To-may-toe horror

America is now running scared of ... The Tomato (rhymes with potato... and which I and the rest of the English-speaking world call a To-mah-toe).

Apparently some of them are carrying Salmonella.

Apparently if you choose tomatoes that come from California, they are OK.

Apparently if you choose tomatoes that are still attached to some vine, they are OK (these are the ones in the supermarket that actually smell and taste like tomatoes rather than mushy bags of red water)

Apparently if you choose the little, tiny tomatoes, they are OK.

Apparently if you choose tomatoes from your local grower, they are OK, or if you pick them from your own garden.

Apparently if you eat canned tomatoes, tomato juice, or even tomato ketchup, you will get all of the nutrition from the tomato and none of the salmonella. (And little of the flavour, and an awful lot more chemicals.)

Apparently McDonalds and others are no longer serving slices of tomatoes on their burgers. (Probably giving double ketchup with the fries to make up.)

Good grief...

I am not making light of salmonella. It is a nasty infection. But as someone who shared a home with a five-foot iguana for several years, I find this reaction crazy.

Learn from it. Buy local. Grow your own. I have a few spare heritage tomato plants if you are desperate.