I finally got some overdue chores completed in the garden.
The tomato harvest is in full swing and they need to be harvested at this time of year or they can deteriorate quickly. Although the greenhouse is warm enough for them to grow, the low temperatures overnight combined with seasonal humidity result in high condensation on the fruit which accelerates disease and rotting. Once they’re harvested they can be removed to a cool, dry area and last longer. We also make jars of pasta sauce and freeze bags of cherry tomatoes which can be used for culinary delights later in the year.
It is also a good time to control weeds which are growing in uncultivated space. Ideally proper weeding would be done, however, that is not really possible for me because of the large area cultivated and the limited time I have. Even if I had time, it would be uneconomical. (That is why Africa can import fresh veg to Europe – the wages are very low and allow for the air freight cost. A friend with 10,000 hectares under cultivation in Africa reckons the that for every Euro of European local labour, Africa substitutes 20c of African labour and 80c of air-freight!) So today I tilled 3 of six plots and the expansion plot – that’s about 700 sm with a 2-wheel tractor.
As a preserver of all things yummy and tomato-y, I usually think I need to cook it to preserve it. But last year I tried the “fresh-frozen” approach – a saviour when faced with large buckets of short-lived fresh tomatoes. Make fresh sauce later, when you have the time!