So what's up with the tomatoes?

[proud2BlibKansan]

I was in the airport in Minneapolis today and heard the waitress tell a guy they were out of tomatoes. Then my friend just called me to tell me she went to a Burger King and they told her they didn't have any tomatoes. The guy there said there was a strike by tomato pickers. They asked for a penny more a pound and were refused so they went on strike. And Burger King management said the FDA told them to pull all their tomatoes.

Why is the FDA involved in a tomato picker strike? :wtf:

[qanda]

1. There is a salmonella outbreak

Many restaurants aren't serving them to be on the safe side.

On edit: Here a link to a story:

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601103&sid=a.7vZMKU3X_4&refer=us

U.S. restaurants, retailers and food service operators were warned not to use some raw tomatoes in a widening outbreak of salmonella that increased the number of people who had to be hospitalized, according to the government.

Consumers and retailers across the country should avoid raw red plum, red Roma or round red tomatoes, which have been tied to the 145 infections reported since mid-April, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said in a statement on its Web site.

The cases, including 23 people who required hospital treatment, were reported in states including Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Oregon, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin, the FDA said yesterday in the statement. On June 3, the agency reported 57 cases including 17 requiring hospitalization.

Salmonella infections can cause fever, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain, according to the statement. Young children, frail and elderly people and those with weakened immune systems are particularly at risk.

[proud2BlibKansan]

9. So there isn't a strike?

Thanks for the article.

[annabanana]

2. salmonella recall. . stick to cherry, grape & "on the vine"

tomatoes for awhile. . .

[Extend a Hand]

3. I read there were some food poisoning cases from raw tomatos

last week I think.

[NRaleighLiberal]

4. Man, I got 134 tomato plants growing in my yard, and another 150

at a friend's farm....unfortunately, nowhere near ripe yet! Can't go through summer without home grown tomatoes!

[enough]

11. Sounds great, I was sort of proud of myself for my four dozen,

but I can see I'm not even half serious. A good season to you!

[Speck Tater]

17. Holy Cow!

That's a hell of a lot of tomatoes! I get way more than I can use out of four plants. That includes loads of extra to put up for the winter. I always end up giving them away to friends and family.

134 plants must produce enough to feed a medium-sized city!

[NRaleighLiberal]

20. It is really more of a research project - old non-hybrid (heirloom)

varieties, plus involved in breeding some new varieties. Makes for some incredible salads, with tomatoes of so many colors, shapes and sizes!

[conscious evolution]

40. Please tell me you are seed banking.

My commune has a couple hundred tomatoplants growing.We plan on seed banking our tomatoes and other heirloom crops.

[NRaleighLiberal]

46. I have been a member of the board of Advisors to the Seed Savers Exchange

for many years - in a way, I sure am seed banking - 2200 varieties in my collection, and the SSE main site has a back up of whatever I have. Ever grown Cherokee Purple tomato? That is one I named (back in 1990, when it was sent to me as an unnamed purple variety)!

[conscious evolution]

47. Not sure

We have so many varietys that it is hard to keep track of them.

2200 varieties of tomatoes or does that figure for your complete seedbank?
Can I talk you into sending some samples to this place? http://www.lcclt.org/

Any recommendations for online resouces concerning seedbanking?

[Ptah]

5. Some stores, restaurants removing certain tomatoes during salmonella outbreak

http://www.azstarnet.com/sn/hourlyupdate/242273.php

[whistle]

6. Use cucumbers

[Maddy McCall]

7. Thank god we grow our own.

I have some big juicy ones on the countertop right now that'll be sliced for tomato sandwiches.

Mmmmm.

[greenbriar]

24. ummmmm home grown tomato

Grill cheese and tomato sandwitches


yummmmmmmmmmyyyyyyy

[proud2BlibKansan]

38. Isn't it kind of early for tomatoes?

[Maddy McCall]

39. Not in south mississippi.

We've had tomatoes for about three weeks now.

