Content
- Green tomatoes - eat at your own risk
- Lurking in immature tomatoes - poisonous solanine
- What to do if frost forces green tomatoes to harvest?
- Exception to the rule - green tomato varieties
- Tips & Tricks
Green tomatoes - eat at your own risk
Towards the end of the maturity of tomatoes impatience increases. Whoever draws the paradise apples himself wants to finally harvest. Of course, extreme caution is required with unripe, green tomatoes. The consumption is harmful to health. We explain the reasons.
Lurking in immature tomatoes - poisonous solanine
In Solanaceae Solanin is omnipresent. The poisonous alkaloid is used in tomatoes and potatoes to ward off pests. In immature, green fruits, the content is particularly large. Even eating a single tomato weighing 80 to 100 grams causes severe stomach pain and nausea. As maturity increases, solanine concentration decreases rapidly.
The harmful alkaloid is also not to be underestimated in green spots of semi-ripe tomatoes. In addition, solanine is found in all green parts of the plant, including the stems, leaves and flowers. Not to be confused is the appearance with the tomato disease called green collar. The damage is expressed in the form of a green ring on the stem approach, while the fruit is otherwise colored red.
What to do if frost forces green tomatoes to harvest?
When temperatures drop, the last tomatoes in the field and on the balcony are no longer ripe. Although they are still green and therefore rich in solanine, the tasty fruits do not have to go into the bin. With the following measures you can do a little tutoring on the tire:
If a tomato plant still bears many unripe fruits, dig out the specimen completely. Create the plant in the warm boiler room, tie a string around the root neck and hang it upside down. In this version of Nachreife the amount of light is of secondary importance. In view of the dry air, a daily check for pests and diseases is indispensable.
Exception to the rule - green tomato varieties
Some tomato varieties retain their green color when matured. In this case, the solanine content has decreased to a negligible concentration. This applies, among others, to:
To determine the ripeness state, gently press on the fruit. If it feels soft, it is ripe and can be eaten without hesitation.
Tips & Tricks
Solanine is an extremely resistant alkaloid. It does not do anything to cook or fry unripe, green tomatoes. The poison does not dissolve when exposed to heat. Prepared for marmalade, a few tablespoons of sugar reduce the solanine content by as much as 35 percent.