tomato-gardening terms and concepts—so, you’re never in the dark or confused about important tomato-gardening ideas. Check out this premium Gardening Guide now—The Everything Tomato Guide—All You Need to Know About Growing, Harvesting, Cooking, and Eating Delicious Tomatoes—and you’ll really learn everything you need to know about tomatoes! [Tomato]  [Food Gardening Network Charter Gold Membership Special Offer—Just $10 for an Entire Year! UPGRADE YOUR MEMBERSHIP TODAY! Become a Charter Gold Member today and get the Food Gardening Magazine and Library, Gardening Guides, and Recipes! [Gold Membership] Check out all that this new food gardening club has to offer you today! YES, SIGN ME UP NOW FOR JUST $10!]( But this is just a fraction of what you get with your [Food Gardening Network Charter Gold Membership]( You see Gold Membership is packed with benefits you can’t get anywhere else! As Founder & Executive Publisher of Food Gardening Network, I’m happy to have you as a free Bronze Member, but that only gives you a small taste of what Food Gardening Network is all about. When you upgrade now to [Food Gardening Network Charter Gold Membership]( you unlock the key to an entire library of material, absolutely everything we publish about growing good food at home—all access and all the time for you, including: - [All-Access Membership in Food Gardening Network Gold Club]( only online resource for planning, planting, growing, tending, harvesting, and enjoying foods from your very own garden. - Subscription to Food Gardening Magazine—you get monthly issues filled with articles about how to start, maintain, and harvest food from your own garden at home. Plus, instant and unlimited access to the entire searchable digital library of back issues! - Subscription to RecipeLion Magazine—you get quarterly issues filled with hundreds of delicious and easy-to-make recipes at your fingertips, plus tips and tricks for developing new cooking skills. Plus, instant and unlimited access to the entire searchable digital library of back issues! - Gardening Guides—you get instant access to more than 55 comprehensive guidebooks that are plant-specific—from tomatoes, basil, and garlic to potatoes, pumpkins, beans, corn, squash, and more!—about how to grow, harvest, and enjoy the bounty of your home garden. Learn everything about specific foods you can grow, get recipes to enjoy with friends and family, and enjoy tips on health benefits and home remedies that use your harvest! - Cookbooks—you get full and instant access to 9 digital cookbooks, filled with more than 1,300 recipes! You’ll never run out of ways to enjoy the fruits of your labor with these easy-to-make recipes! From single dishes to a whole meal—we’ve got you covered! - Videos & Video Library—you get instant access to more than 80 videos in our library with gardening tips, tricks, and tactics; do-it-yourself projects for gardening and crafting items; and cooking videos to show you exactly how to make specific dishes. Plus, access to new monthly videos over the coming year! - NEW! Planning Calendars —every season of the year, you get printable planning calendars to help keep your garden on track. Calendars include tasks, checklists, notes, and recipes that use fresh seasonal ingredients from your garden. - NEW SERVICE! Recipe of the Week—every Sunday, you get a recipe with quick, easy, and delicious ways to cook food—delivered weekly to your email inbox. - Gold Member Insider—you get this exclusive email service, delivered regularly to your inbox, to guide you through the Food Gardening Network Library. Saves you time finding articles, magazine issues, gardening guides, videos, kits, and recipes that you won't want to miss! And all of this is available to you —right now—when you upgrade to a [Food Gardening Network Charter Gold Membership.]( I want to see your name on my daily list of new Gold Members—you deserve to join like-minded gardeners and get full access to our entire library of material for optimizing your food garden. Please become a [Food Gardening Network Charter Gold Member]( today—while this special offer lasts! Happy food gardening and happy eating! [Don Nicholas Signature] Don Nicholas Founder & Executive Publisher Food Gardening Network P.S. Your success with food gardening depends on you acting now—please claim your [Food Gardening Network Charter Gold Membership]( today and get the only all-in-one-place resource for planning, planting, growing, tending, harvesting, and enjoying foods from your very own garden. P.P.S. 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