[NanceGreggs]

8. There was a report in the news a few days ago ...

... that people in several states had salmonella, which had been traced to consumption of fresh tomatoes. Some fast-food outlets are refusing to serve them in anticipation of possible lawsuits.

[DS1]

10. I hear there's also an outbreak of e.coli in lettuce in the Pacific Northwest

spinach is probably a good substitute

[Contrary1]

12. Given all the rain in the midwest,

I think there will be a shortage this year. I hope I am wrong, but the few plants I put out are looking pretty pathetic.

[Sabriel]

13. All I know is that they were $4/lb. at the farmer's market yesterday

For hydroponic, yet! Gads.

They're more expensive than the Nueske's bacon sitting under them on my BLT.

[SergeyDovlatov]

14. could be salmonela related: Salmonella Tomato Illness In 16 States & Bay Area

http://cbs5.com/local/salmonella.tomatoes.illness.2.743123.html
CONTRA COSTA COUNTY (CBS 5 / KCBS / AP) ― Salmonella food poisoning first linked to uncooked tomatoes has spread to 16 states, including California, federal health officials said Saturday.

A Bay Area resident is among those who have tested positive for the type of Salmonella linked to the tomato consumption that is believed to have sickened many people across the country.

[uppityperson]

15. Tomatoes in GD, ducklings in GD-P! I love DU.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=6325493&mesg_id=6325493

[Lone_Star_Dem]

16. They're all toxic. Except my pure homegrown vine-ripe tomatoes.

If you're needing a fix of some sweet-tangy, 100% salmonella free tomatoes give me a call. The first one is free. You'll be hooked after that.

[greenbriar]

25. wish you lived in my town

I love home grown tomatoes

[Lone_Star_Dem]

28. I wish so too

Right now my usual surplus of tomatoes are being happily accepted by my friends and neighbors. In another month they'll be dashing to their cars in the mornings to avoid eye contact with "that-crazy-gardening-lady-trying-to-dump-her-vegetables-on-them" again.

You should have seen them avoid me last year when I got carried away and made 43 jars of prickley pear jelly. :rofl:

[Hissyspit]

30. What variety? Heirloom?

Did you know tomatoes probably originated in the mountains or highlands of western South America/Peru or Mexico?

From wikipedia:


Commonly grown varieties include:

'Beefsteak VFN' (a common hybrid resistant to Verticillium, Fusarium, and Nematodes)
'Big Boy' (a very common determinate hybrid in the United States)
'Black Krim' (a purple-and-red cultivar from the Crimea)
'Brandywine' (a pink, indeterminate beefsteak type with a considerable number of substrains)
'Burpee VF' (an early attempt by W. Atlee Burpee at disease resistance in a commercial tomato)
'Early Girl' (an early maturing globe type)
'Gardener's Delight' (a smaller English variety)
'Juliet' (a grape tomato developed as a substitute for the rare Santa F1)
'Marmande' (a heavily ridged variety from southern France; similar to a small beefsteak and available commercially in the U.S. as UglyRipe)
'Moneymaker' (an English greenhouse strain)
Mortgage Lifter (a popular heirloom beefsteak known for gigantic fruit)
'Patio' (bred specifically for container gardens)
'Purple Haze' (large cherry, indeterminate. Derived from Cherokee Purple, Brandywine and Black Cherry)
'Roma VF' (a plum tomato common in supermarkets)
'Rutgers' (a commercial variety but considered an heirloom)
'San Marzano' (a plum tomato popular in Italy)
'Santa F1' (a Chinese grape tomato hybrid popular in the U.S. and parts of southeast Asia)
'Shephard's Sack' (a large variety popular in parts of Wales)
'Sweet 100' (a very prolific, indeterminate cherry tomato)
'Yellow Pear' (a yellow, pear-shaped heirloom cultivar)

Heritage and heirloom varieties with exceptional taste include:

