Episode 228: Too Many Tomatoes? Preserve the Harvest

What do you do when the garden gives you more tomatoes, zucchini, basil, or fruit than you know what to do with? In this fun conversation, Wendi Bergin joins Greg Peterson of The Urban Farm Podcast to talk about developing a harvest mindset. Instead of waiting until the kitchen counters are overflowing, they share how to prepare ahead, choose the right preservation methods, and turn a garden’s abundance into food your family will actually use. They explore practical ways to preserve tomatoes and zucchini, why safe canning matters, what to do with tomato water, and how tomato powder can become a surprisingly useful pantry staple. The conversation also wanders into freshly milled grain, homemade bread, Azure Standard, sourdough, elderberries, and the joy of learning from other homesteaders. The big idea is simple: abundance does not have to feel overwhelming. With a little preparation, it can bring peace, creativity, and a very well-fed family.

Greg Peterson says the only place that lack lives is between our ears — and if you’ve ever stood in your kitchen staring at 50 pounds of tomatoes, you know he’s right. We talk about what to do with all of it.

Greg hosts The Urban Farm Podcast (he just passed episode 1,000), and this one runs on both our feeds. We get into the harvest mindset, the one mistake that turns abundance into panic, and a long list of ways to put tomatoes, zucchini, and basil up for winter — including a few I’d never tried until this year.

If you’re new here: I’m Wendi Bergin, and I believe preparedness brings peace. Not fear. Peace.

Chapters

00:00 — Welcome, and why we recorded this for both our audiences
01:20 — “The only place lack lives is between our ears”
02:10 — 40 tomato plants, worm composting, and volunteer tomatoes everywhere
03:30 — Seed starting and seed saving: what a grex is and why you’d want one
04:45 — Wendi’s confession: she won’t eat a fresh tomato
06:15 — The biggest mistake people make when harvest season starts
07:20 — Freeze first, can later — handling the early trickle
08:15 — Jars, lids, and buying in bulk before you’re desperate
10:10 — Pint or quart? Wide mouth or regular?
11:30 — Why Wendi stopped canning seasoned sauce and cans it plain
13:40 — Why tomatoes need added lemon juice now
14:10 — Water bath vs. pressure canning, explained simply
16:00 — Tested recipes, rebel canning, and “when in doubt, throw it out”
19:30 — Bone broth and canning elderberry juice
21:10 — Fixing watery salsa, and the steam juicer trick
22:30 — Freezing tomatoes to release the water
23:40 — Don’t throw out tomato water: stews, chili, and cooking pasta in it
25:10 — Roasted tomato sauce, skins on
26:00 — The two separate steps of canning: the recipe and the preserving
26:50 — Azure Standard, and what a bulk buying club actually is
29:00 — Freshly milled grain, Sue Becker, and the sourdough question
31:45 — Grain mills: NutriMill, WonderMill, MockMill
34:00 — Tomato powder and everything you can do with it
36:00 — Too much zucchini: relish, pickles, fritters, mock pineapple
39:00 — Zucchini lasagna with no pasta at all
40:20 — Preparedness brings peace
43:20 — Basil: pesto, basil salt, basil sugar
44:30 — Greg’s 1,000 episodes and where to find us both

A few things worth writing down

The number one harvest-season mistake is walking in unprepared. Count your jars and your lids before the tomatoes come in.
Today’s tomatoes are less acidic than the ones our mothers canned. Added lemon juice is what makes water bath canning safe for them.
Water bath handles high-acid foods — fruits, pickles, relishes, jams, acidified tomatoes. Pressure canning is required for meats and vegetables.
Canning plain and seasoning later is simpler, safer, and more versatile. The canning process can throw off the flavor of herbs and spices.
Follow tested recipes. USDA guidelines, the Ball Blue Book, your canner’s manual. When in doubt, throw it out — the jar is worth more than the beans.

Links