Yes to Better Boy. In fact I liked them better than the paste toms that I grew last spring. They have more meat and fewer seeds than the salad type toms. The paste type were less juicy, but no taste. To be fair and honest, this was my first time to grow paste tomatoes and maybe I made a bad choice. I'll try again in the spring. Any one with a favorite?

john

ktmeyer---Tomatoes don't have to be paste tomatoes to be canned. I'm growing Viva Italia (paste) right now and they are setting fruit very well. I'm growing them because I want to make "sundried" tomatoes with them in a dehydrator.

This variety came recommended by the owner of Tomato Growers Supply.

Christine

Good to hear that Christine because the Viva Italia is the one I picked to try next Spring.

ktmeyer, That is a nematode resistant variety. We can wait for Christines expert opinion. ;>)

john

ktmeyer---Sorry, I forgot to answer your second question about making sauces. In my younger years, I used to can 40 -50 quarts of tomatoes every summer (up north). Most of these tomatoes were used in making spaghetti sauces. None of the tomatoes were ever paste tomatoes. I added store bought tomato paste to them when cooking.

The only tomato that I didn't like is sauces was cherry tomatoes because it made the sauce too sweet.

John---I'll give you a report on how the Viva Itilia do. The largest of the fruits are starting to lighten up so I should have some in a few weeks.

Christine

I used my surplus tomatoes to make a variety of sauces. Italian style herbs, mexican style, even a roasted tomato and peppers sauce. Most of the recipes were variations on the Ball canning book recipes. Most of the tomatoes were other than paste type. If you make sauces, 10 lbs of tomatoes will cook down to 4-6 pints.

Chritine, from what I saw of all the things you have growing, you must still do a lot of canning and preserving. So how do you spend your spare time. ;>)

Ktmeyer, Christine has it right...it doesn't matter what type of "mater" you use for canning/preserving tomato sauce. Some are juicier than others (paste). If I want a thicker sauce, I peel, seed, and chop my maters, then drain off the excess liquid.

Here's an AWESOME general purpose tomato sauce BTW. I make this every year and have used it in soups, sauces, pizza...you name it!

Chunky Basil Pasta Sauce

8 cups (2 L) coarsely chopped peeled tomatoes -- (about 9-12 tomatoes or 4 lb/2 kg)
1 cup chopped onion -- (250 mL)
3 cloves garlic -- minced
2/3 cup red wine -- (150 mL)
1/3 cup red wine vinegar (5 % strength) -- (75 mL)
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil -- (125 mL)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley -- (15 mL)
1 teaspoon pickling salt -- (5 mL)
1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar -- (2 mL)
1 6-oz/156 mL) can tomato paste

Combine tomatoes, onion, garlic, wine, vinegar, basil, parsley, salt, sugar and tomato paste in a very large non-reactive pan. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for 40 minutes or until mixture reaches desired consistency, stirring frequently.

Remove hot, prepared canning jars from canner and ladle sauce into jars to within 1/2 inch (1 cm) of rim (head space). Process 35 minutes for pint (500 mL) jars and 40 minutes for quart (1 L) jars in a boiling water bath.

Yield: "8 cups"

Note: This sauce also makes an excellent base for a quick pizza.