Stemmed Cherry Tomatoes?!

The Ranger said:

With the advent of microfarming mechanics making it possible to
provide micro-greens, why is it that cherry tomatoes still have a
stem and top-cap? I don't want my basket-filled cherry tomatoes
skewered prior to removal from said basket! I'm quite capable of
doing that myself.

Does anyone know why it's necessary to sell the consumer
top-and-tom together?

The Ranger

Faster, sloppier harvesting methods? Fast=cheaper labor costs perhaps.
Goomba

"The Ranger" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

With the advent of microfarming mechanics making it possible to provide
micro-greens, why is it that cherry tomatoes still have a stem and
top-cap? I don't want my basket-filled cherry tomatoes skewered prior to
removal from said basket! I'm quite capable of doing that myself.

Does anyone know why it's necessary to sell the consumer top-and-tom
together?

The Ranger

I don't think cherry tomatoes are harvested mechanically (yet). When
harvested by hand, they may or may not come off the plant with a bit of the
stem.

The Ranger said:

With the advent of microfarming mechanics making it possible to
provide micro-greens, why is it that cherry tomatoes still have a
stem and top-cap? I don't want my basket-filled cherry tomatoes
skewered prior to removal from said basket! I'm quite capable of
doing that myself.

Does anyone know why it's necessary to sell the consumer
top-and-tom together?

The Ranger

Could be thats how the grower does it. In the winter we get them from
the microfarmers in eastern PA and it is very unusual to see any part of
the stem.

Goomba38 <[email hidden]> suggested in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

The Ranger said:

With the advent of microfarming mechanics making
it possible to provide micro-greens, why is it that
cherry tomatoes still have a stem and top-cap? I
don't want my basket-filled cherry tomatoes skewered
prior to removal from said basket! I'm quite capable
of doing that myself.

Does anyone know why it's necessary to sell the
consumer top-and-tom together?

Faster, sloppier harvesting methods? Fast=cheaper
labor costs perhaps.

I asked my source of all-things grocery-related after I posted
here. His opinion (and he stressed this several times during our
q&a) was that "it's always been done that way" and hinted at
quality being the main reason. If you see a shriveled top-cap (he
used the proper term, of which went in my one ear and flew
straight on out the other), you know the cherry toms are old and
should be avoided. No cap = not fresh. A throw-back, I guess.

I still don't like it. Seems every cherry tom is impaled upon its
neighbor's stem...

The Ranger

JoeSpareBedroom <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...
[snip]

Quoted message said:

I don't think cherry tomatoes are harvested mechanically
(yet). When harvested by hand, they may or may not
come off the plant with a bit of the stem.

The machinery for microfarming is very capable of harvesting
whatever it's expected to harvest; spinach, squash blossoms, etc.

The three farms I like to purchase my cherry toms from all use
machinery to harvest but couldn't answer my question about the
tops... I told 'em I purchase more if **I** didn't have to top'em!

The Ranger

George <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

The Ranger said:

With the advent of microfarming mechanics making it possible to
provide micro-greens, why is it that cherry tomatoes still have
a stem and top-cap? I don't want my basket-filled cherry
tomatoes skewered prior to removal from said basket! I'm quite
capable of doing that myself.

Does anyone know why it's necessary to sell the consumer
top-and-tom together?

Could be thats how the grower does it. In the winter we get them
from the microfarmers in eastern PA and it is very unusual to
see any part of the stem.

Hmmm. _Almost_ every cherry tom here has the top; I'd've thought
there was a law or ordinance in place the way its so universally
applied.

The Ranger

"The Ranger" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

JoeSpareBedroom <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...
[snip]

Quoted message said:

I don't think cherry tomatoes are harvested mechanically
(yet). When harvested by hand, they may or may not
come off the plant with a bit of the stem.

The machinery for microfarming is very capable of harvesting whatever it's
expected to harvest; spinach, squash blossoms, etc.

The three farms I like to purchase my cherry toms from all use machinery
to harvest but couldn't answer my question about the tops... I told 'em I
purchase more if **I** didn't have to top'em!

The Ranger

That's interesting. Sounds like they don't expect a 2nd round of blooms &
tomatoes. Doesn't the machinery maul the plants?

