Forum home› The potting shed
This Forum will close on Wednesday 27 March, 2024. Please refer to the announcement on the Discussions page for further detail.

Protect your tomatoes!

KiliKili Posts: 1,104
edited April 2020 in The potting shed
Tinned tomatoes being rationed.

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2020/apr/17/suppliers-ration-stocks-tinned-tomatoes-after-surge-demand Sow your seed now

I've got about 30 plants on the go ready to go out. Should I get a dog and barbed wire  :D

'The power of accurate observation .... is commonly called cynicism by those that have not got it.

George Bernard Shaw'

«1

Posts

  • KiliKili Posts: 1,104
    As the Guardian now require you to sign up ( Free) to read thier content I've copied it here in case you don't want to create an account.
    -------------------------------------

    Tinned tomato suppliers are rationing stocks to supermarkets after demand in the UK surged more than 30% and threatened to use up supplies ahead of this year’s harvest.

    Supermarkets and convenience store groups are understood to be jockeying for supplies as families continue to buy more tinned foods than usual after the closure of schools and restaurants forced them to cook more meals at home.

    While all tinned food sales have surged, suppliers and retailers said demand for tomatoes had outstripped that for beans, soup and tinned fish or vegetables, leaving suppliers concerned about stocks running low.

    David McDiarmid, a director of Princes Group, which owns the Napolina brand, confirmed it was allocating stock to its clients to ensure it could “fairly and equitably share” what is available and prevent stocks running out before the new season begins in June.

    Italian tomatoes make up about three-quarters of UK stocks, according to the Grocer trade journal, and are canned between June and September.

    Diego Pariotti, the head of export at Conserve Italia, which owns the Cirio tinned tomato brand, said it could meet usual order levels but not “crazy demand”. He added they had told customers: “If you don’t start calming the fever we won’t get to the next crop.”

    Pariotti said UK shoppers had bought 30% more tinned tomatoes than usual – compared with an average 15% more in other countries. “UK consumers have to understand that if they don’t go mad with stocking up for their households then products will always be on the shelves,” he said.

    'The power of accurate observation .... is commonly called cynicism by those that have not got it.

    George Bernard Shaw'

  • KiliKili Posts: 1,104
    philippa smith2 said:
    I'm lucky in that I'm still making use of my frozen tomato sauce from last years crop. I dislike waste and as last summer was such a good year for toms ( all grown outside ), I made sure that I ripened every last one possible and put into the freezer.
    Obviously at that time, the Corona virus hadn't reared it's head but my thinking was that I would be self sufficient in tomatoes until June this year.  I've still got about 8 blocks left - most with onion, courgette and some just plain tom.  Heated up with a judicious amount of tomato puree and saves scrambling after the tinned variety - for a few weeks more anyway :)
    When the zombie apocalypse appears I'm heading to your place. I'll bring the shooters to fend off the zombies. Hope you've got more than toms on the menu :D

    'The power of accurate observation .... is commonly called cynicism by those that have not got it.

    George Bernard Shaw'

  • KiliKili Posts: 1,104
    philippa smith2 said:
    I'm lucky in that I'm still making use of my frozen tomato sauce from last years crop. I dislike waste and as last summer was such a good year for toms ( all grown outside ), I made sure that I ripened every last one possible and put into the freezer.
    Obviously at that time, the Corona virus hadn't reared it's head but my thinking was that I would be self sufficient in tomatoes until June this year.  I've still got about 8 blocks left - most with onion, courgette and some just plain tom.  Heated up with a judicious amount of tomato puree and saves scrambling after the tinned variety - for a few weeks more anyway :)
     I tried freezing my toms one year but it was a bit of a pain. I suspect getting the right tomatoes would help. Do you go for a large plum type for freezing.

    How do you process them for the frezzer?

    'The power of accurate observation .... is commonly called cynicism by those that have not got it.

    George Bernard Shaw'

  • LynLyn Posts: 23,190
    Roma or Jersey Devils for cooking and freezing, all flesh, no water or pips, especially in the Jerseys. 
    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • KiliKili Posts: 1,104
    philippa smith2 said:
    Kili said:

    When the zombie apocalypse appears I'm heading to your place. I'll bring the shooters to fend off the zombies. Hope you've got more than toms on the menu :D
    Be careful what you wish for - I live next door to the Churchyard and Cemetary so zombies may be plentiful :D
    lol... then I think I'll head the other way. The only time I want to visit a cemetery is when my time has come.  :D  

    'The power of accurate observation .... is commonly called cynicism by those that have not got it.

    George Bernard Shaw'

  • KiliKili Posts: 1,104
    Lyn said:
    Roma or Jersey Devils for cooking and freezing, all flesh, no water or pips, especially in the Jerseys. 
    That's interesting never heard of Jersey Devils. Given I live in Jersey I should have. I'll have to give them a try next year when the world may have returned to some normality, hmmm...  second thoughts not sure I want to return to the old normal such a nasty greed is all society that we have created wouldn't it be nice to see the road's deserted and the wildlife spreading to places formerly unseen. Ah.. dream on I suppose..... 

    C'est La Vie

    'The power of accurate observation .... is commonly called cynicism by those that have not got it.

    George Bernard Shaw'

  • purplerallimpurplerallim Posts: 5,287
    I too still have toms left in the freezer. Most were Roma as I had a glut of plants as everything germinated and couldn't waste anything, so had plants in every nook and cranny. 😁 Won't be the same this year as not so many seeds have germinated and it's a bit late to do more.
  • EmerionEmerion Posts: 599
    My favourites are Tigerella (named for their stripes).  They have a good flavour, are quick to ripen, and have some limited blight resistance. I roast them: Cut them in half, place in one layer on a baking tray, drizzle with olive oil, 220°C. I think it’s 45 minutes from memory, but keep an eye on them. You want them looking just moist or dryish, maybe lightly browned if you like, but not burnt! Blitz them with a blending wand or food processor. The point is that the flavour is intensified, and bulk is reduced, so you can get many more in the freezer. They are loads better than canned toms or passata in cooking. You can eat them unblitzed, warm from the oven as well. 
    Carmarthenshire (mild, wet, windy). Loam over shale, very slightly sloping, so free draining. Mildly acidic or neutral.


  • Nanny BeachNanny Beach Posts: 8,719
    I couldnt get any tomato sauce for ages, Hubby has brown, Daddies, HP, BBQ, I eventual queued over an hour at Sainsbury, paid a hue amount of money, (hey didnt have their own) normally I make it, plus relish, last year I made chutney instead.
  • SuesynSuesyn Posts: 664
    We are still using the tomatoes frozen last summer too. Started off making puree and sauce but had so many that we ended up just chopping them roughly and sticking them in the freezer like that. They are fine used in soup (ideal for the surplus of butternut squash) and in minced meat or casseroles. I suspect we will be doing the same again this year as I have 78 tomato plants  to go in the greenhouse and polytunnel! If they grow I don't have the heart to discard them. 
Sign In or Register to comment.