Seed --> Plant --> Tomato --> Sauce

I made 6 pints of tomato sauce from all of the varieties that I had on hand; whatever was ripe. Summer in a jar:

While I was stirring the sauce as it simmered on the stove, I started to think about January. That was the beginning of my tomatoes' life cycle. I started the seeds at the very end of January. Every morning I carried the seedlings outside to the greenhouse to spend the day. In the evenings after work, I would faithfully bring them inside to stay cozy and warm. After about 4-6 weeks, I potted them up to 1 gallon containers. Finally, in April they went into the ground. I planted them deeply, cutting off the lower leaves and burying the stems up to the top couple of nodes. Right after they were planted out, we faced a crazy windstorm that lasted 2 days. The next week the little plants were tested by an attack of aphids and white flies. I battled the pests with soapy water and we prevailed. On July 4th the first ripe tomato was picked - a dependable Stupice. Later in July, I panicked and sprayed milk at the first sign of yellowing lower leaves. Now, by mid-August there are enough tomatoes ripe at one time to warrant a round of canning.

What a long, strange trip it's been ;)

Don't you just love wierd-looking tomatoes?! This is Stupice, a great cool-summer, heavy-producer of small-medium tomatoes. They have a good taste...not great, but they are nice and meaty and can make a good sauce.