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Plant Tomatoes | Here’s How To Do It

June 6, 2017 By marketeditor

 

By Mary Peryea

Count me among the 95 percent of home gardeners who want to grow tomatoes – and among the many who count on the expertise of the veteran Saratoga Farmers’ Market vegetable plant growers to help me do it.

hushan Valley Hydro Farm by Pattie Garrett
Shushan Valley Hydro Farm
Photo by Pattie Garrett

When I shopped for tomato plants in mid-May, I wanted an heirloom variety that would produce large tasty fruits for my favorite tomato sandwiches. Hybrids are bred so that the plants are more disease resistant and higher producing. The fruits also have a longer shelf life. However, some say that this means that the flavor has been bred out of them, too. I do know that I had tasted heirlooms at last year’s market and found their flavor superior to the conventional hybrids.

Charles Holub of Scotch Ridge Berry Farm showed me his Brandywine and San Marzano plants, saying that the latter was better for sauce.

Brandywines are among the most popular heirloom and are known especially for flavor. Dating back to 1885, the tomatoes ripen late in the season, but delight with huge tomatoes with even bigger flavor. Their growth type is indeterminate, and they can grow as tall as nine feet.

According to Holub, heirlooms take much longer to bear fruit than the standard hybrid tomatoes and are less disease resistant. As a result, I also chose to purchase a hybrid variety known as the Jet Star, which is a hybrid variety from the 1950s and is said to produce a large, tasty, low-acid fruit. Unlike the Brandywines which take 85 days to bear fruit, Jet Stars can be ready for picking in 72 days.

That’s still a long wait for my tomato sandwiches, but I can pick up tomatoes from the farmers’ market while I wait for my plants to ripen.

I asked Holub for his planting tips: Number one is to plant deep. If you look at your transplants, you’ll see the bottom two inches or so of the stem is indeed purple. Holub said to pinch off any leaves growing there and plant to a depth that reaches the top of the purple. He also recommends feeding tomato plants with fish emulsion, which is rich in phosphorus. Phosphorus encourages flowering, and therefore fruiting.

Of course, there are several variables that can affect how well tomatoes will grow. I’ve heard that more direct sunlight results in sweeter tomatoes. It’s also said, though, that too much water can dilute the flavor of tomatoes, which might be an issue given how rainy it’s been. And of course good soil will encourage good growth. With that in mind, I’ve added composted manure to my sandy soil and have bought a big bottle of fish emulsion.

I’ll check back later this season with an update on the tomatoes. Stay tuned.

The Saratoga Farmers’ Market is 3-6 p.m. Wednesdays and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays at High Rock Park. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.


 

Tomato Sandwich Photo by Pattie Garrett
Tomato Sandwich
Photo by Pattie Garrett

Tomato Sandwich

Recipe adapted for Saveur
Makes 1 sandwich

Ingredients

*Ingredients currently available at the Saratoga Farmers’ Market

• 1 really ripe tomato (big, red-blue beefsteaks are best—all flesh and juice, with not too many seeds)*
• Butter*
• 2 slices of bread – toasted*
• Mayonnaise
• Salt and fresh black pepper
• Sugar
• Add cucumber, thinly sliced – if desired*

Instructions

1. Thickly slice tomato.Butter toast, slather a thick layer of mayonnaise on both pieces, then lay on two or three tomato slices and season with a generous sprinkle of salt, the tiniest pinch of sugar, and a few good grinds of black pepper.

2. Roll up your sleeves and bite through the crisp buttered bread and into the sweet taste of summer.

Filed Under: Featured Article, News Tagged With: Fruit & Vegetable Facts, Growing Vegetables, Saratoga Farmers' Market Recipes

Before Footer

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Get ready to mushroom into a world of flavor at th Get ready to mushroom into a world of flavor at the Saratoga Farmers' Market! 🍄🌱 This week, we're thrilled to highlight the Mushroom Shop and their incredible selection of locally grown and harvested mushrooms. We spoke with owner's Jacob and Elysee to learn more.

Q: What are some of the health benefits associated with consuming mushrooms?

A: Mushrooms contain a multitude of medicinal compounds. The mushroom species Cordyceps militaris contains cordycepin, which increases your blood's ability to absorb and transport oxygen, improving exercise performance. Mukitake or Panellus serotinus possesses compounds that have shown in recent studies to improve liver function in people suffering from fatty liver disease. Reishi mushrooms improve immune health, warding off sickness and reducing inflammation. Other medicinal mushrooms include Turkey Tail, Chaga, Agarikon, Maitake, and Lions Mane.

Q: What inspired you to start selling mushrooms at the farmers' market?

A: We initially got our inspiration from a mushroom farm based in Tennessee called Mossy Creek Mushrooms. They have many videos on Youtube covering every aspect of operating a mushroom farm from building and maintaining equipment to harvesting and marketing mushrooms. Jacob has had an interest in growing mushrooms as a hobby for about eight years when he discovered a patch of oyster mushrooms growing in the wild. We got the opportunity to lease land in the beginning of 2021 and shortly after started selling at farmers’ markets.

Q: How do you recommend customers prepare and cook the mushrooms they purchase from you?

A: At our farmers markets we always provide printed recipes that utilize the mushrooms available during the current season. Like meat, mushrooms can be cooked in a variety of ways, such as sautéing, roasting, and grilling to create a flavorful dish. One of our recent favorites is a Spicy Crispy Lion's Mane Sandwich- a thick slab of Lion's Mane mushroom battered and fried on a toasted bun with spicy mayo and pickles. This is a delicious take on a chicken sandwich made entirely of whole, natural produce. 

*Find the Mushroom shop year round at our Saturday markets!*

#saratogafarmersmarket
Get ready for a mouth-watering adventure! 🍴🌍 Get ready for a mouth-watering adventure! 🍴🌍 Join us on Saturday, March 25th from 9:30 am to 1:30 pm at the Saratoga Farmers' Market's International Flavor Fest in the Wilton Mall food court! 🎉 Indulge in frgál cakes, julekaker, burek, curries, samosas, and more, representing cuisines from all around the world! 🌎 There will be live music, family-friendly activities, and food tastings that will take your taste buds on a journey around the globe! 🎶👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Plus, our friends at the World Awareness Children's Museum will be hosting a paper fortune cookie making session for the kiddos! Don't forget to pick up your passport for a chance to win a prize by filling it with stamps from market vendors! Let's celebrate our traditions, history, and community through the language of flavorful food! 😍🍴

 #InternationalFlavorFest #SaratogaFarmersMarket #FoodieAdventure #CommunityConnection
Join us tomorrow for our Saturday market! From 9:3 Join us tomorrow for our Saturday market! From 9:30-1:30 you can find all your favorite vendors in the Wilton Mall Food court. We’ll by joined by the Academy of Life Long Learning, AIM Services, and musician Lee Paquin. Hope you can make it!!!

Photos of: @squash.villa.farm , KOKINDA Farm, and @eurodelicaciesco by Graciela Colston

#saratogafarmersmarket #saratogasprings #farmersmarket #agriculture #shoplocal
The Saratoga Farmers’ Market is seeking donation The Saratoga Farmers’ Market is seeking donations to help improve our market and keep our nonprofit organization running. Your donation will be used for essential functions of the market as well as helping us reach more of our long-term goals for the community. We are looking for additional resources to expand our community offerings such as hosting family friendly events, programs and activities.

You can help us by donating via our GiveButter account (link in bio) or in person at the market via our market manager. Thank you for your ongoing support. We couldn’t do it without you! 

#saratogafarmersmarket #supportlocalfarmers #nonprofit #communitylove #givebutter

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