New project and Why Tomatoes are tasteless in the store, February 9,2022

 We started and completed a project today. Our video today will show about it but it will be out late because we started and completed a project today. We made a new space for us on our farm. We took the east end of Charlotte’s Field where Missie and Brisket are during the winter month. However, now we have a small portion of the field for a large garden area. Sometime in the future we will have a high tunnel there but int the mean time we will just grow, I will show the end result of our day’s project here.

Electric Fence
Completed Electric Fence

Brisket is just like a puppy. He just comes up to us and rubs his head on us because he wants scratched. He is never mean or aggressive. Some people have therapy dogs, we have therapy cows.

Jim and Brisket
Our Gentle Brisket

We decided we like our Niederrheiner chicken who ended up being a rooster so much that we are going to purchase some baby females and breed them. They are a multipurpose bird and Faithful is very large and is almost 6 months. We would like to be sustainable where our chickens are concerned. It is impossible to breed Cornish cross or even Red rangers because the are so specialized. But we can take other breeds and grown them just for our family. We are going to try anyway.

our rooster, Faithful
Faithful our Rooster

Nutritional Information

Today when the NRCS representative came, we were just talking about vegetables and she told me about a great book she had. Seems that I have that great book on my shelf and just have not looked at it for a while. It is called Eating on the Wild Side by Jo Robinson. I found out why tomatoes in the store do not taste like tomatoes any more. Apparently, they use an exact science to know when to pick the tomatoes. When they show the slightest pink, they are picked and sent to a warehouse where they are force-ripened with ethylene gas. They look pretty but they have no taste and no aroma. Many of us had asked, “What happened to the tomatoes?” Now we know.

Lycopene is a natural compound found in tomatoes and several other fruits or vegetables. It is a major antioxidant to fight free radicals in our bodies. So, growing our own tomatoes not only smell, taste and look better, they are better. One of the scientists at Pennsylvania state is crossing South American wild tomatoes with some of the modern tomatoes that lack high lycopene. Some of the seeds will be available in the near future. Continually try new tomato varieties and see what you like. Last year I learned that the San Marzano’s are very prolific and make great sauce. I love the Oregon Spring because they are medium size and full of flavor. And I like Bartelly cherry tomatoes so that is what I am planting this year. Of course, I will find some new ones and see if I like them.

3 thoughts on “New project and Why Tomatoes are tasteless in the store, February 9,2022”

  1. Your statement about ethylene gas is actually not true. Ethylene gas is the natural process of ripening not only tomatoes but also other fruits and vegetables. So your tomatoes on the vine when they are ripening and turning from green to red is producing ethylene gas.

    1. Rhenda Wilson

      Sarah, I have approved your comment but I would like a chance to explain. You are correct that Ethylene gas is a natural process of ripening. It is what gives the tomato their red color. However, I have researched several articles and companies. It is a fact that they do use precise amounts of Ethylene gas sprayed on them to quicken the red color. This does not really ripen them for texture or taste or smell, just color. Ethylene is natural but spraying it on them to ripen green ones is not. Research shows that there is no danger to us. It is safe. They just does not taste good.
      There are ripe tomatoes in the store, just ask to know more about where they come from.

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