North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

["Jim Fruth" <jfruth@uslink.net>]

Spidra,
   When it comes to growing tomatoes for market in California, harvesting 
is done a bit differently than in the rest of the country.  If you allow the 
fruit to ripen on the vine, you run the risk of the nasties getting to them 
before you are ready to pick them.  Instead, watch the fruit as they turn 
from green to a whitish-green to the blossom end starting to turn pink.  The 
California Tomato Industry calls them "Pinks" at that stage.  That is the 
optimal time to pick them.  Bring them into the house to ripen.  They'll 
taste the same as if they were left on the vine.  If you have too many 
'pinks', put some in cold storage until you are ready for them - bring them 
into the warm and they'll taste like any other.
   When I came to Minnesota and grew tomatoes for market, I continued the 
same harvesting methods as I did in California.  My tomatoes were always 
prettier than everyone else's.  When I had too many, I refrigerated them as 
I had done in California and customers couldn't tell the difference.  Alot 
of folks say that refrigerated tomatoes have retarded flavor and I wonder if 
that is an 'old wives' tale' that came out of grocery store tomatoes being 
refrigerated in storage and shipment - grocery store tomatoes weren't bred 
for flavor; they were bred because they keep well in storage and shipping 
and they turn uniformly red when gassed.

Jim Fruth
Brambleberry Farm
Pequot Lakes, MN  56472
www.bberryfarm.com
(218)568-8483 [Store]
(218)831-7018 [My Cell]

I have been having trouble growing tomatoes.  I've very close to the
Bay and in the line of the fog.  I'm not sure whether it's fungus or a
virus but something has been slowly killing my tomatoes.  They fruit, I
get the first couple few, and the others never really get fully ripe.
So I only had about 5 Black Krim last year but they were HEAVENLY.  I
must not be the only person in Berkeley who thinks so because I was a
little late looking for tomato starts and Black Krim  had sold out all
over town.

Spidra Webster
http://www.spidra.com