The Tomato Trials of 1820
That time when tomato was sinful, illegal, accused, went on trial and was judged... not poisonous!
In the last post I wrote about how the potato was once illegal in France.
This week let's take a look at the tomato, which was deemed dangerous and poisonous for almost 200 years!
Tomatoes were originally grown for food by the Aztecs, around 700AD. The name of the tomato comes from the Uto-Aztecan Nahuatl word, ‘tomatl,’ which means ‘the swelling fruit’.
However, the idea of eating them in Europe (and not only) took a little while to catch on.
At some point after its introduction in Europe, tomatoes were grown as decorative garden plants.
In the early 1500s, Spanish conquistadors returning from Mexico and other parts of Central America were thought to have first introduced tomato seeds to Southern Europe. Some say that Cortez was the one who brought the seeds to Europe in 1519 for ornamental purposes.
By the late 1700s, tomatoes had evolved into being a feared plant and was reputedly poisonous.
Historians believe this is because of the tableware used at the time. Pewter was a common material, especially for the upper classes. Pewter plates contained a high lead content, and the acid in the tomatoes brought out this poison and lead people to believe tomatoes were the culprits.
It was even nicknamed "the poison apple" and started being avoided at all costs.
Up until the end of the 18th century, physicians warned against eating tomatoes, fearing that they caused not only appendicitis but also stomach cancer from the tomato skins adhering to the lining of the stomach.
A doctor and naturalist, Pietro Andrea Mattioli, took it up a notch and characterised tomato as a source of sinfulness. He believed the tomato to be a nightshade, a poisonous family of Solanaceae plants that contain toxins called tropane alkaloids. The sin element came from Mattioli’s other finding — that the tomato was a mandrake:
“The mandrake has a history that dates back to the Old Testament; it is referenced twice as the Hebrew word dudaim, which roughly translates to “love apple.” (In Genesis, the mandrake is used as a love potion).
Some scientists went on and published papers stating that they contain low levels of the toxine called tomatine. Tomatoes do, in fact, contain low levels of this glycoalkaloid with fungicidal properties, but the levels are way too low to be of any sort of danger.
Fast forward a little to Salem, New Jersey, 1820. A Colonel called Robert Gibbon Johnson was determined to break the cycle of mistrust. And so began the so-called Salem Tomato Trial.
He had brought the tomato home from abroad in 1808. He had been offering a prize yearly for the largest fruit grown, but the general public considered the tomato an ornamental plant rather than one for food.
When no one paid any heed, he decided to take a basket of ripe tomatoes and stand in front of the Salem Courthouse. He then proceeded to eat all the tomatoes, in front of horrified passers-by, quickly gathering a crowd.
Those expecting a spectacular death were disappointed. He not only lived to tell the tale, he must have thoroughly enjoyed himself. From then on, word started spreading and tomato was finally added to the (non-pewter) plates of Americans.
By the 1830s when the tomato was cultivated in New York, a new concern emerged. The Green Tomato Worm, measuring three to four inches in length with a horn sticking out of its back, began taking over tomato patches across the state. According to The Illustrated Annual Register of Rural Affairs and Cultivator Almanac (1867) edited by J.J. Thomas, it was believed that a mere brush with such a worm could result in death. The description is chilling:
"The tomato in all of our gardens is infested with a very large thick-bodied green worm, with oblique white sterols along its sides, and a curved thorn-like horn at the end of its back."
Around the same time period, a man by the name of Dr. Fuller in New York was quoted in The Syracuse Standard, saying he had found a five-inch tomato worm in his garden. He captured the worm in a bottle and said it was “poisonous as a rattlesnake” when it would throw spittle at its prey.
Luckily, an entomologist by the name of Benjamin Walsh argued that the dreaded tomato worm wouldn’t hurt a flea. Thomas continues:
"Now that we have become familiarized with it these fears have all vanished, and we have become quite indifferent towards this creature, knowing it to be merely an ugly-looking worm which eats some of the leaves of the tomato…"
Around 1880, with the invention of the pizza in Naples, the tomato grew widespread in popularity also in Europe.
One of the most versatile vegetables (knowledge is knowing tomato is a fruit, wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad), tomato can be cooked in a kazillion ways. As a tomato grower myself, after the huge wave of ripening tomatoes has passed, and the pantry shelf is heavily loaded with various sauces for the winter and spring, there is that moment when tomatoes sometimes start falling off the plant while still green.
If they are even slightly turning color, they will fully ripen on the windowsill, but if they are too green, they will just start rotting. So what can you do with all those green tomatoes?
Don’t worry, the versatility proves handy once again:
Green Tomato Ketchup
If you are a “ketchup on everything” sort of family, then what better way to use up those green tomatoes than by making them into ketchup?
Mix up your end of season tomatoes with honey, vinegar, onions and spices.
The great thing about this recipe is that you can easily customise it to suit your own particular tastes – making it sweeter, or spicier as required.
Ingredients
6 pounds / 3kg green tomatoes
3 pounds / 1.5kg onions
1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper
1 tablespoon dry mustard seeds
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
thyme
2 cups white vinegar
1 cup honey
salt, to taste
Method
Slice or chop the green tomatoes and onions; place them in a large pot with the pepper, mustard, and Worcestershire sauce.
Pour vinegar over all and cook for about 4 hours over very low heat, stirring occasionally.
Working in batches, carefully puree the mixture in the pot with a stick blender.
Place a mesh strainer over a large bowl and strain the ketchup mixture. Discard the seeds and solids left behind in the strainer. I personally don’t do this all the time, I don’t mind having small chunks in the ketchup.
Return the ketchup mixture to the pot and bring to boil; add the honey. Taste and add salt, as needed. Reduce the heat to low and continue to cook uncovered until thickened.
Ladle into sterilized jars and keep warm. I sterilize my jars in the oven, on 150C for at least 20-30 minutes.
Green Tomato Fritters
Another way to use up those green tomatoes is in fritters. Simply combine fresh green tomatoes with a batter mix of your choosing – like a simple pancake batter and fry them on both sides in butter.
Fritters are also a great way to use up a range of other late-season fruits and vegetables from your garden.
Another time, I will write about the strange history of ketchup, which started as a fish sauce.
Terrific post! You have such a knack for weaving esoteric details into your story, to create a really entertaining read (and informative too!) 😊 The “Salem Tomato Trial”—who knew?? I also liked how this tomato tale made such a good parallel story with your recent one about potatoes!