What's new at the farmers market?
There's a wide selection of fruits and vegetables, many which were just picked the day before.
- Corn (four varieties)
- Tomatoes (25 varieties)
- Green beans (some aren't even green — they are also yellow and purple, six varieties)
- Squash (five varieties)
- Okra
- Eggplants
- Cucumbers
- Potatoes (eight varieties)
- Onions (green and bulb)
- Garlic (six varieties)
- Peppers (seven varieties)
- Beets
- Greens (four varieties)
- Herbs (six varieties)
Coming soon you will find white butter beans and butter peas (personally my favorites).
There is also a good variety of colorful, nutritious fruits.
- Blueberries
- Wild blackberries
- Watermelon
- Cantaloupe
The farmers market also has tomato plants, potted plants, cut flowers, honey, jams and jellies and organic breads.
I would like to extend a special thank you to a wonderful lady who keeps our market running smoothly: our market manager, Peggy Robinson. She has a smile that has greeted both farmers and customers for more than 17 years. If you have produce that you have grown in Hall or surrounding counties, talk with Robinson about setting up a booth. The cost to sell is $10 for annual dues plus $10 per day, or $100 for the entire season.
The Hall County Farmers Market is open at 6 a.m. Tuesdays and at 7 a.m. Saturdays (cooking demos at 9 a.m.) until all produce is sold (get there early for the best selection). The Hall County Farmers Market is at East Crescent Drive and Jesse Jewell Parkway near Interstate 985 at Exit 24 . Also check out a new location and time, from 4 to 7 p.m. Fridays on the Gainesville square.
There are lots of ways to continue enjoying those fresh tomatoes all year.
Tomatoes can be preserved by canning, drying, freezing or pickling. They can also be used in creating fruit spreads like jams, jellies and marmalades.
Raw tomatoes or raw tomato products can be kept refrigerated (below 40 F), but will spoil over time due to bacteria, yeasts and molds.
Preserving tomatoes in oil is currently not recommended. Oil may protect botulism organisms trapped in a water droplet and oil may deteriorate lid gaskets; at least one manufacturer of home-canning lids recommends against it.
Canning tomatoes
Only boiling water or pressure canning methods are recommended for canning foods. In foods that are acid (pH 4.6 or lower) the microorganism that causes botulism cannot grow. Therefore it is safe to use a boiling water bath canner. All other foods must be canned using tested pressure canning processes.
Tomatoes for many years were considered high acid. However, new varieties, over-mature fruits and tomatoes from dead or frost-killed vines may have a pH greater than 4.6.
The USDA and University-based researchers have determined that to ensure a safe acid level for boiling water canning of whole, crushed or juiced tomatoes, add 2 tablespoons of bottled lemon juice or « teaspoon of citric acid per quart of tomatoes. For pints, use 1 tablespoon of bottled lemon juice or Ú teaspoon of citric acid. Acid can be added directly to the jars before filling the jars with product.
Four tablespoons of 5 percent acidity vinegar per quart may be used instead of lemon juice or citric acid. However, vinegar may cause undesirable flavor changes.
Add sugar to offset the acid taste.
Freezing tomatoes
Frozen tomatoes will have a mushy texture when thawed and are suitable only for cooking, i.e. in soups, stews, spaghetti sauces, etc. Directions for freezing raw, juiced or stewed tomatoes and other tomato products are found at National Center for Home Food Preservation.
Drying tomatoes
Tomatoes are an excellent food to dry in a dehydrator. They do not need blanching and are dried to a crisp.
Pickling tomatoes
The safety concerns of pickled tomatoes are the same as those for canning tomatoes — do not alter vinegar, food or water proportions in a tested recipe or use vinegar with unknown acidity.
Use only recipes with tested proportions of ingredients.
There must be a minimum, uniform level of acid throughout the mixed product to prevent the growth of botulinum bacteria.
Tomato preserves
Once again, the safety of a tomato preserve is dependent on its acid level. Two recipes for jam and marmalade are available at the National Center for Home Food Preservation.
Think safety
There are many tested procedures and recipes available to preserve your tomatoes.
Creating your own procedures and recipes could result in a hazardous product, since the pH range of tomatoes is on the borderline between acid and low-acid foods.
Debbie Wilburn is county extension agent in family and consumer science with the Hall County Extension. Contact: 770-535-8290.