Florida Tomato Growers Council keeps the best tomatoes away from us

[Stinky The Clown]

I just read an article in the current issue of Gourmet. It seems there's some real crap going on in the tomato biz.

Have you ever had one of these?



It's an Ugly Ripe. It is a new hybrid tomato that crosses a commercially viable tomato with a French heirloom variety. They were developed by Procacci Brothers Sales Corporation, which is run by second generation tomato grower Joe Procacci. This company grows tomatoes everywhere ...... New Jersey (where Joe's father started the business during the Depression), North Carolina, Florida, Puerto Rico, Mexico, etc. They grow the Ugly Ripes in New Jersey, North Carolina, and Florida. They also grow a lot of what we normally get in supermarkets ... 'mature greens".

Mature greens are tomatoes picked green, but able to turn red with ethylene gas. They never, however, gain any more flavor. Ugly Ripes, on the other hand, are picked red and ripe and can withstand travel, albeit with some special packing and handling.

Some other background facts .........

Mature greens currently fetch 42¢ a pound at wholesale. Ugly Ripes get $1.75. Clearly we're talking about different markets here!

A mature green that drops from a truck and falls on the road generally survives the fall unscathed! An Ugly Ripe at the bottom of a three layer deep stack of tomatoes will suffer some damage.

The Federal Trade Commission has given near-dictatorial power to the Florida Tomato Committee (FTC). The FTC is made up of ..... you guessed it ... tomato growers. They have decreed that no ugly Florida tomato may leave its borders between October 15 and June 15. (Presumably any nasty, shitty, crap-assed tomatoes can be shipped freely outside that time frame.) Here is a link to Federal Marketing Order 966. Notice there is no standard for taste! http://www.ams.usda.gov/fv/mocommodities/966.htm

Joe Procacci's company grows 15% of all tomatoes sold in the US!

He has the only palatable tomato that is also commercially viable.

The law is aimed squarely at him by ..... his competitors.

And once again, we the people get the shaft.

Tomato Lovers Unite!

[NashVegas]

1. Odd. I Bought Two Ugly Ripes Yesterday

And I'm in Tennessee.

Here's a url from the sticker:

http://Santasweets.com

[Stinky The Clown]

4. From your link .......

Will I see UglyRipes in my grocery store this winter?

To a large extent, that depends on the decisions of the Florida Tomato Committee. However, some UglyRipes are being grown in greenhouses in Mexico this winter, and will make their way to the U.S. Consider yourself lucky if you find them!

At this link ..... http://santasweets.com/ugly-ripe-faq.php?productID=2003062711084604

[NashVegas]

8. Here's the Thing

For supermarket-bought tomatoes, they're good. But. I don't think they're *that* much better than some of the hydroponics-on-the-vine we get that are grown in Israel(?). But, for winter, they'll do.

[supernova]

2. If you possbily can

grow your own in the summer time. Or hi thee to your local farmers' market. That's what that says to me.

[Warpy]

3. Exactly, and get used to eating tomatoes out of hand only in

season. The rest of the year, use the canned ones, packed at the peak of flavor and delivering much more flavor than the California cardboard tomatoes in the cellophane packages in the supermarket.

Even those pricey tomatoes with the vines on them and the local hothouse tomatoes don't compare with either gardent tomatoes in season or canned tomatoes.

I hope the uglies catch on in other tomato growing states, like Arizona, California, and even Texas. If Florida wants to hog 'em all, let Florida lose market share.

Couldn't happen to a better state.

[NMDemDist2]

5. wise words Warpy

i'm gonna try growning em again this year, now that my herb garden is doing so well

[Reciprocity]

6. Only two things that money can't buy and that's true love and...

Homegrown Tomatoes!

There ain't nothing in the world that I like better
than bacon and lettuce and homegrown tomatoes.
Up in the morning, out in the garden, get you a ripe one, don't pick a hard one.
Plant 'em in the spring, eat 'em in the summer. All winter without 'em is a culinary bummer.
I forget all about the sweating and the digging every time I go out and pick me a big one.
Homegrown tomatoes, homegrown tomatoes, what would life be without homegrown tomatoes?
Only two things that money can't buy and that's true love and homegrown tomatoes.

