Question about growing and canning tomatoes.

[kwolf68]

Ok I know this isn't the issue of the day, but I honestly respect the talent of fellow DU posters and wanted to get feedback on these two questions.

Number 1....I need to know how to start a new tomato plant from one of the ones still growing in my garden. I had a very successful cherry tomato plant and a beef eater that I would like to try to get new plants from to grow in doors over the winter. I followed directions for cutting off a sucker, dipping it into the root booster and planting in miracle grow soil. They died. I thought the suckers were any branch off that had no tomatoes or flowers. Now I'm wondering if the suckers are supposed to come off the main stem. I need clarification on exactly what the suckers are and how to make this work.

Secondly,
I canned several ball jars of tomatoes from my garden. I did not use a hot water bath, but they all sealed. I did this about 4 weeks ago and I recently realized that almost all the jars...."exploded" the lids. The tomatoes fizzed out of the top like a shaken soda and there were moving bubbles in the jars before I opened them. My question is the ones that are still on the shelf ..... can I boil them for ten minutes and still use them in foods or must I throw them out. Why would they do this and are they contaminated or did they ferment?

Thanks for any good feedback...

[csziggy]

1. Throw out the canned tomatoes - poor canning is lethal

Get some good information on how to can safely - it is far too easy to kill someone with canning if not done correctly. Here is information about the dangers of home canning and spoiled food: http://missvickie.com/canning/canning%20errors.html

Some sources for you -

The USDA Complete Guide to Home Canning (PDF files that can be downloaded):
http://www.foodsaving.com/canning_guide/
I suggest downloading and reading the first chapter and the chapter on canning tomatoes.

You may also be able to get publications for free or low cost at a county extension office. You can locate the closest one here: http://www.csrees.usda.gov/Extension/

CANNING AND FREEZING: TOMATOES - http://www.extension.iastate.edu/publications/pm638.pdf

Canning Tomatoes and Tomato Products - http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/how/can3_tomato.html

I also highly recommend the "Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving" - from the company than makes the canning jars and lids. It only costs about $14 from Amazon and is well worth the investment. Get the most current version - information about safe canning is always being updated.

Edited to add - the county extension office can give you advice about taking cuttings and rooting them, too.

[Lasher]

2. When you cut off the suckers, stick them into a glass of water.

Leave them in the water until they sprout roots. Change the water if needed to keep it free of rotten material. Roots should form in about 2 weeks and then you can put them into potting soil.

[Bunny]

3. Throw the tomatoes out. All of them.

Very bad things could happen if you try to eat them.

How did you can them if you didn't use a hot water bath? Did you use a pressure cooker? I haven't really tried that method, so I can't speculate on what may have gone wrong. In any case, chalk it up to experience and try again next time. Someone recommended the Ball book, I second that. It's got a ton of information and is well worth the cost.

[sammytko]

4. Why not just use the seeds from the tomatoes?

Do you still have some? Let them dry on the vine and then just throw the seeds on the ground til they sprout and then transplant the best ones.

As for the canning, I use a pressure canner. I've read that it is not safe to just use the hot water method to can tomatoes due to the low acidity of hybrids.

Throw them out!!!!!!!

[Bunny]

5. You can use hot water processing for tomatoes provided you add

some more acid, such as lemon juice, vinegar, etc.

[Gormy Cuss]

7. Seeds may not produce the same tomatoes if the variety is a hybrid.

They'll produce SOME tomato, just not necessarily the one from whence the seeds came.

To the OP, if you remember the variety name you can check whether they are hybrids online. If you still have the tag or original container label, look for "open pollinated," "OP," or "Heirloom" to denote ones that aren't hybrids. If the plant isn't a hybrid then seed saving is worth a try.

And sammytko is right --water bath canning is no longer recommended for tomatoes unless you add a sufficient amount of an acidic ingredient. A pressure canner is the way to go, or freezing.

[kwolf68]

6. Thanks to all....

Advice taken. My wife just said, "leave it to those Democrats"...."knowing all this stuff". LOL

BTW-She's a Liberal too, but is more of the inactive variety.