We all know how good an authentic home-grown heirloom tomato is, so it’s no wonder that tomatoes are one of the most common plants in any home vegetable garden. But growing great produce is really only half of the self-sufficiency journey; we need to know how to use & preserve our harvests too. There are
There’s nothing like showcasing your favourite home-grown produce, and this simple braise does exactly that. Featuring the simple flavours of your organic tomatoes and fresh green beans, this tomato and green bean chicken braise is easy to make with your freshly-picked produce and a few pantry staples. There’s no point aiming for self-sufficiency if you
Tomatoes are at the top of every vegetable gardeners’ must-grow list. And while the plant itself grows easily enough, producing large, tasty fruit can be deceptively tricky. Here, we explain 5 ways to make your home-grown tomatoes taste better. Keep Them Out of The Fridge Cold is the mortal enemy of tomatoes. This is something
15 tips to help grow the best large tomatoes Larger varieties of tomatoes are easy enough to grow but to get them at a point where they crop readily and produce good fruit can be a challenge even for the best gardeners! There are numerous diseases and pests which attack tomatoes but pulling out the
I love tomatoes – I really do. This fruit who many confuse as a vegetable (but who cares) is one of the most versatile foods on the planet. Where would we be without tomato ketchup, bolognese sauce, tomato pizza base with sun-dried tomatoes mozzarella cheese and a few basil leaves, tomato and lettuce salad,
The act of preservation through drying is one of the most popular methods of keeping food for extended storage. Dehydration naturally (by sun or air) or artificially ( by a drying device) allows us to grow or acquire a surplus product in season and then have the opportunity to consume that product at a much
Introduction In our tomato variety reviews we rate and review each variety based on the following criteria: Size of Fruit vs Productivity Taste & Meatiness (texture) Disease and Pest Resistance Growth X-Factor So, without fear, let's get started! Characteristics # 1 in our tomato series is the Black Russian. This odd coloured tomato might be “different”
There are many subtle variants of the Yellow Beefsteak (some with quite different attributes) but this particular variety could be slightly different (or not) from what others grow with the same name. As with all the tomato reviews on SSM, the article will summarise by giving the tomato variety a final rating score by averaging the rating
A warning first about this particular tomato plant – grow it as a supplementary tomato not as the main staple as results can be mixed from season to season with this cheeky giant. Some seasons it grows perfectly and others it really struggles without any obvious reasons why… I suspect it's a little fickle when it
Now, I know I have already covered another yellow variety (yellow beefsteak) but this variety though the same colour is quite different. A few years ago, my brother (Phil) and I were taking a stroll around my garden and we came across my tomato patch; in this patch, I happened to be growing several varieties
Introduction Honestly, I'd be lost without my Excalibur dehydrator because we use it all the time in our household. The money our dehydrator has saved us alone has well and truly paid for the initial purchase of the appliance and I could have used “money” as one of the 10 reasons below on its own;
Tomatoes are an amazing fruit and the tomato plant is a wonderful act of nature. I’ve previously stated how easy it is to grow tomatoes; however, awhile back, a cousin of mine had a “bone to pick with me” when she read an article of mine referring to growing tomatoes as “easy.” She said that
Humans… we're funny creatures. We love new stuff and then we also love what's old. One of my favourite songs (by a German band) has the chorus: Destroy, improve, and re-build. For some reason, I love the freedom in the intent of the song and the premise conserving holds back creation. But then, another part
This tomato variety is called the Black Plum. And, let me start by immediately stating how I completely misunderstood this tomato from the beginning (until I actually tasted it). I grew this tomato through our winter here (subtropical climate) and although it's warmer than other places through winter where I am, tomatoes still can be tricky to
This tomato is called the Berry Nice. And, it happens to be the third "berry" type article I've posted this month! I started growing this tomato through our autumn here (subtropical climate) and grew my plants from seed I purchased online through eBay. I'll be honest the Berry Nice name was what really drew my attention to
There’s something special about the beginnings of life – so special that humanity is obsessed with it. And, why wouldn’t we be obsessed with the start of living? The wonder of creation, the purity, the freshness, the power and drive to be… It’s certainly better than dwelling on the opposite! I find food gardening gives
Self Sufficient Me is a blog about self-sustainment by growing our own produce (plant/animal), and self-fulfilment by looking after our health (physical/mental) through exercise and slowing life down a little.
