Archive for the tomato tag

Why do cracks on tomatoes occur while still on the vine?

February 3, 2023 •

Resistant varieties come in all sizes and types. ‘Mountain Spring’ (a large red), ‘Sweet Million’ (a small-fruit variety), and ‘Mountain Gold’ (a yellow tomato) are just three selections that are not so prone to cracking.

Cracks on tomatoes that circle the stem end or stretch down from the stem end can be very annoying. They not only deform the beauty of the fruit, but also leave it susceptible to rot. The cause of cracks on tomatoes is generally a growth spurt caused by a prolonged drought. The solution is to provide your garden with adequate and consistent water. You need to water to keep the soil evenly moist. In Michigan, we can have full weeks of rain followed by a month of nothing.

If droughts are common in your immediate location, then besides monitoring the watering, try to look for and select a crack-resistant variety next season. Resistant varieties come in all sizes and types. ‘Mountain Spring’ (a large red), ‘Sweet Million’ (a small-fruit variety), and ‘Mountain Gold’ (a yellow tomato) are just three selections that are not so prone to cracking.

Answers compiled by Martha Ferguson, and contributed by Beverly Moss, Michelle Dunham and Chuck Tyrrell.

ELSEWHERE: Tomatoes exhibiting cracks this summer

Boundless tomato harvests contain infinite possibilities

September 8, 2015 • Leave a Comment

The Salt at NPR.org:

It’s that time of year when some gardeners and tomato-coveting shoppers face a vexing question: What on earth am I going to do with all these tomatoes I grew (or bought)?

A select few up to their elbows in tomatoes may have an additional quandary: How am I going to prepare different kinds of tomatoes to honor their unique qualities?

Chef Jamie Simpson of the Culinary Vegetable Institute faced a particularly challenging version of this last week: 100 pounds of 60 different kinds of tomatoes to transform into a seven-course dinner. Fortunately, it’s Simpson’s job to come up with creative solutions to such problems of abundance. And as Simpson deftly reminded us, the possibility of the tomato is pretty much infinite.

Read the rest of the article here…

The secret behind growing tasty tomatoes

June 6, 2012 • Leave a Comment

Most of us in Michigan that plan on growing tomatoes this season have already planted. But, in the event you still haven’t or want to take notes for next year, here is some good information in the quest for a tomato with optimal taste.

The Salt at NPR:

It’s tomato time here in the mid-Atlantic – the critical moment when those of us eager to pull fat, bright fruit off our own backyard vines in a couple months are scurrying to get tender little plants in the ground.

But as anyone who’s spent a few summers of kneeling in the dirt can tell you, healthy-looking vines will not necessarily get you a mind-blowingly delicious tomato. And why?

Well, it turns out that scientists still don’t know exactly what growing conditions are responsible for the supertasty tomato. But they have a few inklings, which are worth keeping in mind as you try to coax sweetness and tartness from your seedlings.

Read the full story here…

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