Windowsill Tomatoes

There is a huge difference between a store bought tomato, which tastes almost artificial, and a delicious, home grown garden tomato.

I consider tomatoes to be one of the most important things that I grow in my garden.  We eat them fresh on sandwiches, they are delicious in salads, and we definitely enjoy them sliced on barbecued hamburgers.  I love to eat them warm, right out of the garden, juice dripping down my chin, salt shaker in hand.  And just as important we use them to can tomato salsa, which is a staple for my family.  We eat it a lot.

Sadly, tomato season, along with summer, must come to an end.  In our area in Utah county, the first fall freeze comes around the 15th of October.  I pay attention to the weather reports to see when a hard freeze (32 degrees Farenheit or below) is in the forcast.  And sometime before then I will pick all of the big tomatoes in my garden, whether they are green or red.  The red ones we gobble up as quick as we can so as not to waste any precious fruit.  And the green ones we set out on the kitchen windowsill so that when they ripen we can eat them too.  Now of course they will not be as flavorful as the tomatoes picked red ripe, but they will still be ten times better than anything that you can buy at the store.

And now the long wait for spring.  Then I can plan, prepare, and plant for next summer's garden.