Is your garden too productive this year? Not sure what to do with all of those tomatoes? Make the most out of your abundance of produce.
6 Genius Ways to Use Up Extra Tomatoes and Veggies
Updated on Aug. 10, 2022
What to Do With Extra Tomatoes and Veggies
Did you grow too many tomato plants and veggies again? Me too. But don’t start planning to sneak zucchini onto your neighbor’s front porch just yet. Birds & Blooms readers shared their best ideas for what to do with extra tomatoes and surplus produce.
1. Prep and Freeze Extra Tomatoes
“When I’m lucky enough to have extra tomatoes, I roast them with garlic and olive oil and freeze them in two-cup portions,” says Kathy Eppers of Aledo, Texas. “It’s the perfect base for a pasta sauce.”
Stop making these 12 mistakes with your tomato garden.
2. Give Extra Produce to Farm Animals
Megan McCloud of Woodbine, Maryland has a clever suggestion: “We give leftover corn and strawberries to our chickens and goats.”
Psst–here’s what birds can eat from the kitchen.
3. Set Up a Veggie Swap
Set up a little free library for vegetables! “My home-based business lets me share with clients,” says Lorraine Schmit of Mass City, Michigan. “They swap their harvest with me, too.”
Learn how to save tomato and veggie seeds from your harvest.
4. Make Friends With the Neighbors
Shawnda Hurley of Kelso, Washington and her husband, Roy, came up with a genius way to give away fresh veggies—while also being great neighbors! “Roy loads them up in his tractor and drives around the neighborhood to give them away,” Shawnda says. “Who needs an ice cream man when you have a fresh veggie man?”
Psst—learn how to store vegetables so they stay fresh longer.
5. Offer Extra Veggies to Backyard Wildlife
Mike Froio of Rome, New York thinks about backyard critters who might like to stop by for a bite. “I leave out leftover sliced carrots for the chipmunks, deer and rabbits in my backyard,” he says.
From carrots to cucumbers, here’s your guide to veggie-harvest times.
6. Share the Bounty With Your Community
Carol Brisky of Canby, Oregon says: “My husband and I live in a senior community where we have a raised-bed garden. We put our extra veggies in a decorative box for residents who are unable to grow their own.
Next, learn the right way to ripen green tomatoes.
