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Spots on tomatoes; okay for freezer?

14 years ago

A lot of my last-of-the-garden salvaged tomatoes have "spots," or splits, bruises, cracks, or little moldy bits around the stems. They have been on large styrofoam trays, waiting in the mudroom for a week now. I'm wanting to get everything in the freezer by tomorrow.

Would you...

Throw them away?

Or...

Cut out the bad areas, and continue to chop and freeze the good parts?

I'm putting them up to be used in stews, soups, and pasta sauces.

I don't want to waste food, but I don't want to waste time putting up something that might go "bad."

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Comments (3)

cynic
14 years ago
I'm no expert, but I'd cut off the bad and freeze the good. If it's something you'd eat now, and I don't see anything wrong with eating the good parts now, seems to me it'd be fine to freeze.
azzalea
14 years ago
Like cynic, I just trim off the bad parts and use the rest--I roast mine before freezing, and haven't had a problem yet.
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Well the tops of them have what is called yellow shoulders and uneven ripening. Those conditions are caused by poor growing conditions - primarily overly wet soil, temperature extremes, low potassium, inconsistent soil moisture levels and periods of excessive heat or cold. You can learn much more about it over on the Growing Tomatoes forum here.. The one bottom showing that looks like it might have some soft spots is also caused by uneven ripening. The soft spots have ripened much faster than the rest of the fruit. Just cut the soft spots out and eat the rest. Again you can eliminate some of this by picking the fruit at color break so that it isn't exposed to the temperature extremes and by stabilizing your soil moisture levels better. Dave Here is a link that might be useful: Causes of uneven ripening and yellow shoulders
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I have the same thing on my tomato plants. I think it is grey leaf spot the way it was coming on. The spots start on the under side of the leaves and "eat" their way through. I noticed it after a bunch of rain. I can tell you it is not burn spots as we have not been having too many sunny days. It has been very cloudy. The rain has stopped, but this is still spreading. I have been spraying with a fungicide twice a week for the past couple weeks and it is not stopping. I did some research and actually posted pictures earlier today and think it is grey leaf spot, which the fungicide I have does not cover. Go figure. hobocat, take a look at my pics on the post entitled "grey leaf spot" and see what you think. Does anyone know how to get rid of this or should I yank my plants and start over?
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Difficult to say. Did you harden them off before they went outdoors? If not, even cloudy days can be tough on seedlings started indoors. Recall that previously they were coddled indoors, now they are out in the big wide world -- low humidity; breezes; and extra drying.
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Answers with your other, same content post http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/tomato/msg0720234730271.html?2 Here is a link that might be useful: your other, same content post
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joyfulguy
14 years ago
I amputate the undesirable parts and eat the rest.

Like to use a serrated blade knife ... and scrape, to get rid of the soft stuff, after cutting.

A good eye helps, also.

After thawing, they're wilty, in any case.

o j

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