'Aunt Ruby's German Green' (spicy green beefsteak type)
'Azoykcha' (Russian yellow variety)
'Andrew Rahart Jumbo Red' (red beefsteak)
'Backfield' (deep red indeterminate beefsteak type)
'Black Cherry' (black/brown cherry)
'Box Car Willie' (red beefsteak)
'Brandywine' (red beefsteak, Sudduth strain)
'Cherokee Purple' (purple beefsteak)
'Crnkovic Yugoslavian' (red beefsteak)
'Earl’s Faux' (pink/red beefsteak)
'Elbe' (orange beefsteak)
'German Johnson (sweet beefsteak type)
'Great Divide' (red beefsteak)
'Ispolin' (pink Siberian strain)
'Lucky Cross' (bi-color red/orange)
'Marianna’s Peace' (red beefsteak)
'Mortgage Lifter' (red beefsteak, various strains)
'Red Pear' (pear shaped salad cherry type with beefsteak flavor)
'Rose' (very large sweet Amish beefsteak type)
'Urbikany' (Siberian variety)

[Lone_Star_Dem]

33. I never knew that was where tomatoes originated from

Fascinating!

I do grow herilooms and other hybridized (not true to seed) varieties as well.

My heirloom list this year:

Marmande - It's setting fruit but only a couple have ripened already. Strong plant so far.

Beefsteak - Always does well if slightly lighter yields in my heat.

Brandywine - I have two different varieties of this classic.

Sun Gold - A cherry which I'm loving so far. It is one of my strongest performers.

I also grow:

Early Girl - Because she does bear early fruit.

Better Boy - Because it's a reliable canning tomato.

Porter's Dark Cherry - Because they taste soooo good.

Heatmaster II - It is Texas after all.

Sunmaster - See above.



I grow too many, I know. But I'm good at it damnit! I can my surplus and make spaghetti sauce and salsa, which I also can. I've not bought a store bought canned tomato product in years now (Except paste. I can't figure out how to get my tomatoes into a tube yet). :)

[Hissyspit]

34. I've never been good at growing them here in North Carolina.

More from wikipedia:

Spanish distribution

After the Spanish colonization of the Americas, the Spanish distributed the tomato throughout their colonies in the Caribbean. They also took it to the Philippines, whence it moved to southeast Asia and then the entire Asian continent. The Spanish also brought the tomato to Europe. It grew easily in Mediterranean climates, and cultivation began in the 1540s. It was probably eaten shortly after it was introduced, though it was certainly being used as food by the early 1600s in Spain. The earliest discovered cookbook with tomato recipes was published in Naples in 1692, though the author had apparently obtained these recipes from Spanish sources. However, in certain areas of Italy, such as Florence, the fruit was used solely as tabletop decoration before it was ever incorporated into the local cuisine until the late 17th or early 18th century.

Tomatoes in Britain

The tomato plant was not grown in England until the 1590s, according to Smith. One of the earliest cultivators was John Gerard, a barber-surgeon. Gerard's Herbal, published in 1597 and largely plagiarized from continental sources, is also one of the earliest discussions of the tomato in England. Gerard knew that the tomato was eaten in both Spain and Italy. Nonetheless, he believed that it was poisonous (tomato leaves and stems contain poisonous glycoalkaloids, but the fruit is safe). Gerard's views were influential, and the tomato was considered unfit for eating (though not necessarily poisonous) for many years in Britain and its North American colonies. By the mid-1700s, however, tomatoes were widely eaten in Britain; and before the end of that century, the Encyclopædia Britannica stated that the tomato was "in daily use" in soups, broths, and as a garnish.

In Victorian times, cultivation reached an industrial scale in glasshouses, most famously in Worthing. Pressure for housing land in the 1930s to 1960s saw the industry move west to Littlehampton, and to the market gardens south of Chichester. The British tomato industry has declined over the past fifteen years or so as more competitive imports from Spain and the Netherlands have reached the supermarkets.

North America

The earliest reference to tomatoes being grown in British North America is from 1710, when herbalist William Salmon reported seeing them in what is today South Carolina. They may have been introduced from the Caribbean. By the mid-18th century, they were cultivated on some Carolina plantations, and probably in other parts of the South as well. It is possible that some people continued to think tomatoes were poisonous at this time; and in general, they were grown more as ornamental plants than as food. Cultured people like Thomas Jefferson, who ate tomatoes in Paris and sent some seeds home, knew the tomato was edible, but many of the less well-educated did not.

