Eat Your Own Fresh Tomatoes in March! Grow Storage Tomatoes
By Steven Biggs
Long Keeper Tomatoes Last all Winter
With the right tomato variety, you’ll still be eating your own fresh tomatoes in early spring. It’s often March by the time I use up my fresh tomatoes.
That’s right. March.
Yet I picked the tomatoes the previous October, just before the first fall frost.
Tomatoes that store well are called long-keeper tomatoes, keeper tomatoes, storage tomatoes, or winter tomatoes.
These storage tomatoes are a simple way to add fresh, homegrown veg to the winter menu. Perfect for home gardeners.
If you’re interested in growing long keeper tomatoes, keep reading to find out how you can enjoy your own homegrown tomatoes over the winter.
What’s a Long Keeper Tomato?
Let’s be clear: Long keeper tomatoes are NOT like a thin-skinned, juicy tomato.
They’re thick-skinned. It’s because of that thick skin that they last a long time without spoiling.
Storage Tomato…Not a Thin-Skinned Slicer
I once gave long keeper tomato plants to my neighbours Joe and Gina. They were avid veg gardeners. Loved tomatoes. I thought they’d love the idea of having their own storage tomatoes all winter long.
But they hated my keeper tomatoes…
That’s because they loved juicy tomatoes for sandwiches and meaty tomatoes for sauces. Keeper tomatoes are for storage—they’re not summer sandwich material.
Expecting a keeper tomato to be like a beefsteak tomato is like expecting a pickup truck to drive like sports car. Ain’t going to happen. The purpose of each is quite different.
When to Sow Long Keeper Tomato Seeds
Because I harvest my keeper tomatoes at the very end of the season, there is no point to starting them too early. (My first fall frost is usually late October—so that means I’m only harvesting the keeper tomatoes in October.)
I start my summer-eating tomato varieties 6-10 weeks before the average last frost date, so that I can enjoy fresh tomatoes as soon as possible.
But I only start the keeper tomato varieties a couple of weeks before the last spring frost. Then I transplant them into the garden when the plants are big enough.
Want to grow your own storage tomatoes from seed? Get tips to grow great tomato seedlings at home.
How to Grow Storage Tomatoes
In the garden, grow storage tomatoes as you would other tomato varieties. The main difference is that there’s less of a rush to get them going early.
Here’s a guide to staking tomato plants.
How to Store Long Keeper Tomatoes
If you have only a few storage tomatoes, put them in a bowl on the counter; they last well and look nice. But for longer-term storage, a slightly cooler temperature is better. That way, they’ll last longer. I store long keeper tomatoes in a cool basement room, spread out on a tray.
Hurray! No processing, no freezing.
Here’s another way to store keeper tomatoes: Leave the tomatoes on the plant, and then harvest the whole plant. Then, hang the plant upside down, somewhere cool. The tomatoes continue to ripen on the plant.
Wondering about how to ripen all the other green tomatoes left in your garden in the fall? Here’s an article that tells you how.
How to Use Keeper Tomatoes
Keeper, or “winter,” tomatoes are perfect for chopping up to use in salads and in cooking.
My favourite way to use them is in bruschetta.
Tomatoes in March. Grow a “keeper” or “winter” tomato.
Long Keeper Tomato Varieties
My first long keeper tomato variety came from my Dad’s friend Dino. Dino simply called it a “winter tomato.” So I just call it Dino’s Winter Tomato.
When it’s ripe, the skin has an orange colour; and when you cut into it, the flesh has a light red colour.
There are many keeper varieties around. Here are some to try:
‘Long Keeper’ is an old variety that’s widely available.
Prairie Garden Seeds sells a keeper tomato called ‘Clare’s Tomato’.
‘Green Bee’ is a firm-when-ripe tomato that grills well—and it’s also an excellent storage tomato.
Looking for a beautiful keeper tomato? Then try ‘Evil Olive’. It’s a great storage tomato. (Don’t be put off by the name, it’s lovely!)
‘Fakel’ is an old processing variety with a thick skin. It’s a medium-sized red tomato that’s good for fresh eating and storage. So if you want something that’s good sliced but also stores well, a good option. (Determinate plant, so good if you’re doing container gardening.)
‘Piennolo del Vesuvio’ is an Italian heirloom from the area around Mount Vesuvius. It forms clusters with cherry-tomato-sized fruit having a pointy tip. The clusters are traditionally picked and hung indoors to slowly ripen through the winter.
More on Tomatoes
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