You can go out to eat and that's for sure, but there's nothing a homegrown tomato won't cure.
Put 'em in a salad, put 'em in a stew, you can make your own, very own tomato juice.
You can eat 'em with eggs, eat 'em with gravy, You can eat 'em with beans, pinto or navy.
Put 'em on the side, put 'em in the middle, homegrown tomatoes on a hot cake griddle.
Homegrown tomatoes, homegrown tomatoes, what would life be without homegrown tomatoes?
Only two things that money can't buy and that's true love and homegrown tomatoes.

If I was to change this life I lead, you could call me Johnny Tomatoseed.
'Cause I know what this country needs is homegrown tomatoes in every yard you see.
When I die, don't bury me in a box in a cold dark cemetery.
Out in the garden would be much better 'cause I could be pushing up homegrown tomatoes.
Homegrown tomatoes, homegrown tomatoes, what would life be without homegrown tomatoes?
Only two things that money can't buy and that's true love and homegrown tomatoes,
homegrown tomatoes, what would life be without homegrown tomatoes?
Only two things that money can't buy and that's true love and homegrown tomatoes.

[Tab]

7. I've been able to get them for a year now

they're great.

Short of home grown, or local, nothing better at the supermarket. I won't even bother buying anything else anymore, price be damned.

[Reciprocity]

9. Mater canning at my house.

This is my long suffering husband and his dad on canning day.

[wryter2000]

15. I could save him a lot of work

I could probably eat a quarter of those tomatoes at one sitting. :evilgrin:

[wildeyed]

10. I will not buy store tomatoes.

I have just given up on them. They only type that I have had that is halfway decent is the small grape tomatoes. I have never seen these "Ugly Ripes" you speak of, but maybe I just don't notice cause I don't even look at tomatoes in a supermarket anymore.

I have big tomato growing plans for this summer. I have a plan for two 3'x6' beds and a whole mess of seeds on order; 2 types of cherry and two type for later season. I am also considering 'Brandywine', know as the best tasting tomato in the world. I have some concerns about my ability to grow that variety, though. Maybe I will see if I have space and can locate the seeds in time. I also have winter squash, sweet and hot peppers and eggplant.

I sorted my seed starting supplies this weekend, so all I have to do now is dig the beds. Not easy in the clay soil of the south, but it will be worth it when I get my first homegrown tomato :headbang:

[Stinky The Clown]

11. Have you ever built raised beds?

That's what my grandfather used to do. I was thinking of putting in two of about the 3 foot by 6-to-10 foot variety.

Tamadas, herbs, maybe some peppers ......

But I need to know the best way to fill the raised beds. I was thinking of using 2x10 boards to build them. Then I'd need to know the best growing soil to fill them with.

Natural soil? A good potting soil mix?

I dunno. My thumb is, at best, pale green. Sparkly's thumb? Sheeza city girl. :)

[NMDemDist2]

12. H2S ask the gardening group, they were a LOT of help when I tried

it last year and there are some links over there on frugal beds etc

IIRC you may not want to use builder's pine for them, it rots too fast and the pine sap isn't good for the plants. Seems there was a link on using the big cheap wall bricks (the kind with the holes in them kinda like a figure 8 in the middle) that was really a cool idea (cinder block?)

I'll search over there and see if I can find it, it might get me motivated too!

edit, here

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=246&topic_id=814&mesg_id=821

http://www.urbanharvest.org/gardening/basics/raised_beds.html

[wildeyed]

13. I always use raised beds.

The soil in NC is so heavy, it is hard to get much of anything to grow without tons of amendments. The traditional 'double digging' may work great in the loamy NE, but it is extremely difficult in clay.

This is the book I use to vegetable garden. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1580172121/qid=1139245373/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/104-3191258-0015949?s=books&v=glance&n=283155

His raised bed system is great in smaller suburban backyards and he prefers organic methods. He tells you how to layout the garden, build the raised beds and start seeds if you plan to do that. Really everything a beginning veggie gardener needs to know.

If you are lazy, you can purchase a bed kit on the internet. http://www.gardeners.com/Cedar-Raised-Bed/default/35-639.prd They are easy enough to build yourself, well within your abilities. This is just easier.

As far as dirt, I would clear the 3x6 areas you plan to garden on. Be sure they have full sun (at least 6 hours per day). Also, think about where shadows will go during the day. If you grow tomatoes, they will be tall and you will want to rotate them from bed to bed, so make sure there is a spot they can grow in each bed without blocking all the light from your other plants.

