Flowering Tomatoes

Nothing gives me hope as when I see the tomato plants begin to flower.I begin to think of all the goodness to follow.Did you know that not long ago,no one would venture to eat a tomato,they were thought to be poisonous.By the late 1800s people began to discover the many uses for them.I am always looking for new uses for them.This years uses will be homemade salsa,hot sauce,and jelly,yes that's right jelly,one of my favorite things to do with tomatoes is jelly,its a fruit and it makes great jelly.I can't forget to mention the tomato sandwich or the carrying of the saltshaker to the garden and feasting right there..This year Ive got a total of 52 tomato plants that were all wintersown,if you've read some of this blog then you know I'm a huge fan of wintersowing tomatoes.I started them at the beginning of March and left them on their own,no babying or codling.I didn't protect them from frosts,snows,Ice or rain,just let them be and they have turned out terrific. One of the types I'm growing is Rutgers,I grew it last year and liked it for canning.A lot of people refer to the Rutger's tomato as the Jersey Tomato.It was developed,I do believe in the 1930's by Rutger's University for Cambells soup company.I'm also growing Cherokee purple and Red Brandywine,Black Brandywine and a Paul Robeson, a sweet smokey black Russian tom I grew last year that I enjoyed.