Saving the Flavour (Tomato Seeds)

Regardless of your gardening experience, tomatoes are an almost foolproof crop. And they have a multitude of uses in the kitchen - fresh on sandwiches and tossed in salads, cooked in sauces, and even dried or preserved.

Saving Seeds
Collecting seeds from your favourite tomatoes lets you grow and enjoy that delectable flavour for years. You'll find seeds collected from old-fashioned and heirloom tomatoes will grow true to form, they'll look and taste the same as the plant they came from. Supermarket and other commercially grown tomatoes are often hybrid varieties, so seed gathered from them may not grow to produce fruit the same as the parent. If collecting seed from different varieties, its best to do each one separately to avoid mix ups.

Gather your supplies
Very ripe tomatoes; sharp knife; spoon; cutting board; fine sieve; thick, absorbent paper towel; paper bag; storage jar; rice.

Steps:
1. On a clean cutting board, slice tomato lengthways into quarters or eighths. Remove central white section if present.

2. Carefully scoop out the seeds, along with the jelly-like pulp surrounding them, and place into a fine sieve.

3. Wash seeds under cool running water and gently rub to remove pulp. They're adequately washed when individual seeds separate easily and no pulp is visible.

4. Shake off excess water, fold paper towel a couple of sheets thick and spread seeds over, ensuring all are separated. Place in a cool, dry location to dry off before storing or sharing.

5. If storing for next season, place another sheet of towelling on top before folding the paper into a square with seeds on the inside. Put this in a paper bag with the variety name written on it, then put the bag in an airtight storage jar with a tablespoon of rice in the bottom. The rice should absorb any residual moisture.

Heirloom varieties
Black Krim - this is a large 'beefsteak' tomato with a rich flavour and an amazing colour when sliced. It's perfect for sandwiches or salads.
Wapsipinicon Peach - a small creamy yellow fruit that's as delicious as the best red cherry forms. It's a great choice for a fruit fly-prone area as the slightly fuzzy skin seems to deter them.
Green Zebra - this tomato will tick all your boxes; amazing taste, incredible colour and huge yields. Choose this variety if you have bird problems as they tend to leave the ripe fruit alone - the green confuses them.
Tommy Toe - A cherry-sized fruit class with a taste that every gourmets rave about. Plant Tommy Toe tomatoes for their high yield - as much as 11kg of fruit per season, per plant!
Broad Ripple Yellow Currant - gorgeous little golden globes set this tomato variety apart. Plant them for the kids, as they'll adore the deliciously sweet fruit.

Homemade Tomato Sauce (Slow Cooker)

Ingredients:
1 medium carrot, grated
4 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tbsp fresh Thyme, finely chopped
2 large cans whole tomatoes, peeled
1 medium brown onion, chopped
1 pinch of salt
1 pinch of pepper
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

Method:
This Easy Slow Cooker Tomato Sauce is actually very easy to make.

Heat a fry pan with a tbsp. of extra virgin olive oil and sauté your diced onions until translucent. Add the garlic and fresh thyme, grate a carrot, sauté it in olive oil for approx. 3 to 5 minutes, add it to the slow cooker.

Open 2 cans of good quality whole peeled tomatoes, pour them on top of the onion garlic mixture, smash the tomatoes with potato masher and you’re done.

It doesn’t take more than 10 minutes to prepare.

Set the slow cooker on high and cook for 4 hours.

Enjoy with a hearty meat pie!