Episode #228
Too Many Tomatoes? Preserve the Harvest
Greg Peterson says the only place that lack lives is between our ears — and if you've ever stood in your kitchen staring at 50 pounds of tomatoes, you know he's right. We talk about what to do with all of it. Greg hosts The Urban Farm Podcast (he just passed episode 1,000), and this one runs on both our feeds. We get into the harvest mindset, the one mistake that turns abundance into panic, and a long list of ways to put tomatoes, zucchini, and basil up for winter — including a few I'd never tried until this year. If you're new here: I'm Wendi Bergin, and I believe preparedness brings peace. Not fear. Peace. Chapters 00:00 — Welcome, and why we recorded this for both our audiences 01:20 — "The only place lack lives is between our ears" 02:10 — 40 tomato plants, worm composting, and volunteer tomatoes everywhere 03:30 — Seed starting and seed saving: what a grex is and why you'd want one 04:45 — Wendi's confession: she won't eat a fresh tomato 06:15 — The biggest mistake people make when harvest season starts 07:20 — Freeze first, can later — handling the early trickle 08:15 — Jars, lids, and buying in bulk before you're desperate 10:10 — Pint or quart? Wide mouth or regular? 11:30 — Why Wendi stopped canning seasoned sauce and cans it plain 13:40 — Why tomatoes need added lemon juice now 14:10 — Water bath vs. pressure canning, explained simply 16:00 — Tested recipes, rebel canning, and "when in doubt, throw it out" 19:30 — Bone broth and canning elderberry juice 21:10 — Fixing watery salsa, and the steam juicer trick 22:30 — Freezing tomatoes to release the water 23:40 — Don't throw out tomato water: stews, chili, and cooking pasta in it 25:10 — Roasted tomato sauce, skins on 26:00 — The two separate steps of canning: the recipe and the preserving 26:50 — Azure Standard, and what a bulk buying club actually is 29:00 — Freshly milled grain, Sue Becker, and the sourdough question 31:45 — Grain mills: NutriMill, WonderMill, MockMill 34:00 — Tomato powder and everything you can do with it 36:00 — Too much zucchini: relish, pickles, fritters, mock pineapple 39:00 — Zucchini lasagna with no pasta at all 40:20 — Preparedness brings peace 43:20 — Basil: pesto, basil salt, basil sugar 44:30 — Greg's 1,000 episodes and where to find us both A few things worth writing down The number one harvest-season mistake is walking in unprepared. Count your jars and your lids before the tomatoes come in. Today's tomatoes are less acidic than the ones our mothers canned. Added lemon juice is what makes water bath canning safe for them. Water bath handles high-acid foods — fruits, pickles, relishes, jams, acidified tomatoes. Pressure canning is required for meats and vegetables. Canning plain and seasoning later is simpler, safer, and more versatile. The canning process can throw off the flavor of herbs and spices. Follow tested recipes. USDA guidelines, the Ball Blue Book, your canner's manual. When in doubt, throw it out — the jar is worth more than the beans. Links Greg Peterson, The Urban Farm Podcast — https://www.urbanfarm.org Azure Standard — https://www.azurestandard.com Bread Beckers (Sue Becker) — https://amzn.to/4wXJ7cM Ball Blue Book of Preserving - https://amzn.to/4whgqpW USDA Complete Guide to Home Canning — https://nchfp.uga.edu Bill McDorman — seed saving, monthly seed chat on The Urban Farm Podcast Come find me Homesteading Made Simple / Joyfully Prepared — wherever you listen, and now on YouTube. If this one helped, share it with the friend whose counter is currently buried in zucchini. Joyfully Prepared Library - https://www.joyfullypreparedlibrary.com Meal Planning Worksheet - https://joyfulprep.kartra.com/page/planning Joyfully Prepared Realtor - https://joyfullyprepared.com/realestate/ Website - https://joyfullyprepared.com Instagram - https://instagram.com/joyfulprepper Facebook - https://www.joyfulprepgroup.com
