Q. My tomato plant still has a lot of tomatoes on it, even though most of the vines were killed by frost. Would these be safe to can?
Once tomatoes have been exposed to frost, their acid content drops considerably. You may have noticed that these late tomatoes are not as flavorful as mid-summer tomatoes, and this is one reason. I’ve also noticed that the skin tends to thicken and become tougher. These are safe to eat fresh (still better than supermarket tomatoes), but they are not safe to can because of the lower acidity. Only pick firm, non-damaged fruit. Some of the squishy ones may have started to ferment, which is just nasty. Leave those for the compost.
If you want to preserve them, I recommend dehydration because this tends to concentrate the flavor. Just wash and core, then slice half to one-quarter inch thick and sprinkle with kosher salt. (Kosher salt is flaky and will dissolve more readily, permeating the tomato.) Using a dehydrator (or oven), let the slices dry thoroughly and you’ll have a crispy treat to enjoy while you wait for tomato season to come.
Q. Is there any way I can propagate some of my summer herbs so I can plant them in the spring? Buying herbs in those little containers is getting expensive!
Some herbs and vegetables can be propagated indoors and transplanted in the spring. If your basil is still alive (even if the top leaves have frost damage), you can take cuttings and root them in water. Choose a stem that is green and remove any flowers and all but the smallest topmost leaves. Basil, rosemary, sage, lavender, or any other plant with a woody stem can be propagated in this manner.
We have also propagated or over-wintered eggplants and peppers this way. If your area does not experience heavy frost, you may be able to overwinter plants in the ground. Cut them back to about 8-10 inches, removing all fruits and leaves. At this point you can cover them or place plastic milk jugs filled with water close to the stems. The water-filled jugs provide some frost protection, although they are not the most attractive addition to the garden. One year we were able to save almost all our pepper plants this way, though at the time we had 5 kids under the age of 10 and were going through one and a half gallons of milk per day so there were a lot of milk jugs by the end of winter.
When propagating cuttings in water, remember to change the water every week or so. If a stem begins to rot, remove it promptly and change the water. If available, propagation drops (a dilute solution of butyric acid) can accelerate the formation of side roots. These drops can be found at most garden centers in the houseplant section.
Los Angeles County
mglosangeleshelpline@ucdavis.edu; 626-586-1988; http://celosangeles.ucanr.edu/UC_Master_Gardener_Program/
Orange County
ucceocmghotline@ucanr.edu; http://mgorange.ucanr.edu/
Riverside County
anrmgriverside@ucanr.edu; 951-955-0170; https://ucanr.edu/sites/RiversideMG/
San Bernardino County
mgsanbern@ucanr.edu; 909-387-2182; http://mgsb.ucanr.edu