The postal experiment I mentioned the other day somehow worked. See the Blog of the Day. The postal worker that I handed that box of tomatoes to wasn't all that gentle with it. It's a bit of a miracle they made it, folks. As soon as I left the post office, I didn't think they would survive several such not-so-gentle touches from here to Nashville.
I had consulted the web a few weeks ago about how to ship homegrown tomatoes. There are quite a few places online to get that advice and many, many methods were mentioned. I mixed and matched a few of them but I'd be lying if I told you I thought this had much chance of success. I had a willing lab rat, though. :)
The tomatoes I picked Sunday and shipped Monday were getting riper by the minute. Of course, I knew that as tomatoes ripen, they get softer. The ones I chose to ship were still fairly firm. Besides the initial not-so-gentle handling, they would have to survive a plane ride with its attendant pressure changes, several intense temperature and humidity changes from air conditioning to summer heat and back, more rough handling, a ride in a postal vehicle, and a potential stay in a hot mailbox. If they were dropped along the way or had a bad experience with a sorting machine, well, they'd make good ketchup, I'd bet. I gave this endeavor a 30% chance of success/survival but the more I think about it, the more I think that estimate was overly optimistic. I may tempt the postal gods again one day but I think I'm going to give them time to forget the way I slipped a half-dozen ripe tomatoes past them one late June.
10 weeks until football season ...
- Brighton Rock - Queen - Sheer Heart Attack [Bonus Track]
- The Revenge Of Vera Gemini - Blue Öyster Cult - Agents of Fortune
- Get Back Up - Tom Cochrane - Mad Mad World
- Tiny Broken Heart - Alison Krauss & Union Station - Live [Disc 1]
- Takin' Care Of Business - Bachman-Turner Overdrive - The Anthology [Disc 1]
Quote of the Day
When Kurt Warner joined the rest of the Phoenix metropolitan area in retirement, the Cardinals’ era of prosperity ended.
Andy Benoit, New York Times Fifth Down Blog
Blog of the day is here.
Quote from said blog: "Summer has a way of sneaking up on us. One minute we’re casting off the sweater and the next we’re looking forward to a day it’s cool enough to have it back again."
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Huh...I wouldn't have thought they would make it either, but that photo tells the tale. If I get much at all this year I have plenty of local family and friends who will eat the extra, but I'm still curious about your technique for packing them for shipping.
I chose a box that was going to be snug because I didn't have any packing peanuts. Patsy buys paper towels that are perforated in the middle so you can actually tear off a half. I wrapped each tomato in a half paper towel. I put the shipping label on the package, poked some holes all around, sealed it, and opened the other side. I placed each of the tomatoes side by side like you see them and then added a few more half towels crumpled up. I then added the Times-Picayune World Champion Saints issue newspaper front page ( The Strib might work for this but I don't know if it has the same magic mojo :) ). I left the box open until it was time to take them to the post office. I used two-day priority mail.
They were crammed (and I do mean crammed - it took three tries to get them out) into the brick mailbox but somehow they managed to stay cool for at least an hour. They're spectacular and I will happily get in line for any postal experiment you dream up in the future. Thanks, S
I think we're going to have to wait until next season. I'm very happy it worked out, S, but my feeling at the moment is that I used up most of the little good luck I get for this year. :) That and I don't have too many more tomatoes.
Gotta be the World Champion Saints mojo.
That's probably right, Dave, but I hope not. I know we won't get that issue very often. :)