On Fri, 03 Aug 2007 16:23:07 -0400, George >
wrote:

>Andy wrote:
>> Nancy Young said...
>>
>>> "Andy" <q> wrote
>>>
>>>> Are the Jersey "Fresh" tomatoes available yet?
>>> I have seen them in farm stands, along with the fresh picked
>>> corn! It's that time of the year.
>>>
>>> I'm thinking of going to a farmer's market this weekend. The
>>> trick will be to remember. I always seem to want to go when
>>> they aren't open.
>>>
>>> nancy
>>
>>
>> nancy,
>>
>> YAYTHANKS!!!
>>
>> All the produce markets around here have "Jersey" tomatoes but they're
>> knock-offs, grown in Florida and other places then shipped to farms in NJ
>> and branded Jerseys.
>
>Nothing wrong with PA tomatoes either. The big box stores don't know
>anything about real tomatoes. You have to hit the farm stands to get the
>real ones that were grown here and never refrigerated. The locals have
>had slicing tomatoes available for about a week.

There is nothing special about New Jersey tomatoes, per se. They are
tomatoes that are ripened on the vine (and sold locally), as opposed
to those grown in Florida, etc. which are picked when firm enough to
ship long distances.

http://njaes.rutgers.edu/tomato/foodindustry/

NJ has a big industry of growing tomatoes and, to their credit, grow
and handle them flavor not shipping quality.

You can grow excellent tomatoes in your back (or front) yard or buy
them at roadside stands in many areas of the northeast. It's
seasonal, of course. I won't buy tomatoes in the winter (or apples
in the summer.)

Sue(tm)
Lead me not into temptation... I can find it myself!