Canning Tomatoes today garden season is over here.

[Gary350]

I picked what was left of my tomatoes it has been 114 degrees here all week. I need to save all the tomatoes I can.

I washed, inspected then cut the top off all the tomatoes for Canning in Mason Jars. This will be a blend of 3 types of tomatoes, Roma, Beefsteak and Celebrity. I only have about 35 tomatoes.

I puree all the tomatoes 3 minutes in the kitchen blender, skins and seeds too. Skins give tomatoes a TON of extra tomato flavor great for Italian foods, chili, stew, soups, Mexican.

I brought the tomatoes to a boil, I am going to hot pack my jars. I only have enough tomatoes for 2 quarts and 1 pint. It is more efficient to Can a full water bath of jars but this is all I have.

I rinsed the jars with cold tap water then filled them with tomatoes. Then screwed on the lids and placed them in 150 degree water bath to avoid temperature shock that might break the jars. About 30 minutes work so far. Boil for 25 minutes then let the jars cool and they are done.

I will plant more tomatoes about November 1st and have tomatoes all winter.

[NancyJo]

I wish I could do 2 crops of tomatoes . Is your garden still producing anything yet or is it too hot there? I always like to learn about different areas of the country.

[Gary350]

I wish I could do 2 crops of tomatoes . Is your garden still producing anything yet or is it too hot there? I always like to learn about different areas of the country.

Tomatoes plants are still alive and looking good but in 114 degree weather they won't make any more tomatoes until the temperature drops, probably about September. I will pull up about 1/2 of the tomato plants then replant in October. I will have tomatoes all winter. We sometimes have frost 3 weeks in February so they might need to be covered up then. When I lived in Tennessee I would plant 30 tomato plants and have 120 jars of tomatoes canned by the second week of July. Hot weather would slow tomato production but we always had tomatoes for the kitchen table. I always planted 2 gardens in Tennessee, 1 in April and another one in August.

My bell peppers are doing good. Peppers are a little small because of the heat but the 9 plants are loaded with about 10 to 12 bell peppers per plant. I make 2 bell pepper and onion omelets every morning.

My okra is doing good. Okra is crazy stuff the hotter it gets the better okra likes it. I threw about 50 seeds in a 24" circle irrigation planter I think all the seeds came up. About 10 plants crowded out all the other plants and are making plenty of okra.

My water melons have taken over the whole garden, water melons are every where. So far is it hard to tell if this years crop will be as good as last year. I counted 21 melons Sunday. There is a 15 lb water melon growing about 1 foot off the ground in a cactus plant. LOL. If the arms break off the cactus I hope the melon does not bust when it hits the ground. I already harvested 3 melons that were not very large.