Strange-looking Tomato Can Still Be Tasty
2023-09-20
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1This is the time of year when many gardeners are harvesting tomatoes.
2Associated Press gardening expert Jessica Damiano recently reported about the many pictures of strangely shaped tomatoes sent to her from fans of her gardening advice.
3She said people sometimes question if the tomatoes are okay to eat.
4The good news, Damiano said, is that there is nothing wrong with the deformed fruits.
5Unless otherwise diseased, they are perfectly good for eating.
6Their unusual appearance does not affect their taste or nutritional value.
7If you have ever cut open a tomato, you know they are divided into internal parts, called locules, which contain seeds and a substance called gel.
8Most tomatoes have about four or five locules; other kinds of the fruit, like cherry tomatoes, contain two or three.
9Plum or Roma tomatoes have two locules.
10But when a plant experiences temperature extremes, cell division in the developing fruit can go off track.
11Temperatures over 32 degrees Celsius during the day and 27 overnight can lead the tomato to form an extra locule.
12But there is not enough room inside a tomato for the extra part, so it grows on the outside of the fruit.
13Not every tomato on an affected plant will be deformed, however.
14"Under the right conditions (temperatures that are too hot or even too cold), this could affect one or two tomatoes per plant, depending on where they are in the development process and what the (weather) conditions are," said Timothy McDermott.
15He is an assistant professor and extension educator at Ohio State University.
16The likelihood of one of your tomatoes developing a locule oddity is estimated to be about one in a thousand, McDermott said.
17Any tomato can grow an extra locule.
18But, Damiano noted, heirloom kinds seem more likely to have this genetic mutation than hybrids.
19The extra-locule mutation is not the only abnormality caused by extreme heat.
20Conditions including sunscald, blossom drop, halted fruit formation and ripening can also arise when plants are grown outside their usual temperature limit.
21Provide shade for your plants when temperatures are predicted to remain above 32 degrees Celsius for several days.
22Attach a piece of 40 to 50 percent shade cloth to stakes inserted into the ground around the plant.
23Leave it in place from 12 to 4 p.m., when the sun is at its strongest.
24Then remove it to avoid problems caused by a lack of sunlight.
25And, when harvesting your crop, remember: the funny-looking tomatoes taste just as good!
26I'm Caty Weaver.
1This is the time of year when many gardeners are harvesting tomatoes. Associated Press gardening expert Jessica Damiano recently reported about the many pictures of strangely shaped tomatoes sent to her from fans of her gardening advice. She said people sometimes question if the tomatoes are okay to eat. 2The good news, Damiano said, is that there is nothing wrong with the deformed fruits. Unless otherwise diseased, they are perfectly good for eating. Their unusual appearance does not affect their taste or nutritional value. 3What's going on here? 4If you have ever cut open a tomato, you know they are divided into internal parts, called locules, which contain seeds and a substance called gel. Most tomatoes have about four or five locules; other kinds of the fruit, like cherry tomatoes, contain two or three. Plum or Roma tomatoes have two locules. 5But when a plant experiences temperature extremes, cell division in the developing fruit can go off track. Temperatures over 32 degrees Celsius during the day and 27 overnight can lead the tomato to form an extra locule. But there is not enough room inside a tomato for the extra part, so it grows on the outside of the fruit. 6Not every tomato on an affected plant will be deformed, however. 7What are the chances? 8"Under the right conditions (temperatures that are too hot or even too cold), this could affect one or two tomatoes per plant, depending on where they are in the development process and what the (weather) conditions are," said Timothy McDermott. He is an assistant professor and extension educator at Ohio State University. 9The likelihood of one of your tomatoes developing a locule oddity is estimated to be about one in a thousand, McDermott said. 10Any tomato can grow an extra locule. But, Damiano noted, heirloom kinds seem more likely to have this genetic mutation than hybrids. 11Hot tomato? 12The extra-locule mutation is not the only abnormality caused by extreme heat. Conditions including sunscald, blossom drop, halted fruit formation and ripening can also arise when plants are grown outside their usual temperature limit. 13Provide shade for your plants when temperatures are predicted to remain above 32 degrees Celsius for several days. Attach a piece of 40 to 50 percent shade cloth to stakes inserted into the ground around the plant. Leave it in place from 12 to 4 p.m., when the sun is at its strongest. Then remove it to avoid problems caused by a lack of sunlight. 14And, when harvesting your crop, remember: the funny-looking tomatoes taste just as good! 15I'm Caty Weaver. 16Jessica Damiano reported this story for the Associated Press. Caty Weaver adapted it for VOA Learning English. 17_________________________________________ 18Words in This Story 19nutritional - adj. containing nutrients that support health and growth 20internal - adj. inside of something 21oddity - n. something strange or unusual 22heirloom - adj. a kind of cultivated plant that has survived for several generations usually due to the efforts of private individuals 23mutation - n. a change especially a genetic change in a plant or animal that affects its appearance, function or structure in some way 24hybrid - adj. a living thing, especially a plant, that is created by combining two different kinds of plants 25ripening - n. the process in fruit of becoming ready to eat or use 26blossom -n. the flower formed by a plant to produce a fruit 27shade - n. an area blocked from sunlight