I want to buy quite a few kg of tomatoes for sauce etc...
Does anyone have any recommendations of where to go in the Auckland area?

thanks
Helen

So do I Helen! I have been trying to find somewhere in West Auckland, my usual "pick your own" places have all gone!

I have heard there is a place out in Pukekohe but am yet to track it down. I am thinking that a drive around Mangere or Pukekohe might yield good results. The strawberry van that is usually on Tamaki Drive, kind of opposite Ferg's Kayaks, had buckets of beefsteak toms last week but they weren't ripe but they may get more in.

Not sure if the Shore is too far out of your way ... I get bulk lots of tomatoes from one of the stalls at the Takapuna Markets - sorry I don't have any info on whether they have any other trading outlets. They sell outdoor tomatoes in "buckets" 2 buckets for $5. I'd be guessing the size of the buckets are about 4litres... not sure what the weight of the tomatoes would be - if I remember I'll weigh when I get home and let you know.

My only suggestion at the moment is to head out to the end of the North Western Motorway. Turn right into Hobsonville Road, there are a number of fruit and vege places there or turn left on SH16 to Kumeu where the same applies. I haven't been out as I have "flu" but I am sure there will be tomatoes to buy, just not sure if they will be outdoor ones. Just be aware that the Kumeu Show is on this weekend and the traffic will be heavy early in the morning.

I don't want to dismiss Stephanie's ideas, but I regularly go to the F&V places along Hobsonville Rd. Thats when you turn right, from the N/W motorway. Haven't seen cheap tomatoes in the quantity you are after. Sure they have the standard trays, bags etc.

Not sure about Kumeu way though, haven't been out there for a while.

Was at the Takapuna markets about a fortnight ago and saw those buckets of toms, which Janene was talking about. Takapuna markets are Sundays until 12noon. The place I saw them, was set up just along from Burger King.

I can echo Takapuna markets as a great place for tomatoes and other produce. I got a bucket of those tomatoes a couple of weeks ago and made a great Indian spiced relish. I've also make my usual relish recipe and tomato sauce from the tomatoes I have bought from there

Helen, I can see next spring you will be planting lots of tomatos instead of lots of egg plants.

Dawn, my tomatoes are being killed by whitefly! So I will have to buy!

If you take the Pukekohe turnoff from the motorway there is a tomato place just before the Pukekohe Golf course.



Regards
Sharon


As a parent, it is not what you give your children that builds their character but what you allow them to give you
Author Unknown

Weighed in one of the Buckets from Takapuna markets... one bag has avout 2kgs of tomatoes so you get about 4kg for $5. If thats too many tomatoes for you then they also have other produce - capsicums, courgettes, beans etc and they do a 2 for $5 on most things so you could always get 1 of the tomatoes and then capscums as well.

Sharon,
Do they actually sell to the public? I have never seen a sign the says they door is this something new for them.
Beg your pardon my son says they used to when he first shifted out there several years ago but are far as he recalls don't do so now.
There used to be a place in Mangere that used sell pick you own. will be going out there on the weekend so will let you know.
Kay D

Kay I have been to the place in Mangere many years ago. I hope they are still there.

For anyone interested in PYO - this was in last weekend's Herald.
[classifieds.nzherald.co.nz]
Regards,
Dawn.

I used to go to the Mangere one years ago - it was fantastic. It was in Tidal Road, from memory tho' I have a feeling its now all houses!

Kay

I must admit, I haven't checked.
I used to buy my tomatoes there up until we returned to Australia. I was going past there yesterday and saw the greenhouses still there.





Regards
Sharon


As a parent, it is not what you give your children that builds their character but what you allow them to give you
Author Unknown

Thanks Dawn, I had given up looking in the paper. There used to be lots of produce ads but they are rare now.

Dawn I went to that place today, they had a good variety lots of huge acid free ones as well, but you had to search quite hard to find them. So I am now at home with a bench covered in tomatoes making chutney, relish and sauce- hopefully all will be finished before the bewitching hour!

