Rutgers tomato facts for kids
The Rutgers tomato is a famous type of tomato. People also call it the Jersey tomato or Rutgers Select. It was once the most popular tomato in the world! This tomato is a beefsteak tomato, which means it's big and round. It belongs to the nightshade family of plants. What made it special was its amazing taste. It had a perfect mix of sweet and tangy flavors. Real Jersey tomatoes have thin skins and lots of flavor. They stay fresh for a few days when ripe, unlike some modern tomatoes that last for weeks.
Contents
The Story of the Rutgers Tomato
How the Rutgers Tomato Was Created
The Rutgers tomato was first developed in 1934. It was a team effort! Scientists from Rutgers University worked with the Campbell Soup Company. They created this special tomato at a research center in New Jersey.
Why It Was So Popular
This new tomato tasted amazing. It was also stronger and didn't spoil as easily as older types. Because of its great qualities, the Rutgers tomato became a key ingredient. Big companies like Campbell's Soup, Hunt's, and Heinz used it. Farmers all over America grew its seeds. This made it a favorite on dinner tables everywhere.
At its peak, the Rutgers tomato was incredibly popular. A professor named Thomas J. Orton from Rutgers University said it was the most popular tomato in the world. More than 60% of all tomatoes sold to businesses were Rutgers tomatoes!
Why It Became Less Popular
In the 1960s, the Rutgers tomato started to lose its popularity. This was because farming changed. New machines were used to pick tomatoes. The Rutgers tomato had a thin skin, which was great for taste. But it was too delicate for these machines.
Farmers and companies wanted tougher tomatoes. They needed tomatoes that could last longer and travel far without getting damaged. The Rutgers tomato seeds were not protected by a patent. This meant other companies could change them. They "evolved" the Rutgers tomato into new types. These new types were better suited for machine picking and long trips.
Bringing the Rutgers Tomato Back
The Jersey Tomato Project
By 2006, there wasn't much interest in bringing back the old Rutgers tomato. But things changed! In 2009, scientists at the New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station (NJAES) started a special project. They called it the Jersey Tomato Project. Their goal was to bring back the famous Rutgers tomato.
Scientists found out that Campbell Soup still had some original tomato seeds. These seeds came from the parent plants of the first Rutgers tomato. From 2009 to 2014, scientists worked hard. They grew and tested many tomato plants. They also learned that changes in soil could affect the taste. For example, some fertilizers no longer had sodium. A researcher named Dr. Josephy Heckman studied this. He also looked at other important minerals like potassium and boron. These minerals affect how tomatoes taste.
Introducing the Rutgers 250
After many experiments and taste tests, they finally succeeded! They created a new tomato called the Rutgers 250 tomato. It was named to celebrate a big event. The university was founded 250 years ago in the same year the tomato was released.
