In recent years we’ve welcomed the birth of seedless grapes and watermelons. No more seed spitting! But the development of a totally seedless tomato has proved elusive. Until now.
p(left caption). Photo: Rob Cardillo
Writing for the online edition of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Doug Oster reports there’s been a breakthrough in the world of tomatoes, and it’s called the Sweet Seedless.
Oster quotes George Ball, Jr., chairman of W. Atlee Burpee and Co. who says, ‘Seedlessness is a desired outcome in vegetables and fruits, generally speaking.’ Ball says this new seedless tomato is good news ‘for folks suffering from various intestinal disorders.’ Many of these people just can’t handle seeds in their diets.
Burpee’s Sweet Seedless is a hybrid tomato plant that produces 8- to 10-ounce red, round, juicy tomatoes that are just a bit larger than baseballs.
Ball says many people have had to pick the seeds out of foods with tomatoes, and simply can’t enjoy one of life’s great pleasures: the homegrown tomato. The seedless tomato, he says, will benefit those suffering from diverticulitis and people recovering from surgery.
In August 2008, there was a secret tasting of the new Sweet Seedless tomato held for Burpee employees, and the juicy red fruit evidently passed the test with flying colors. Burpee spokesperson Kristin Grilli says the hybrid tomato is ‘so good it doesn’t need much on it, maybe just a bit of salt.’
Sweet Seedless tomatoes are available to grow from seed or by ordering plants from Burpee. You may reach the company at 1-800-888-1447.
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