[and-justice-for-all]

18. Recall is what Subway told me today....

But that could be bullshit too, FDA actually getting envolved in a stike is rather odd.

I am glad we planted lots of tomatoes, yummy freah garden tomatoes that are untanted by pesticides and other poisons.

[Warpy]

19. Pickers aren't on strike, that's right wing bull shit

The problem is a multistate salmonella outbreak traced to raw tomatoes.

Burger King is playing it safe but blaming the blameless.

Corporate pigs just can't do anything without blaming labor, can they?

[proud2BlibKansan]

27. Why do you say it's right wing bullshit?

[Warpy]

35. Gee, you think the deal they struck with the union

on May 23 had anything to do with it? It's BULLSHIT and I'm surprised at people who don't verify this stuff before they post.

Burger King is blaming labor just to blame labor the way all corporate pigs do every time they get any kind of chance.

[proud2BlibKansan]

36. I didn't post this as fact

Sorry if I didn't make it clear I was asking a question. I consider posting something on DU as a great way to do research.

[Warpy]

41. Consider it done

and consider yourself apologized to by a fellow DU person who shouldn't post at night when the pain medication has worn off.

[proud2BlibKansan]

43. No problem

Peace! :hi:

[MadMaddie]

21. What's up is I won't be eating them out of any grocery store....

This type of thing is occurring more and more.....is the root cause the weakend FDA by the * admin? I believe this is the case....and it's going to get worse before it gets better.

[greenbriar]

22. no strike...salmanilla scare

daughters work also not using tomatos

[Recursion]

23. farmers don't put out porto-potties

The result is that the hands have to go to the bathroom in the fields and, every so often, they have to recall a crop of vegetables because of contamination.

[blue sky at night]

26. had a real shitty experience at the olive garden....

waitress was grumpy, I didn't want to be there, food was late, wrong and tasted bad...and no tomatoes either. I think we are in bushworld and just haven't realized it has fucked up just about everything.

[Stargazer99]

29. When I was a kid you NEVER heard of produce making

the general public sick...but since the RW Conservative cannot see beyond dollar signs this is the result. Legalize murder=this administration's policy results.

[TwilightGardener]

31. Can these not be washed? The checkout lady at Wally World snatched

our plum tomatoes out of our hands on Friday and said she wasn't allowed to sell them to us after ringing in the product code, and that's how we found out something was up. I assume there's all sorts of ickies on all my produce, and wash accordingly. My tomato plants (potted, too lazy to dig any more garden area this year) are looking pretty pathetic right now, I must say, it's been fairly cloudy and wet for the last few weeks--it'll be a while before I bite into vine-ripened goodness.

[lonestarnot]

32. lettuce too. Be careful.

[nadinbrzezinski]

37. Salmonella

and you know what? That means no tomatoes tomorrow and honest to goodness, I and the Sun Conure like them! Ok slight correction, she LOVES them... she will beg for tomatoes...

Hell, tomorrow when I walk in with the weekly groceries, I know she'll start dancing waiting for tomato and no tomato...

Our food safety seems to have dropped by the wayside since the bushies took over

[tuggle]

42. how far apart should they be planted?

I have a bunch of tomato plants stuffed into a big tub. I think I need to thin them or move them into the ground with more space between each.

[crispini]

44. May I suggest you come by the Gardening forum?

and, yes, they do need room to grow, so I'd think or transplant. :hi:

[TwilightGardener]

45. I've read that each one needs about a five gallon bucket-sized space to itself, at minimum.

My pots are a little smaller than that, and I'm growing Early Girl, which is indeterminate (vining, gets big, produces fruit a few at a time instead of all at once)--so I didn't do such a hot job of planning, myself. Will have to stake, water and fertilize like crazy to make up for the lack of root space and the size of the containers.

[leftofthedial]

48. tomatoes have a salmonella outbreak