Released October 1, 2009
MANHATTAN, Kan. -- For gardeners, an early frost could mean a change in the menu.
If allowed to freeze on the vine, tomatoes will need to be eaten, dried or frozen, but should not be canned, said Karen Blakeslee, Kansas State University Research and Extension food scientist.
Freezing on the vine lowers the acid levels within the fruit, she said.
Food experts typically recommend adding lemon juice to increase the acidity when canning tomatoes, but that may not make the frozen tomatoes safe enough for canning and room temperature storage, Blakeslee said.
If frost or a freeze is predicted, pick tomatoes and allow them to ripen at room temperature, she said.
More information on food safety and preservation is available at county and district K-State Research and Extension offices and on Blakeslee's food safety Web sites: http://www.ksre.ksu.edu/foodsafety and http://www.rrc.ksu.edu.
Karen Blakeslee is the K-State Research and Extension Rapid Response Coordinator. As such, she spends her working hours answering food and food safety questions for Kansans.
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http://www.ksre.ksu.edu/ksrenews/story/briefs100109.aspx
Editor: Elaine Edwards, elainee@ksu.edu
