Day 3

So much for my control group. I opened the egg carton, and all the tomato halves had white fuzz growing on them. And they were a breeding ground for fruit flies. I swear those things reproduce in a matter of hours, but they probably had a head start in the shriveling tomatoes before I even started working with them (such a cheerful thought).

So the egg carton tomatoes are in the trash. Outside.

The soup container tomatoes are growing white fuzz, too, but the container is an effective fruit fly trap. The soup container is one of those single-serve containers with holes in the lid so you can microwave the soup right in the container. I'm keeping these tomatoes around awhile, since they are killing the fruit flies - or, more accurately, the tomatoes are attracting the fruit flies and the container is trapping the fruit flies, which are then drowning in the water I put into the container. This works just as well as putting vinegar into a jar with holes in the top.

The tomatoes in the soil? I'm still waiting...I probably won't see any results until the new year. Patience....

And this isn't something I grew, but something I made: My very first extracts are ready for use! There are lots of instructions online about making extracts, but basically, you put some of whatever you want to extract into a jar, you add a clear alcohol, such as vodka, and you let it set for 4 weeks or longer. My first extracts are vanilla (use the beans), orange (use the rind), and almonds (use raw almonds). I have visions of growing my own mint and peppermint and making my own extracts from the leaves. If I am successful, I'll have peppermint extract to use for Christmas baking next year. As we say here in New England, extracts are wicked easy to make.