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What is as big as a Beef Steak Tomato, but as meaty as
a Roma or Paste tomato? The lovely Brandywine Tomato.
Considered an Heirloom, this tomato is the darling of the
organic farmer and Farmer's Market. Its' propensity to split
and be a bit mis-shapen keeps it from most commercial farmers,
however, because of its intense aroma, and flavor, it is
available in Farmers Markets and health oriented grocery
stores, such as Wild Oats, Alfalfas, Happy Acres, and Fresh
Fields. It can reach sizes up to two pounds. It is meaty with
less liquid than its cousin the Beef Steak. It has a dark
maroon to light maroon red color. You find this tomato in the
summer and early fall months.
Tomatoes are a
member of the nightshade family and originated in South
America. They made their way to Europe with the explorers, and
along with the Potato- a distant relative, became hugely
successful in Italy, however, other countries rejected them,
thinking them as poisonous....today, the tomato is found world
wide, and is one of the most popular of produce items.
Tomatoes are a good source of potassium and Vitamin A,
Vitamin C and Lycopene, a wonderful substance thought to
protect against Prostate Cancer. One large raw tomato has
about 45-50 calories, and no fat. Beef Steak can be as large
as 2 lbs, but most are about 3 inches across.
Buy the best quality tomatoes. Verify the condition, color, quantity and size of your tomatoes when they arrive to ensure they are consistent with
what you ordered. Remember, weather may impact availability and condition of the fruit.
Tomatoes come in various colors and pack sizes:
"Green" means that the surface of the tomato is completely green in color. The shade of green may
vary from light to dark.
"Breakers" means there is a definite "break" in color from green, to tannish-yellow, pink or red on not more than 10% of the surface.
"Turning" means that more than 10% but not more than 30% of the surface, in the aggregate,
shows a definite change in color from green to tannish-yellow, pink, red or a combination thereof.
"Pink" means that more than 30% but not more than 60% of the surface, in the aggregate, shows pink or red in color.
"Light red" means that more than 60% of the surface, in the aggregate, shows pinkish-red or red, provided that not more than 90% of the surface is red.
"Red" means that more than 90% of the surface, in the aggregate, is red.
Check the pulp temperature of a sample with a thermometer to verify the transport and storage temperature was no
lower than 55 F.
Remove any tomatoes that show signs of decay. Decay spreads and can destroy not just one tomato, but the entire
box.
Remember that "pink" tomatoes must be ripened before use.
Look for bright shiny skins and firm flesh, regardless of degree of ripeness. Ripen
unripe tomatoes at 58-65 F and 85-95% relative humidity. Keep out of direct sunlight. For accelerated
ripening, stack boxes together on a pallet. Inspect tomatoes daily during ripening and store in an area with
moderate air circulation. Do not refrigerate tomatoes.
Store ripe tomatoes at 55-60 F and 85-95% relative humidity. For best quality, ripe tomatoes should not be
refrigerated below 55 F. Temperatures below 50 F retard color development and destroy tomato flavor and texture.
If you must keep tomatoes in a cooler, wrap them in thermal blankets and store near cooler door to reduce
possibility of damage from cold.
Store tomatoes stem up to preserve quality.
At proper temperatures, a stage 5 tomato will keep for up to five days.
The Tomato link located here is one of the most
comprehensive and helpful: http://www.tomato.org/
These two links are fun and funky: http://www.njtomato.com/index.html
http://members.aol.com/rbi82/randy/tomato.html
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