8.31.10

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I feel pretty - oh, so pretty - because I ate tomaaaa to o o o o o o's

i knew there wuz a reason i planted so many tomatoes:
in alphabetical order - foods to make you healthier, skin nicer

Almonds
~fistful (about 30 or 1/3 cup) of almonds every day boosts levels of vitamin E - antioxidant for skin healthy skin
~provides moisture for the skin
~2x week, less likely to gain weight
Apples

~quercetin, an antioxidant in the peel of many varieties, provides hefty protection from the “burning” UVB rays that trigger skin cancer - Monroe, Cortland, and Golden Delicious.
~2+ apples a week reduces risk of heart disease - eat the peel; source of nearly all the antioxidants

Eggs

~lutein and zeaxanthin, two antioxidants found in eggs, more than quadrupled protection against the UV damage that leads to lines, brown spots, and cancer in one study on women. Skin was also markedly softer, firmer, and better hydrated.
~one egg a day significantly increases blood levels of lutein and zeaxanthin
~may stave off macular degeneration by protecting the retina from light damage

Romaine Lettuce

-provides more than 100% vitamin A
-revitalizes skin by increasing cell turnover
-mineral potassium gives skin a refreshing boost of nutrients and oxygen by improving circulation
-contains 45% of vitamin K - activates a protein that supports vascular health - (reduces chance of uggy leg veins popping out)

Strawberries
~cup has up to 130% of vitamin C - antioxidant that boosts production of collagen fibers that help keep skin smooth and firm
~may mean fewer fine lines too - ellagic acid, an antioxidant abundant in strawberries, protects the elastic fibers that keep skin from sagging
~may inhibit development of malignant cancer cells

Tomatoes

~keep skin from turning sunburn - 5 tablespoons of high-in-lycopene tomato paste daily for 3 months provides nearly 25% more protection against sunburn
~skin will have more collagen, which prevents sagging
~antioxidant aids in fewer fine lines and furrows.
~lycopene may also lower chances of heart disease


Walnuts
~alpha-linolenic acid, an omega-3 fat that's a key component of the lubricating layer that keeps skin moist and supple
~1/2-ounce serving of walnuts provides 100% of ALA
~may aid sleep - contain melatonin, a hormone that regulates sleep

Harvesting tomato seeds

Saving tomato seeds from your tomato plants is easy (not to mention cheaper than buying seeds or expensive plants every spring).

First, some details

~ non-hybrid tomatoes produce "offspring" that may have slight variations - also known as open-pollinated or heirloom tomatoes - these are the seeds you want to harvest

~ hybrid tomatoes produce "offspring" that won't necessarily look or taste like the parent tomato - these are typically the tomato seeds sold at seed stores, and or the ones we buy at the grocery store - these are NOT the seeds you want to harvest - although you can harvest these, there is no control what the "offspring" will look or taste like

~ while all tomatoes are self-pollinating and will retain their individual traits, a few, like "currant" or "potato-leaf" (like "Brandywine") can also be cross-pollinated by insects (bees), and therefore will "co-mingle" their traits - NOT what you want!
Therefore, if you're NOT growing currant or potato leaf types, you can be assured that you are saving seed that will be just like (well, close) to the parent.
If you ARE growing currant of potato leaf types, you need to prevent cross-pollination. Too late for this harvest, but in future gardens, when the flowers of the currant / potato leaf plants pop out, cover just the stem where the flowers are with cheesecloth or spun-polyester fiber (you could cover the entire plant, but then the rest of the non-flowering leaves wouldn't get enough sun - you just want to cover the actual flowers). When the flowers start developing into fruit, remove the cover.



~ for seed saving, you need fruits that are thoroughly ripe and soft.

~ you'll notice when you cut open a tomato, the seeds are enclosed in a gel sac. To harvest, you'll need to remove the seeds from the sac, and you'll need to put them through a fermentation process, which will destroy any seed-borne diseases

The Process:

~Rinse the fruit
~Cut it in half across the middle - not the stem end
~Squeeze seeds (gently) and juice into a glass or plastic container with the label of what type seed they are
~Fill the containers the rest of the way with water

~Set them OUT OF DIRECT SUN in an area where you won't be bothered by the ripening odor or fruit flies - I put mine in an unused section of the greenhouse - fruit flies can have a field day in there...
~Check everyday to make sure there is enough water for the seeds to float - especially in warmer temp days of late summer or in the southern states, the water can quickly evaporate, and you've potentially lost your harvest
~Within 3-5 days, the seed mixture will have a whitish mold on the surface

~Scrape off the white mold with a spoon, being careful not to remove seeds.
~Refill the container with water and stir
~At this point, the good seeds will sink to the bottom
~Pour off the floating seeds (effectively, "dead") and the pulp
~Repeat this process until the remaining good seeds (that stay on the bottom) are clean
~Pour the cleaned seeds through a fine (small holed) strainer
~Rinse and drain

~Place seeds onto a plate (I use old cookie sheets)
~Allow them to dry for one to three days - if humid, it'll take up to 3 days
~BUT! when drying, KEEP THEM OUT of direct sun
~While they are drying, stir them a couple times a day, to make sure don't stick together and that they are completely dry

~Place the seeds in individually labeled airtight and THOROUGHLY CLEAN containers, like glass canning jars - I suggest that you don't reuse jars like mayo or other food jars - there may be traces of food left, you'll end up contaminating your harvest - best to err on side of caution for all the work you've done and just use canning jars - I've also used baby food jars, but if you have a lot of seeds, they can quickly fill up and you'll need multiple labeled jars
~Store the seed jars in a cool, dry, dark shelf

~Good planting to ya next spring - and let me know how they did!