Neat Stephanie, glad you were able to get out there and pick to your heart's content. Scuse the pun, but it's dawn now so I hope you've done what you promised yourself and all were duly processed before the bewitching hour, or is it the witching hour?

Do you know, there were no adverts in this weekend's Herald? The advert may have been a oncer, so I'm glad we hit the jackpot for you! Enjoy your pickles with relish!!!!
Regards,
Dawn.

Dawn, guess what I am still doing? I started again at 5.30 this morning!

OMG Stephanie.............keep up the good work!! Perhaps you picked over the tomato patch so well that you cleaned it out huh? You are not teaching today?

We've had visitors since last Thursday and I've have four large containers of tomatoes from my garden which have mounted up waiting until I can do justice to them which had better be today. (Visitors went last night) I inadvertently grew more yellow than red tomatoes as well as green this year, but can you imagine yellow tomato soup and yellow spaghetti and yellow tomato sauce? No!! At least the spices will help to colour the yellow tomato relish!!

Something thing I've noticed here is that some peope just don't like eating coloured tomatoes and will only eat the conventional red i.e. eating them fresh in sandwiches.............I just love coloured tomatoes, especially the green colour - delicious!!
Regards,
Dawn.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/10/2008 01:59AM by Dawn.

Everyones' palate is different and as long as the fresh Tomato is enjoyed, it doesn't really matter what colour it is.
We have taken a great liking to the dark purple/black fleshed Heirloom varieties, mainly Black from Tula, Black Krim and Cherokee Purple.
I also grew Purple Russian for the first time this year and it is delicious. I have a mix of red ones also, but we don't much like the yellow or green ones.
The greatest thing is about growing your own, you have so much choice and can grow exactly what you prefer.

Cheers

Beverley

Dawn, no I don't work Mondays. I have an American student teacher coming to live with us for 5 weeks, hence the rush. I will be too busy doing tourist things to do any preserves.
I went to the Kumeu show on Sunday( before tomatoes) and there were punnets of rainbow coloured cherry tomatoes for sale, they looked lovely but people were buying red ones mainly.

Just to keep you informed - does anyone in the Auckland area still want bulk tomatoes for soup, sauce etc? Here's a couple of adverts which appeared in the Herald recently, but it would pay to phone them first:

TOMATO
b/steak, PYO, $2.50kg, own bag. Open 10am-3pm daily. Young Pukaki Rd, Mangere.
Published Monday, March 24 2008

OUTDOOR TOMATOES
and elephant garlic at the Riverhead Orchards, 1135 Riverhead- Coatesville Highway 28. Ph 09-412-9307.
Published Sunday, March 23 2008

GRAPES MERLOT
$3 a kg. Min 40kg, all under bird netting. Ph 412-9524 or 0274-980-182.
Published Wednesday, March 19 2008

Whoops, there's also Merlot grapes - well, someone might be interested in them too?
Regards,
Dawn.

Thanks for that post Dawn. The elephant garlic sounds good and the falvour of outdoor tomatoes is hard to beat. It's a nice drive out to Riverhead. Roll on the weekend.

PYO for $2.50/kg sounds expensive. I haven't bought any bulk tomatoes this year but last year I paid $1/kg already picked. Or is this the usual Auckland price?

I phoned Riverhead Orchards and they have a paddock of PYO available at $2 kg. In the shop they have 4kg boxed sauce tomatoes at $2.50 and better quality boxed 4kg tomatoes at $8. He said hopefully they would keep going another month under ideal weather conditions, but rain could possibly end the season earlier.
Regards,
Dawn.

Dawn I got mine from Riverhead. The rows are mixed varieties, which was great. Large acid free, italian eggs, little round ones, beefsteak etc I just had to hunt through. Thanks for being such a great "spotter." As far as price is concerned I think it is about right. I didn't buy any last year but over the previous 5 years have paid $1 - $2 per kilo.

Hi

In Napier I picked tomatoes for 79 cents a kilo! Big difference in price! They were beautiful beefsteak and plum tomatoes.

Is there anywhere in theTauranga area where I can get cheap tomatoes?I am happy to pick my own.