First ripe tomato!!

[Muscroj]

And I've just eaten it. I think it was a gardeners delight, although it could have been a red cherry as I didn't label them properly. But it was lovely! I don't even eat tomato, unless it's in a sauce or chopped finely in a salad, but I couldn't resist. I was amazed at how sweet & juicy it was in comparison to shop bought ones.

I've tried growing tomatoes for about 4 years & this has been my first successful, edible season. Last years were dry 7 grainy in texture for some reason, but they ended up making nice sauce & relish

[hedgewitch]

HURRAH!
Here's hoping you have many many more.

[Jandra]

Congratulations!

[Islay]

Hooray! I am avidly watching my (only) ripening tomato. The rest, for some reason, are remaining determinedly green.

[chilimik]

My Gardeners Delight are ripening and we have eaten quite a lot but the Moneymakers are all still green ! I read somewhere that a banana hung in the greenhouse helps them ripen so hung one up.

[Plotter]

Just noticed my first tomato of the season is finally beginning to turn today! Seems to have been green for aaaaages! It's a heritage variety called Cyril's choice. Sadly it doesn't look like I'll get more than a couple of fruits off the plant as it looks a bit poorly. Will have to rely on my other 7 plants!

Congrats Musc, and everyone else waiting patiently for their first taste of home grown tom.

[Millymollymandy]

I've tried growing tomatoes for about 4 years & this has been my first successful, edible season. Last years were dry 7 grainy in texture for some reason, but they ended up making nice sauce & relish

Same here but cherry toms are pretty much always succesful, but I've yet to grow a normal size tom which either doesn't have green collar or isn't floury dry mush. Anyway it is odd how the floury tasteless ones can make nice sauce when rendered down a bit so they are not in vain!

Congrats on your first tom. My kitchen table is groaning with toms so I think I'm going to bung the floury big ones into the freezer to deal with later on - not that I've got much freezer space left!

[Muscroj]

ah glad it's not just me, i thought I'd done something 'wrong' perhaps under-watering.

Anyone else out there managed to grow larger tomatoes that are juicy instead of dry, got any tips?

[Martina]

Congradulations Muscroj, Plotter and SusieGee.

Good luck to everyone else who is still waiting. I just picked off my first beefstake tomato this morning. Unfortunately, something got to it before me, so it was inedible. But I have another one I coming--hopefully soon. Also I have several grape tomatoes coming in. I have never tasted these before, but I am sure they will be a sweeter variety. Can't wait to find out!

Best wishes,
Martina

[thesunflowergal]

Cool Beans Jo!!

We have had a few but still got hundreds to ripen, if they don't hurry up a bit it looks like we will be having green tomato chutney.

We had our first cucumber at the weekend, plus some lovely carrots and pots.

[Muscroj]

yes, I had a cucumber last week, it was one to be proud of! Must make a note of the variety as it's much nice than the ones I grew last year

I allowed hubby to have ripe tomato number 2 yesterday, he also commented on how sweet it was, I must try & find out if they're the gardeners delight or the red cherry.

We've got loads of plum tomatoes that are ripening now, so it looks like I'll be able to make a nice sauce next week, mmm, mixed with the tons of fresh basil I have I think it's going to have to be a nice pizza.

Has anyone tried making sundried tomatoes with any success?

[Islay]

I made oven dried tomatoes, if that counts! Put the oven on about 60 degrees, left halved tomatoes on the baking tray overnight, and in the morning, voila! Dry tomatoes! I think they go sweeter in the sun, but due to the lack of reliable summer weather, I figured I was safer with the oven. I stuck them in jars, poured olive oil over the top, and I'm hoping they won't go mouldy any time soon.