For those of you interested in learning about water bath canning, fellow CSA member Emily Akins and I will be teaching a class at Bad Seed on Sunday July 31 from 1 to 4 pm. All the info you need on the class, the cost, and how to sign up is at http://www.badseedkc.com/farm/classes-events/. If you have never canned and are interested in learning the basics and a bit more, take advantage of this class.

For those of you that already know what to do, this email is to inform you that with this morning’s harvest the paste tomatoes have started ripening, and are coming off the vines by the bushel. We have 6 different varieties of paste tomatoes planted, of varying shapes and sizes. There are all great for making sauce, salsa, chili sauce, whole tomatoes, and any other recipe that calls for a meaty love apple.

We also have “seconds” of the slicers we hand out. These tomatoes may have cracks, bug holes, or serious “cat facing” that requires trimming them a bit. They can be a bit fragile, as they can have some damage, so be prepared to use them fast. They don’t make a thick sauce like the paste tomatoes, but are good for canning and a multitude of other uses.

One more note, the paste tomatoes are picked with a good overall blush, but take a while to ripen. So what we send in can be a few days away from being dead ripe, giving you time to prep for your tomato preserving. Prices are below.

We also have Principe Borghese drying tomatoes, perfect for the dehydrator, and a limited supply of extra salsa packs and tomatillos.

Paste tomatoes (firsts) – $3.00/lb; $2.50/lb over 10 lbs
Tomato seconds (heirloom and hybrids) – $2.50/lb; $2.00/lb over 10 lbs
Drying tomatoes: $4.00/qt
Tomatillos: $2.00/lb
Salsa Packs: $2.50/pack
Jalapenos: $2.50/pint
Swiss chard: $3.00/bunch
Carrots: $3.00/bunch
Herbs (summer savory, tarragon, thai basil): $2.50/bunch
Large basil bunch: $3.00/bunch

Medium and large/slicer pickling packs are available in a limited quantity this week, depending on harvest. If we cannot fill your order this week you will be put on a wait list for next week.

When placing your order, be sure to specify what types of aromatics you want. Choices are:
cornichon (tarragon, thyme, garlic, onion, hot peppers, grape leaves)
dill (dill flowers, onion, hot peppers, grape leaves)
garlic (garlic, hot peppers, grape leaves)

Pickle pack (medium cukes): $14/pack
Pickle pack (large cukes): $12/pack