Considering this is a country that uses tomatoes extensively in its daily fare, I have been shocked and disappointed with the quality of tomato available in the grocery store lately. Some days I can't even find one to bring home. When I do, they are quite tasteless.
A few weeks ago I made a delicious ("restaurant-quality", according to my dear husband!) meatballs and marinara sauce meal. I used the last two cans of whole peeled tomatoes from the shelf at the store. Since that day, I have not been able to find canned whole peeled tomatoes. I read an interesting internet article or blog which argued convincingly that whole canned tomatoes are actually be tastier and better for you than fresh tomatoes from the produce section at the grocery store. This author said that when it's a whole tomato rather than a puree they must be high quality, that they are picked at the peak of ripeness and in the can within hours. I checked the ingredients of my cans of tomatoes and they didn't contain preservatives, which further convinced me that this author had a case. Consider grocery store tomatoes which are picked green, shipped long distances over a period of time, and subsequently ripened with some sort of spray, as I understand.
My last trip to the grocery store the tomatoes looked more decent than usual- actually red instead of a sickly orange, but not rotting. So I bought a whole bunch. I peeled them, pureed them, and cooked them into a fresh marinara sauce. It didn't hold a candle to the other one. First of all, the sauce was orangey, not a nice deep red. And it didn't have much taste. The grocery store tomatoes in my neck of the woods just plain don't have much taste. Have I mentioned that already? I am so looking forward to the day when I have access to a farmer's market and/or organic produce. I can't wait for my produce to taste the way it is supposed to again!
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Try Manitoba tomatoes in July...they are great!
ReplyDeleteMaybe it's not the correct season for Mx tomatoes? My mom just told me that canned goods contain a thin coating of plastic containing Biosphenol-A (that 'bad plastic' chemical there is so much buzz about recently??)...I think this summer I'm going to try my hand at canning my own farm fresh tomatoes to avoid the B-A but still get that yummy canned taste? To me, canned tomatoes taste better. I thought it was because of the salt, but perhaps it's the freshness of the off the vine tomatoes used in canned goods, as you say. Is there enough room for you to grow your own tomatoes in the back yard? Tomato plants are very prolific, hardy, and fruitful IME. Good project to do with Eva, too.
ReplyDeleteToo bad you're not closer to some type of farm situation.
Actually, I hate most store bought fresh tomatoes, too, even here in the farmer's market. Especially in winter. There's almost nothing better than a good tomato, and almost nothing worse than a bad one.
p.s. Not that my kids know the difference. The only type of tomato they will eat is the type in ketchup.
ReplyDeleteHa ha.
I knew there had to be a catch!
ReplyDeleteBut wouldn't Biosphenol-A have to be listed on the packaging? Gah!
I might try to grow tomatoes here, but to be honest I don't have much of a green thumb. I have killed 7 herb plants in quick succession. I just can't remember to water them every single day. The sun is so scorching hot that they wither in the blink of an eye. Even the hardy indoor plants I bought a while ago are suffering a bit. Luckily our cleaning lady has taken charge and all but one are still alive.
ReplyDeleteApparantly they DON"T have to list the B-A in the packaging, because they don't.
ReplyDeleteDrive me nuts! Here I thought I was so okay with aluminum cans. Glass really is the only way to go, isn't it?
If you did plant a tomato plant, you would have to water it twice a day I think. If you associate it with another activity does that help you remember? I wonder if you can grow a potted tomato indoors? Hot house tomatoes do well. If it were inside you might not have to water it as often, plus it would be right there for you to look at and remember to water.
Are there any community gardens where you live?
Now that you have that fantastic schedule worked out, you could just stick "water tomatoes" in a time slot?!
:-)