If you had a variety of tomato that was a particular success this year, why not try saving the seeds to grow next year’s plants? Save seed from open-pollinated varieties of tomatoes only. When saving seed, think Darwin, theory of evolution and selective breeding – you want to replicate only the strongest of tomatoes. So only save seeds from the biggest and best of your tomatoes. The tomatoes you select should be ripe, but not overripe.

Cut the tomato in half and squeeze the contents (seeds, gel and juice, not flesh) into a cup or container and label the variety. Half fill the cup with water. After a few days a mould will form, which is a sign that the seed coating has dissolved. The mould will also kill off any seed-born diseases that may be in the seed. Pour off the water and any floating seeds (these are duds that won’t germinate). The good seeds should be on the bottom. Rinse them under a cold tap in a very fine mesh strainer. Put the seeds in a single layer on a paper plate. Leave for a few days to dry, then bag them up in a labeled envelope and store somewhere cool (or refrigerate) until next spring.

Sauce Recipe

We’re in full-on tomato glut territory at the moment, so it’s time to pull out the old passata recipe. It’s designed to be quick and straight forward, and I don’t pay too close attention to how much of each ingredient goes in. Just bung them onto a baking tray.

Tomatoes to fill the base of the tray, halved

A small courgette, roughly chopped

An onion, roughly chopped

3-4 cloves garlic

Fresh herbs – eg rosemary, thyme, parsley

Olive oil

Seasoning

1 Pre-heat the oven to 180°C. Half (or quarter, if large) the tomatoes and put them onto a baking tray. Use several trays if you have a large quanity. You are aiming to fill the base of the tray, but leave enough room to add the other veg. Roughly chop the courgette and onion and add to the tray. Roughly mash the garlic cloves and add them with the herbs. Season well and add a good lug of oil. Mix it all together with your hands to coat the veg. Put in the oven and bake for 45 minutes to an hour. Allow to cool completely. Blitz with a hand blender. Bag up in freezer bags and leave it in the freezer. CL

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