Tomatoes

[ernie]

Has anyone else experienced “short-lasting” tomatoes ? Lately we find, round our way, they last three days at the most. Some don’t even make 48 hours. I refer to the standard grappe.

The cherry toms seem to last longer, but now and again you can find one with a sort of “Christmas white wrapping” round it, it’s defo not snow.

The “special” tomatoes, such as the Ukrainian type, are so soggy soft, even in the store I hesitate to pick one up to check for fear of my fingers becoming covered in goo. Also, the sales assistant keeps a serious eye on me when I’m around, I think M. LC has my number and my DNA too, so I don't push my luck.

I’m well used to the bland taste of the Spanish tomatoes every supermarket sells, it’s the same in the markets too.

[Patf]

Isn't it a bit late to be picking tomatoes? I picked ours (grappes) months ago.

It depends where you live, but it could be just too cold for outside tomatoes where you are.

My friend gave me some large green ones about 2 months ago, the last of her crop. They've been ripening in our open barn and now look ready to be cooked, tomato sauce.

[woolybanana]

ernie, what do you expect? It is winter, toms are a summer and autumn veggie (or fruit, if you like) so are bound to be artificial at this time of year.

Don't you remember years ago when you were a kid, they simply did not exist at all in November to March, even if your ma sent you out in your little shorts, with blackened scabbed, knees running along the cobbled streets to beg the greengrocers to give you what they did not have.

Apparently, they painted some apples red so you wouldn't be scared to go home to your ma who would have wacked you if you'd gone back empty handed.

[Chancer]

As Dave said, pre-rotted for your convenience.

[Judith]

I am always annoyed that we cannot get real Marmande tomatoes down here.  All we get is the tasteless Spanish stuff.  Mind you, we cropped the last (unripe and somewhat damaged) tomato from the potager last week ... but is has been incredibly mild though lacking in much sun now.  Don't hold much hope for it ripening indoors, it is yellow rather than green and rather well "chewed" so some what useless really!

[ernie]

[quote user="Patf"]Isn't it a bit late to be picking tomatoes? I picked ours (grappes) months ago.

It depends where you live, but it could be just too cold for outside tomatoes where you are.

My friend gave me some large green ones about 2 months ago, the last of her crop. They've been ripening in our open barn and now look ready to be cooked, tomato sauce.

[/quote]

Ummm, perhaps I should have Mentioned "in the store" in my post. Don't tantalise me, please, be reasonable.

My own last crop of beautiful tomatoes were annihilated by three days of sharp frosts. Several kilos lost, lost I tell you, many neighbours' as well. The picture on my face would have broken the heartstrings of, well, a wool-wrapped banana. It gets mighty cold in the Ardennes you know.

[ernie]

[quote user="woolybanana"]ernie, what do you expect? It is winter, toms are a summer and autumn veggie (or fruit, if you like) so are bound to be artificial at this time of year.

Don't you remember years ago when you were a kid, they simply did not exist at all in November to March, even if your ma sent you out in your little shorts, with blackened scabbed, knees running along the cobbled streets to beg the greengrocers to give you what they did not have.

Apparently, they painted some apples red so you wouldn't be scared to go home to your ma who would have wacked you if you'd gone back empty handed.[/quote]

Are not the Spanish tomatoes grown in whatsits, plastic tunnels, fed with nourishing chemicals and drip-fed with the purest water recycling can provide ?

My mother never subjected us to child abuse and we all wore longs from birth, as we were very upper class, Thank you very much.

The costermongers would appear daily in front of the Château, according to a complex roster and it was they who would do the imploring.

The description of "blackened knees" falls within the "hate laws" and you may expect a visit soon from a team of legal eagles. We all know where you live.

[woolybanana]

Surely you also had a blackened face from scrabbling in the tips looking for coal or were you one of the kids who threw stones at the trains and the drivers threw coal back which you carried back to mama and the rest of the brood in the home in the storm culvert?

[idun]

Well you know what they say Ernie,[:D] only eat stuff in season and tomatoes are not at the moment. I still do though!

In autumn and winter I buy such fruits loose, and only as much as I know I will use within a day or so. I have no expectation that tomatoes will last longer and IF by chance I have too many, they go in a tomato sauce as I hate waste.

[EuroTrash]

Back on topic, another thing about tomatoes. When you slice them do you slice them across, or top to bottom?

[idun]

 To that ET, it depends, but I ALWAYS take the stalk out before I do anything.

And a chinese friend of ours, always takes all the seeds out.

[EuroTrash]

But surely if you take all the seeds out, you don't have much tomato left...

[mint]

Like, id, it depends on the dish as to which way I slice them.

Taking out the seeds are not too bad provided you have a "meaty" tomato with a lot of flesh in relation to the seeds.

Some recipes also call for de-seeded and skinned.  If I do a recipe calling for those, I ignore the instructions and just use whole tomatoes.  I HATE waste.

[chessie]

We like tomatoes all year round in this home.   Fresh tomato sarnies, fresh tomatoes sliced and grilled on toast, fresh toms and cucumber sarnies.....

But totally agree about the horrible tomatoes in stores at the moment - or at the markets before someone starts shouting.

Large Spanish ones - utterly tasteless - load of mush.

Smaller tomatos - sold loose - OK - but not really tasty.

Small 'grappe' tomatoes in clear boxes - you have to turn boxes upside down to make sure there isn't one that is damaged and leaking;  you also have to look to make sure there isn't one tiny little mouldy one - which happens frequently - and if not spotted can ruin the whole package in 2 or 3 days.

Medium sized tomatoes on the vine - still tasteless.

I've tried buying 'the' most expensive, bio-tomatoes, small little tomatoes, sold loose, on the vine - and up to last week have been OK.

But the batch I bought last week are disgusting;  even though they appear to be fine, once you've bitten into them they have the most disgusting mouldy bad taste - yuk yuk yuk.

One would have thought that France, with wonderful growing climate, and modern, sophisticated storage, could have ensured a decent supply of nice, tasty tomatoes year-round.

Shall I use that dreaded phrase - but which does happen to be true ... 'in the Uk it's possible ti find 4 or 5 different varieties, all tasty....'

But not in France.   Present choice is lack of choice, and lack of taste... and sometimes produce that should not have even been displayed because it's already mouldy in the box.   Quality control... non-existent.

Chessie

[Patf]

Chessie - I think the reason is that in the UK they seem to import more fruit and veg.

Whereas France prides itself on local produce sold when in season.

The texture and taste of fruit and veg grown in greenhouses, out of season, then preserved chilled, is always inferior .