Allotments 4 All
Produce => Edible Plants => Topic started by: Flighty on June 29, 2011, 16:06:00
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is an interesting article in The Independent today.
http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/food-and-drink/features/whats-gone-wrong-with-our-tomatoes-2303944.html
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That was interesting indeed..
But why do they always refer to RHS for their experts? >:( I'm sure there is much better experts in outside of the RHS...and their recommended RHS award varieties.. ::)..how many of those are F1 varieties I wonder..
..and there is thousands of varieties out there to grow.
Now if they would have put good photo of all different looking tomatoes that are available to go with the article..that would have raised interest with non-growers too but now that article will propably only interest those who are growing their own already.
I bet we all are nodding and thinking..we know what tomatoes should taste like..tell me something we dont' know.. ::)
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I agree, it was a well-researched article. But what is true of tomatoes is true of many if not most fruits - they're picked underripe in order to keep them in good condition during storage and transport.
And although variety of course contributes to taste and texture, I'd rather eat even a Moneymaker or Shirley beautifully ripened on the plant and freshly picked than the most highly regarded exotic variety that's been in the fridge a week. To me it's far more about natural ripening and freshness than about variety.
The other excellent point in that article is the use of slave labour in agriculture. Slavery is prospering as never before and we should avoid its products as much as possible, whether in clothing or food or anything else. Perhaps a Fairtrade label for imported tomatoes would be in order?
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It's also a bit silly to say thatthe British randomly went the way of the potato and the mediterraneans went with tomatoes (and aubergines and peppers of course). Apart from anything else I would argue we don't see tomatoes as a side-salad - we use them in sauces, pies, soups, pizzas, pasta... they're going to be imported and often tinned or pureed of course.
The climate has a lot to do with us growing potatoes and the mediterraneans growing tomatoes. We don't have the long hot summers. We get bad blight now. It's easy to grow tomato plants, but not so easy to get a good ripe, sweet harvest from them.
(Just binned 6 tomato plants with blight, daily inspection of those left :'( :'()
Not that I'm saying there's not a problem with our attitude to food, or our agricultural system. I'm just saying it's not down to potato v tomato!