A ripe tomato is delicious and healthy. The little red miracle fruit is loaded with vitamins C and A and packed with a strong cocktail of antioxidants that include lycopene, beta-carotene, choline and folic acid.
Studies have shown that tomatoes help with preventing various cancers, high blood pressure, diabetes and many other medical conditions.
A naturally ripe tomato is hard to find
For years I avoided the tasteless tomatoes you find in supermarkets across the U.S.
When I ordered a burger or a salad, I asked the server to hold the tomatoes, because the tomatoes tasted bland and watery.
A few years ago when I was in New Mexico, I picked up a couple of medium sized red tomatoes at the local farmer’s market. They were bright red and slightly deformed.
When I bit into the fruit, I was immediately converted. Those tomatoes were bursting with flavor. I was confused.
Why were those tomatoes so different from the ones at my local grocery store?
Tomatoes are native to – you guessed it – Latin America. They are a gift from the Aztecs and the Incas to the rest of the world.
There are also over 5,000 varieties of tomatoes.
The high acidity found in tomatoes make them an ideal candidate for canning, which helped increase the popularity of the tomato in the 20th century.
Worldwide tomato production is about 150 million tons a year, with China and the U.S at the top of the list of producers, in that order.
But here is the thing, most modern tomatoes are bland. As agriculture has shifted to huge industrial farms, most tomatoes have to be shipped long distances to get to market.
But they get mushy when ripe—this is a similar problem the mango industry is currently facing. Tomatoes have to be picked and shipped while green and firm.
Tomatoes are then stored in warehouses and gassed with ethylene, an organic compound (that is also used in making plastics and welding fuel) that speeds up the ripening of the fruit.
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Picking fruits when they’re not ripe and then accelerating ripening eliminates much of the flavor and reduces the nutrient content.
Red, ripe and delicious tomatoes
The other day we went to a “you pick it” farm near where we live and picked ripe tomatoes of the common variety.
They were red and ripe and delicious. The same goes for the heirloom tomatoes at our local farmer’s market.
They sell them in packs of mixed variety and are a joy to eat. Unfortunately, they’re onlyavailable during season.
If you don’t live near a farmer’s market, or if tomatoes in your area are out of season, a great alternative are the Campari tomatoes, which were introduced to the U.S. from Europe about two decades ago.
They are grown in greenhouses and packaged in semi-hard plastic containers just like the cherry and grape tomato varieties.
They are a little smaller than the average commercial tomato, but they’re bright red and full of flavor.
When tomatoes are good and ripe and full of flavor—in other words, when they taste the way they’re supposed to taste—they say you can eat them like an apple.
But when I have nice ripe tomatoes, I slice them, add a little extra virgin olive oil, coarse salt, and that’s it. Delicious.
A simple treat that’s loaded with antioxidants and countless health benefits.
Quick pasta sauce recipe with Campari tomatoes
Here’s a recipe for a quick pasta sauce using Campari tomatoes. It has a strong sweet and slightly tart taste that’s similar to sundried tomatoes, but more subtle.
Ingredients
- 4-6 Campari tomatoes, sliced
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (you can add more if you like)
- 1 clove of garlic, diced
- 1 teaspoon sea salt (or to taste)
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
Directions
Heat up the extra virgin olive oil in a pan. When the oil is hot, add the tomatoes and the garlic. Sauté for about a minute. Add salt, oregano and basil.
Continue sautéing for another minute or two or until the tomatoes become soft and mushy. Turn the stove off and leave the pan on the burner to allow the mixture to reduce.
Before serving, warm up the sauce on low for a minute or two. Serve over pasta.
Kitchen note: Sauce serves 2 to 3 depending on the size of the tomatoes and the amount of sauce you like on your pasta.
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