The quest to resurrect America's best tomato...

[Little Star]

It might seem strange that the state known for mobsters, gas refineries and toxic superfund sites also gave the world one of the most delicious fruits known to man: the plump, red and juicy Jersey tomato.

“I so miss Jersey tomatoes. There are none as good anywhere else,” said Jennie Phipps, a writer who lived in South Jersey and Delaware for 17 years but now lives in Michigan. “I like them sliced with a little salt, and I love tomato sandwiches on whole wheat with lots of mayonnaise. And I’m happy to eat one just like an apple.”

But Phipps might not recognize the Jersey tomatoes sold today. They’re harder and less juicy than they used to be, and that’s no accident.

Food scientists have been tinkering with the molecular structure of the tomato for years, so tomato processors who now harvest by machine could have fruit that easily falls off the stem. Scientists also thickened the tomato’s skin and interior walls so they were more durable during the shipping process.

All that tinkering has affected the fruit’s taste, say Jersey tomato connoisseurs. Over the last 30 years, the Jersey tomato, while still delicious, is only a shadow of its former self.

http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/sep/20/inside-the-quest-to-resurrect-americas-best-tasting-jersey-tomato

Interesting article! No wonder tomatoes just aren't what they use to be.