Abominable Adventure with Green Tomatoes

Today I decided to venture out to a grocery store in Seguin that I had never visited before.  I chose La Michoacana, which means "Meat Market."  I also noticed the word "Fruteria" beneath the sign which meant that it also carried fresh fruits and produce.  I went in with an open mind and ready to try anything.  I browsed around the produce section, and I came across these cute little green vegetables.  They looked like miniature salad heads.  They ranged from about the size of a golf ball to the size of a baseball.  I was able to identify many other fruits and vegetables in the produce section, but this caught my eye because it was unusual looking.  The sign above these miniature-looking salad heads was labeled “Tomatillo” with a description beneath that read, “Large Green Husk Tomatoes.”  I enjoy the taste of sweet, red tomatoes, and I was curious to know how these compared.

After my purchase I did a bit of research on my green tomatoes.  I learned that they are used in many recipes, and they are especially tasty when cooked and seasoned with cheese, butter, and spices. They are popular to use for salad toppings too!  I was pleased to learn that they are a good source of vitamin c and a healthy source of fiber (Ipatenco 1).  This encouraged me even more to try a green tomato because you can't go wrong with something healthy, right?  Although it sounded like a delicious salad topping, I decided to try my green tomato raw.  I wanted to try the natural and real taste without any added flavors.

I peeled the sticky, lettuce-looking skin layer off the tomatoes, and I washed them off in the sink.  Then I used a sharp knife to slice through the tough, rubbery outer texture.  The inside of the tomato was a very light green color and had a firm texture that was surrounded by tiny seeds about a hundredth of an inch big.  It reminded me of the inner appearance of a sweet, green, Granny Smith Apple.

My first reaction after taking a bite into the green tomato was, “Yuck!”  It was a tart, bitter, and slightly sour taste.  I had expected a more flavorful and sweeter taste like a Granny Smith Apple.  (Looks can definitely be deceiving!)  It was crunchy, and I questioned whether or not I wanted to swallow it.  I spit it out, and I tasted a kick of spice in my mouth.  It was an unexpected and unpleasant after-taste that lingered even after I followed it by a glass of water. 

I wondered how anyone could find this taste pleasant, and I read deeper through the article on, What Are the Benefits of Green Tomatoes?”  I was struck by the sentence, “Never eat raw green tomatoes because they have a toxin that can be poisonous” ( Ipatenco 1). I was relieved that I had washed off the green tomatoes before taste testing and that I had not actually digested one.  I had quite an experience, and I know that this was my first and last experience with green tomatoes.  I do not wish to try them again seasoned or flavored and especially not raw.  Although green tomatoes are good in fiber and high in vitamin c, they are just not my cup of tea.  

Citations

Ipatenco, S. (2011, April 2). What are the benefits of green tomatoes?. Retrieved from http://www.livestrong.com/article/413742-what-are-the-benefits-of-green-tomatoes/