Frazz by Jef Mallett for November 17, 2011

Horticulturists have bred tomatoes that can withstand impact as well as a compact car’s bumper — and taste almost as good.

And yet what are the odds that he will put a large dollop of ketchup on that burger?

Does anyone know what that stuff in Oreos is? I’ve heard weird things….

Powder sugar, Crisco, vanilla and gelatine.

I live for tomatoes… but those balls of wax in the store with stickers on them should be called something else.

“Faux-matoes”, or “Hamburger Helper” — wait, that’s taken…

And I cut into one just last winter that had a lush green carpet of seedlings inside. Yuck!

Tried to plant some to see what happened, but they were too small.

I asked the produce guy and he said they’re shipped very cold, so they won’t ripen en route.

The seeds inside react as though it’s winter, and go dormant.

Put them on display in the store. or especially, on your windowsill, in a useless attempt to make them turn into actual tomatoes….

Bingo — the seeds “decide” warm weather has arrived, and sprout.

I nurtured some tomato volunteers that popped-up from the compost I placed around some smaller trees in the front yard last spring.For months now we’ve had a steady supply of juicy, delicious yellow plum and bright, shiny and delicate, mouth-watering cherry tomatoes.Yum!The trees have gone dormant for the season, which is good because the tomato vines have them now completely covered.

Here in Mich. we have 6 weeks of heaven (Aug. to mid-Sept.) followed by 10 1/2 mos. of pinkish cardboard

Mighty tasty stuff

Here in NC I’m still picking tomatoes from my garden.

Here in NC every dang tomatoe plant I planted died. I’m afraid I have voles plus a fungus in the soil. Not too tragic, though, I hate the things. Just grow them for my wife.

I do still have the occasional pepper coming it, but tonight should be it, the first hard freeze is expected.

My Navy shop Chief (PO) said anyone who ate tomatoes was a communist…..Why, you ask…?Because apparently a neighbors’ goat broke into his wifes garden and while consuming his fill of ’maters he also munched on a commemorative US flag hanging from the back porch railing…. desecration!!!!!

Homegrown tomatoes are tasty. But the ones sold in the store are tasteless at best and go downhill from there.In a ducumentary at UC Davis, a horticulturist was explaning how they had developed tomatoes tough enough to survive shipping and were trying to develop square tomatoes so more could be put in a box. The interviewer asked if they tried breeding for taste. The answer: “No. Taste is of no consideration.”To make matters worse, almost all the tomatoes going to the store are picked green. A ripe tomato in the field will go directly to a canner to make juice or sauce.

Jim Hightower’s first book was “Hard Times, Hard Tomatoes” about agribusiness wiping out local truck farms by controlling distribution. Fannin County (TX) used to be world famous for its onions; now I don’t know anyone growing them commercially. Sam Rayburn used to eat an onion sandwich (slice of Bermuda onion between two of bread) every night before going to bed.

@whitecarabaoa duckumentary on square tomatoes? How quackaint…

Why are Oreos ruined for you? Does the icing sugar, shortening, and vanilla taste poorer for knowing what it is? Little different from homemade cake frosting, except you might use butter, and less sugar so it’s less stiff.

Jim Hightower’s first book was “Hard Times, Hard Tomatoes” about how agribusiness wiped out local truck farmers by breeding longer shelf life at the cost of flavor. Their current gimmick is to breed them so the seeds are sterile so farmers have to buy from them each season instead of saving the best and improving the strain. Five multinational corporations control most of the U.S. food supply. If you can’t bring back the victory garden, you are at there mercy.