"The Ranger" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Goomba38 <[email hidden]> suggested in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

The Ranger said:

With the advent of microfarming mechanics making
it possible to provide micro-greens, why is it that
cherry tomatoes still have a stem and top-cap? I
don't want my basket-filled cherry tomatoes skewered
prior to removal from said basket! I'm quite capable
of doing that myself.

Does anyone know why it's necessary to sell the
consumer top-and-tom together?

Faster, sloppier harvesting methods? Fast=cheaper
labor costs perhaps.

I asked my source of all-things grocery-related after I posted here. His
opinion (and he stressed this several times during our q&a) was that "it's
always been done that way" and hinted at quality being the main reason. If
you see a shriveled top-cap (he used the proper term, of which went in my
one ear and flew straight on out the other), you know the cherry toms are
old and should be avoided. No cap = not fresh. A throw-back, I guess.

I still don't like it. Seems every cherry tom is impaled upon its
neighbor's stem...

The Ranger

I have never seen a bunch of cherry tomatoes with some impaled by
neighboring stems. Where did you say these came from?

JoeSpareBedroom <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

That's interesting. Sounds like they don't expect a
2nd round of blooms & tomatoes. Doesn't the
machinery maul the plants?

Can't answer the first one because they have great quantities (and
very high quality) cherry tomatoes throughout the season. I'm sure
if the machinery was thrashing and trashing the plants, it'd also
make it a moot point on using it.

The Ranger

JoeSpareBedroom <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...
[Snip-O'-Matic employed]

Quoted message said:

I have never seen a bunch of cherry tomatoes
with some impaled by neighboring stems.

Do you purchase cherry tomatoes with any regularity? I'm not
talking about those flack-jacketed tough hot house produced cherry
toms either.

Quoted message said:

Where did you say these came from?

I didn't. Doesn't that just [censored] you off?

The Ranger

"The Ranger" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

JoeSpareBedroom <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...
[Snip-O'-Matic employed]

Quoted message said:

I have never seen a bunch of cherry tomatoes
with some impaled by neighboring stems.

Do you purchase cherry tomatoes with any regularity? I'm not talking about
those flack-jacketed tough hot house produced cherry toms either.

Yes, and I've been growing them for 35 years, too. They come off the plants
very easily, rarely with stems attached.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Where did you say these came from?

I didn't. Doesn't that just [censored] you off?

Not really.

"The Ranger" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

JoeSpareBedroom <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

That's interesting. Sounds like they don't expect a
2nd round of blooms & tomatoes. Doesn't the
machinery maul the plants?

Can't answer the first one because they have great quantities (and very
high quality) cherry tomatoes throughout the season. I'm sure if the
machinery was thrashing and trashing the plants, it'd also make it a moot
point on using it.

The Ranger

Perhaps they charge enough that they can put up with less frequent harvests.

The Ranger said:

With the advent of microfarming mechanics making it possible to
provide micro-greens, why is it that cherry tomatoes still have a
stem and top-cap? I don't want my basket-filled cherry tomatoes
skewered prior to removal from said basket! I'm quite capable of
doing that myself.

Does anyone know why it's necessary to sell the consumer
top-and-tom together?

The cherry tomatoes I buy are packaged in a rectangular clear plastic
clam shell container. There are no stems included, just the
tomatoes... sold exactly like grape tomatoes.

I'd say what you're buying are more accurately termed patio tomatoes,
those are somewhat larger than cherry tomatoes and those I've seen
sold bunched on stems but not in a plastic clam shell container,
they're usually in one of those cardboard containers similar to the
older style berry containers.

A lot of people, including produce departments, confuse cherry
tomatoes with patio tomatoes... they're not synonymous.. Cherry
tomatoes are about 3/4"-1" diameter. Patio tomatoes are about 1
1/4"-1 1/2" diameter. Cherry tomatoes release from thier stems easily
as soon as they're ripe. Patio tomatoes were developed to adhere to
their stems for easier handling and so are typically sold while still
attached to their stems.

And what's a "top-cap", I've never heard that term regarding tomatoes.

Sheldon