For people who want to grow more food with less work. 🌱 This is my weekly newsletter loved by 38,000+ subscribers—here's what one of them had to say: "These are not the regular run-of-the-mill garden-based emails. You actually touch on more unusual tidbits that encourage me to keep growing and learning."
why your tomatoes look weird like this 🐱
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If you love to grow big, beautiful tomatoes (especially heirloom tomatoes) then you've probably had your share of weird-shaped fruit with bulges, bumps, and brown scars that sort of look like zippers. It's a common condition called catfacing (though I don't really see the resemblance—I guess whoever coined the term thought their puckered tomatoes looked like cat's cheeks? 🤷♀️). And while most catfaced tomatoes are still edible, so long as they haven't started rotting where the wounds are, it can still be pretty frustrating if most of your tomatoes are coming off the vine this way. In my experience, catfacing also tends to make tomatoes more susceptible to other damage or even diseases. (This same disfigurement also happens to strawberries, if you've noticed odd-looking strawberries on your plants this summer.) So what's this all about? Why does it happen? Is it specific to the tomato variety, how much (or how little) you water, how late you harvest, or something else entirely? Here's why you're getting catfaced tomatoes (and what you can do about it.) Seasonal tipsThe Route 66 Cookbook featured on CBS OklahomaThe news team at CBS Oklahoma has been doing a phenomenal job at covering the Route 66 Centennial this year, and I'm honored to be their recent feature! News anchor Lacie Lowry interviewed me about my latest book and what it was like to drive through Oklahoma while researching restaurants for The Route 66 Cookbook. They also traveled along Route 66 to talk to some of the restaurant owners I featured in my book. Watch the interview here. Can I be honest? Oklahoma had never been on my list of "must-visit" states when I did road trips across the country, but it definitely surprised me! We had SO much fun (on the stretch along Route 66, anyway) and I'd love to go back and explore Tulsa and a couple other places some more one day. You can preview The Route 66 Cookbook here and find out where to get a copy. If your local bookstore doesn't have it in stock, please ask them to order it! This is something most people don't realize is so easy to do, and your bookseller will appreciate the support. ❤️ (Same goes for your local library. Librarians are always happy to get book recommendations and some library sites will have a contact form where you can send in a request.) P.S. Catfacing is a common problem in tomatoes. Here's why it happens and what you can do about it. P.P.S. Have you seen all my other books? They're perfect for a little armchair traveling or outdoor cooking inspiration! |
Garden Betty
For people who want to grow more food with less work. 🌱 This is my weekly newsletter loved by 38,000+ subscribers—here's what one of them had to say: "These are not the regular run-of-the-mill garden-based emails. You actually touch on more unusual tidbits that encourage me to keep growing and learning."