This makes me very unhappy. There won't be any local tomatoes available for probably another month, so I suppose I will just have to do without for a while (or buy those Canadian hydroponic tomatoes--ha!). Because I have decided--after two heartbreaking years of trying--that I will not attempt to grow my own tomatoes this year. All the work required to keep the plants watered and healthy is just too much hassle just to see the fruits disappear thanks to the menagerie of critters that occupy my neighborhood. So I must rely on others to get good tomatoes.
I still get unnerved about the threat of salmonella from my food. It just seems like that should be a problem for omnivores, not herbivores. But, apparently salmonella can get into tomatoes through through the plant while it's growing (from an infected water supply or infected soil), so it's inside the tomato, not just on the outside. There are ways to kill the bacteria in the tomato, but refrigerating a tomato kills not only the bacteria but deactivates the sugars that make "homegrown" tomatoes taste so good. And heating up a tomato to 145 degrees pretty much renders it useless for your average sandwich.
An herbivore just can't catch a break these days...
6 comments:
Try a Topsy Turvey upside down tomato thing. I'm doing that this year. You can control the type of fertilizer you give it. Compost tea, composted cow manure, or go down to All Seasons and buy something. I personally trust my own immune system!
Mmmm....heirloom tomatoes.
Thanks for the eating ideas Lesley. It's sometimes hard to eat vegetarian in Nashville.
www.patclements.com
Composted cow manure is one of the major sources of contamination of vegetables. The spinach episode a bit ago was due to fertilization with cow manure.
So far I have 16 tomato plants out, roma, heirlooms, rutgers and some pink and white tomatoes. I have otns of blossoms and some tiny fruit here and there. If I get as productive as it seems I'll share!
Composted cow manure eh? I bet the cows were grain fed that provided the manure. Michael Pollan has really opened my eyes to the horror of grain fed beef. Omnivores Dilemma did drag on a bit for my taste, but had some very interesting points to it.
I got some nice heirlooms at Whole Foods this week from NC. I don't see NC on the warning list, and didn't get sick from them, so you might be safe with them.
how can you live in TN' and not grow a tomato...?
shame on you
Pat: It doesn't matter how I grow the tomato, the squirrels will get to them. They are relentless.
Nashveggie: I'd be very, very grateful if you're able to share your (hopeful) bounty!
Natalie: If you have any way to get some tomatoes grown by Mennonites, that's a good way to go because they don't use chemicals but they're not "certified organic."
ceF: I refuse to put that much work in to feeding the squirrels again. Those little bastards nearly broke my will to live last year.
another month? hot as its been? wtf -- are they tomatoes or cactus?
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