Tomato Nutrition Read more at: http://draxe.com/tomato-nutrition/	Tomato Plant Tomato plants get very large and bushy in left without pruning or some form of support. But it is important to remember that they are weeds and will grow no matter what. You want to prune and use support so it is easier to maintain the areas around the plant and to harvest from the plant. There are a couple of different ways to support the plants. You can visit https://www.mastergardeners.org/picks/tomato_staking.html	Harvest Harvesting tomatoes is very easy. To harvest a tomato that is ready, chose the tomato that is red and soft enough for your to imprint a thumbprint on the bottom. If it isn't as ripe as you want, you can put it in a paper bag with a banana, apple, or ripe tomato. To harvest, simply pull the tomato off of the branch without ripping the branch or tomato. If needed, you may cut the small stem right above the tomato at the notch. When pulling, it is easiest to place your finger tips at the top.
Hybrid vs Heirloom History There are a vast diversity of tomato varieties out there. The main difference is a hybrid tomato vs an heirloom. The definition of heirloom is that the seed has been saved and has not been genetically altered. Because of this, it is harder to grow heirlooms due to the characteristics that were left and were not removed. Such characteristics include thin skin, and different shapes. Many say heirlooms are tastier because they were not selected for durability or uniform shape and color.	Hybrid vs Heirloom Usage Because of their delicacy, heirlooms are best eaten fresh. They are also very juicy with less flesh than certain hybrids. Thus, hybrid tomatoes, if more fleshy, will do best cooked. Some smaller tomatoes such as romas will do best in a tomato sauce because they are bred to have little juice and more flesh. Typically the larger tomatoes have more juice than the smaller ones. The cherry tomatoes are very easy to prepare and tend to be sweeter in taste.	Fried Green Tomatoes Tomatoes can be picked at any stage in development. If you happen to pick a very green tomato here is how you can prepare them. Also, picking a few green tomatoes will lighten the weight of the plant and will help it focus its energy towards ripening its other tomatoes or producing more flowers.
Simple Tomato Sauce Ingredients 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil 1 small onion, chopped 2 cloves garlic, chopped 1 stalk celery, chopped 1 carrot, chopped Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper 2 (32-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes 4 to 6 basil leaves 2 dried bay leaves 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, optional Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/simple-tomato-sauce-recipe3.html?oc=linkback