Tomato Paste and a New Tractor

Well the exciting news is that finally the new tractor mower has arrived at the community garden.
 John loves it and has mowed the whole garden to a park like state and now looks lovely.

  I started going again last Thursday, after 3 months off,just to clean out the bush house. At least half of the plants had died and with a helper we emptied all the dead pots and started putting them together in groups like herbs, flowers, plants for sale, succulents.

I also have an idea of having a major plant sale weekend in March, when John and I are doing a lecture on beginner gardening. To this end I have been putting in hundreds of seeds to get it going, I was going to bring it up at the next meeting.
  

  Today though I went back  in order to keep going on the bush house when the same man who was one of the reasons I quit as co-ordinator, came in and accused me of picking an unknown plant, growing up the fence. I didn't as when I looked at it last week with one of the ladies looking after that garden, thought it was maybe a watermelon vine.Unknown to me John had actually picked it, and spoke up eventually. Anyway after being accused of being a lier about 10 times, finger pointed at me and not even acknowledging me saying I didn't pick it, and being nasty at the same time final words were "you are not the co-ordinator anymore you know."

What!!!!!! Does this make me somehow not able to pick anything as a normal community member like himself. It is very upsetting, I was shaking and crying,  so I finished up what I started and  apologised to  my helper, and went home as they were serving morning tea at the time, and I coudn't cope with it. So that was my morning so far, and I am so not able to handle bullying very well.

Last week though I did finally use up all the tomatoes that were in the fridge. I have made a spicy relish, jars of buschetta, so this time I thought I would try Tomato Paste something I have never done.

This lot plus more were used.

I have a very large crock pot so the first day I put everything into it as I didn't want to stand over the gas making sure they didn't burn, so it stewed all day long safely while I started sorting the craft room. Next day I tipped it all into my largest pot, added garlic as well and blitzed it with the blender then continued boiling it down at a very slow rolling boil.

An hour after slowly bubbling.

Three  hours more it took altogether, I stopped at it quite thick but still with some liquid. There is no need for me to bring it to a thick paste like you buy, but it is perfect for pizza bases.

This then I put into sterilized bottles, 6 in all and then water bathed them for 45 mins. My Balls Book said to put in some lemon juice first, 1 tablspn to a pint bottle so for these little ones I did about 1 1/2 tspns.
 

Just big enough to cover with water saves me dragging out the large preserver.

 So now all tucked up in my cupboard.

This seasons tomatoes.

 I have started really cleaning up some of the gardens for the new season start in March but more about that next week. 

Till next time.