Once you have the grass or weed cleared. turn the soil over to about a 6-8" depth. Then you want to add amendments, stuff to break the heavy clay up with. A large grit builders sand is good (don't use small, you might end up with concrete for real), hummus, which you can buy in large cubes at the HD, and if you have a pile of leftover leaves and/or grass clippings from last year, chop up the leaves (you can just run the mower over them) and add those too. Then add a layer of chopped leaves on top to keep the weeds out.

Once you get the beds built, the easiest thing to do is call a landscaping company and have them drop of a load of garden soil. Be sure you specify garden soil, not plain topsoil. Add the soil to the beds, add more compost if you have it, and mulch.

Compost is the god of gardening, and you can make your own for free! If you don't compost already, now is a great time to start. You can compost most of your yard and kitchen waste. The gardener's supply company (link above) has a number of commercial systems available, or the book I mentioned will tell you how to build your own. I have a commercially produced worm bin inside for food scraps, and a homemade cold compost pile in the corner of my yard. You can compost kitchen waste and yard waste together, but make sure you don't attract vermin if you do it that way.

Before you plant, you will probably want to add more amendments, depending on the culture of the particular plants you pick. It is kind of like cooking; a pinch of this a dab of that some of this 'cause you have it laying around..... and viola! Beautiful food!

If you get a garden built, I will try to mail you some of my lovely tomato seedlings to plant in it.

:hi:

[wryter2000]

16. The tomato solution

I grow Early Girls in these www.earthbox.com. In Oaktown, I can't get a beefsteak type to ripen, but Early Girls keep me in yummy tomatoes for months.

[mike_c]

18. I can't grow tomatoes here, or only occasionally....

I'm on the north coast of California, and our foggy summer days are too cool most years. I have gotten full-sized tomatoes to ripen occasionally, but rarely before September and most years not at all, or so few that it's not worth the effort. Ten miles further inland and they grow like crazy. It's not the length of growing season that's the problem, so short season varieties don't help-- it's the cool days. Tomatoes need heat to ripen, and our 65-75 F daily summer temps just won't do it.

[mike_c]

17. I buy roma style occasionally, mostly for making pico de gallo...

...or for roasting and adding to soups or sauces when I need to start with a fresh tomato rather than canned, but otherwise I agree with you-- until the farmers market starts selling them I just do without most fresh tomatoes. Supermarket tomatoes are generally worthless.

[Tab]

19. Well, if you see these, try one.

They're heritage tomatoes, and the only I've had in years from a store that tastes and feels like a tomato should taste and feel.

Sometimes they're wrapped/cushioned in a white foam thing. Make sure the sticker says UgliRipe. I know Wal-Mart sells some kind of look-a-like product and I've never tried those, but a true UgliRipe, that is heavy and feels like a tomato should, will impress you.

[wildeyed]

21. UgliRipe, got it.

I will give it a try if I see one in the store. Sounds like the powers that be are trying to block that. Imagine the mayhem that could ensue if the american public figured out what a real mater was supposed to taste like. There could be major civil unrest once people figure out they have been fed pink styrofoam all these years when they could have been eating delicious tomatoes.

Is it any wonder that americans don't eat veggies considering what is available in most stores?

[wryter2000]

14. I will not buy a tomato at a supermarket...period

I've been fooled too many times by gimicks, thinking I can get a tomato that tastes like something. Usually for a lot of $$$. Pink mush with the flavor of cardboard every time.

I grow my own in the summer and supplement with farmer's market tomatoes. The rest of the year I do without. They won't get a cent from me for those abominations.

[Reciprocity]

20. Great info on growing maters. link

Texas gardener.
http://www.texasgardener.com/pastissues/janfeb02/tomatorganic.html

[murphymom]

22. The problem with grading standards

Not just with tomatoes but with a lot of different products - they grade on cosmetic appearance and size rather than flavor and eating quality. One of the best examples of this is the red delicious apple - beautiful color, distinctive shape, but if you want flavor you're better off eating the box it came in.

Another thing with tomatoes is they are very sensitive to cold. Try to avoid refrigerating tomatoes, it stops the ripening process and adversely affects the texture and flavor. Also, don't buy tomatoes that have been in a refrigerated case (although most stores where I shop have improved their produce handling and don't do this any more). When I buy tomatoes I try not to get too many at one time and keep them in a bowl on the counter. Still not as good as home grown or from the farmer's market, but they are better if they're handled right.

A lot of the "vine-ripe" tomatoes you see aren't actually ready to eat when they are harvested - they are what they call "breakers", just going from green to pink and still have some ripening to do in transit before they are sold.