Been working in the garden most of the day. Looks like we are going to have a bumper crop of tomato('s?). Does anyone know how to make tomato wine? I've had some before but never made it. Seems like I read that you need 4lbs. brown sugar for every gallon tomato juice. Is that true? If someone could point me in the right direction that would be helpful.

Also are magnolia leaves toxic to use as a mulch. I've been fighting a battle with the weeds and as dry as this summer has started I got to thinking. I started looking around the yard for something to use for mulch around my garden. We have this very large Magnolia tree and the leaves just pile up. I moved them to the garden and used as mulch. A neighbor who is from Bosnia and can't speak english very well was trying to tell me they are poisonous, I think. I always us them in the compost pile and till them in the garden and never have any problem. Is he correct or did it just get lost in the translation?

-- Johnny (JLJTM@BELLSOUTH.NET), June 03, 1999

Answers

Phew...sounds like home. Hot and dry and scratching for mulch! I looked Magnolia up in Kingsbury's book, "POISONOUS PLANTS OF THE US AND CANADA" and its not listed. So, I assume its ok. Taz

-- Taz (Tassie @aol.com), June 03, 1999.

Magnolia leaves are poisonous to cattle and sheep.

-- John (rappahannock@hotmail.com), June 03, 1999.

I am envious of your bumper tomato crop - still watching green marbles hanging around here. No recipe but I had a friend whose grandma always made tomato jam, different but good. Just an idea. If you have any extra paste type you might want to sundry and pack in olive oil - mine keep for years that way and I also throw in basil, garlic and oregano.

Good Luck!

-- Kristi (securx@Succeed.Net), June 03, 1999.

Taz- yeah we are going into June 2 inches below normal in rain. Looks like maybe a drought to me. Thanks for looking it up for me.

John- No cattle or sheep around here so I guess I'm okay. Ha!

Kristi- I have 16 Romanoes (sp?) that I was going to dry like you said. Do they really keep for years?

Now how about someone with some know how about tomato wine. Also does anyone know if Romanoes (sp?) put out suckers like other tomato plants do? I didn't see any today and I love to replant those things.

-- Johnny (JLJTM@BELLSOUTH.NET), June 03, 1999.

Red Tomato Wine

3.5 lbs. Red Tomatoes 1 cup Raisins 6 pts. Water 1.5 lbs. Sugar 2.5 tsp. Acid Blend 1/4 tsp. Tannin 1 tsp. Nutrient 1 ea. Campden Tablet 1 pkg. Wine Yeast

Wash tomatoes. remove any bruised portions and cut into pieces. Using nylon straining bag, mash and squeeze out juice into primary fermenter. Keeping all pulp in straining bag tie top and place into primary. Stir in all other ingredients EXCEPT yeast and cover primary. After 24 hours add yeast and recover primary. Stir daily and press pulp lightly to aid in extraction. When ferment reaches 1.040 (3-5 days) lightly press juice from bag and remove. Siphon wine off sediment into glass secondary and attach stopper and airlock. When ferment is complete (S.G. has dropped to 1.000 or lower -- about 3 weeks) siphon off sediment into clean secondary (glass carboy). Reattach stopper and airlock and allow to clear. To aid in clearing siphon again in 2 months and again if necessary before bottling. Finish cut/paste Just found this, sounds good.

-- && (&&@&&.&), June 03, 1999.