Question for Experienced Market Growers

LDx4 · July 15, 2013

Hi Everyone,

This is our first year selling at a farmers market. We just sold for the very first time last Saturday and had a great time. All the customers on Sat were very nice and many people complimented us on how great our produce looked (we were selling tomatoes, squash, cukes and peppers). Even another vendor told me that our cherry toms looked better than his! So it was a very good first experience (I'm sure not all will be this nice!).

Here is my question: I picked every tomato that was ripe or close to ripe late Friday. There were some that were blushing, but not close to being ripe that I left on the plants. Today, those tomatoes are ripe and we're not going back to market until this coming Saturday -- those tomatoes will be overripe by the time I'm ready to pick on Friday again. Is there anything I can do to preserve these ripe tomatoes until then? We have a very small operation here - just 250 plants right now, and every tomato counts (and the ones that are ripe are big, beautiful beefsteaks: Ananas Noire, Carbon, Russian Rose).

Any suggestions?

Thanks,

Lyn

July 15, 2013	#1
LDx4 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: San Diego Posts: 321	Question for Experienced Market Growers Hi Everyone, This is our first year selling at a farmers market. We just sold for the very first time last Saturday and had a great time. All the customers on Sat were very nice and many people complimented us on how great our produce looked (we were selling tomatoes, squash, cukes and peppers). Even another vendor told me that our cherry toms looked better than his! So it was a very good first experience (I'm sure not all will be this nice!). Here is my question: I picked every tomato that was ripe or close to ripe late Friday. There were some that were blushing, but not close to being ripe that I left on the plants. Today, those tomatoes are ripe and we're not going back to market until this coming Saturday -- those tomatoes will be overripe by the time I'm ready to pick on Friday again. Is there anything I can do to preserve these ripe tomatoes until then? We have a very small operation here - just 250 plants right now, and every tomato counts (and the ones that are ripe are big, beautiful beefsteaks: Ananas Noire, Carbon, Russian Rose). Any suggestions? Thanks, Lyn