After the initial Brandywine branch debacle, I’d eyed my last three ginormous Brandywines carefully, hoping they would be OK through further on-plant ripening.
One of them was oddly-shaped, almost like someone had taken two lumps of Play-Doh, one red and one pale green, and slapped them together to make something sort of like a tomato, only not. Two of them are perfectly shaped—lumpy and bumpy as Brandywines are wont to be, but still picture-perfect.
I decided to leave the oddly-shaped one on the vine, even though a good portion of it had fully ripened already. I wanted to see if the mutant, pale green part of it would turn red, as well, and on the vine seemed to be the place to try this.
Upon arriving in the garden on Tuesday night, I discovered that some critter had taken a look at the red part and decided that I was wasting a perfectly good tomato. At least they left it on the plant, rather than eating part of it and casting the whole thing to the ground. But still…I was bitter.
Here’s the tomato immediately below it, decorated with the detritus of the eating event:
Here’s another tomato from the Stupice plant, which was unceremoniously bitten and discarded in the grass:
I looked at the munched-upon Brandywine for a little while. It was so big, after all, and I knew there was no question that what was left would be tasty. I mean, really. It’s a Brandywine. There’s a reason everyone loves them, including the chipmunk or squirrel who clambered up and had an early dinner.
So I did the thing that I would have sworn to you a year ago I would never do. I picked the remaining tomato, took it inside, washed it off, cut off every part that could possibly have been bitten by a rodentatious visitor, and ate the rest.
It was delicious. And so far, I do not have rabies. So that’s good.
on Jul 27th, 2007 at 8:12 am
Desperate times call for desperate measures!
on Jul 27th, 2007 at 8:13 am
Oh, foo…. critters have been eating my garden this year like never before. I didn’t plant any tomatoes — perhaps I couldn’t handle the disappointment? — but my herbs and flowers are under attack from all creatures great and small. Glad you were able to salvage some part of these beautiful tomatoes for your own enjoyment.
on Jul 27th, 2007 at 8:58 am
Umm you definitely need the Jack Russell Terrier, maybe the vet will give you a twofer on the rabies vaccine?
on Jul 27th, 2007 at 9:38 am
What lousy luck you’re having! I’m sorry you’re having so many unwanted events, and glad you were able to enjoy at least part of the Brandywine.
on Jul 27th, 2007 at 10:34 am
Ugh, what a bummer! At least you were able to salvage some. For the record, I’d have done the same thing!
on Jul 27th, 2007 at 2:35 pm
Just don’t show this entry to any fellas–they might avoid kissing for fear of cooties from your “rodentatious visitor.”
on Jul 27th, 2007 at 2:36 pm
PS. You never fail to make me laugh…
on Jul 27th, 2007 at 4:23 pm
you’re being assaulted on all fronts! the animals and teenagers must be conspiring in the alley against you…
on Jul 27th, 2007 at 4:52 pm
I’m glad to see that you are not too prissy like some gardeners. Eat that darned tomato!
LOL!
–Robin (Bumblebee)
on Jul 27th, 2007 at 5:02 pm
Good job not letting the rest of that tomato go to waste. Brandywines are just too precious to, Gasp, throw away! I would have done the same thing.
Now you need to hire an armed guard to watch after the rest of the Brandywines still on the vine!
on Jul 28th, 2007 at 12:54 am
Oh such lovely Redness. Yummo(borrowed from Rachel Ray) I would not worry about a blemish that can be removed either. Thats how I ate my first tomato too this year.
on Jul 28th, 2007 at 1:40 am
I would have done the same thing. After all what’s a little rodent saliva.
on Aug 1st, 2007 at 8:43 am
Michelle, you’re absolutely right!
Lydia, I don’t think I can go without tomatoes, even if it’s a war to get them. I’m sorry you’re getting attacked, though!
Steven, that’s not a bad negotiating point!
Jenny, well, lousy luck is a subjective thing. The fact that I have tomatoes at all is probably pretty miraculous!
Kim, I’m glad I’m not alone.
Jenny, no worries…I won’t be showing the entry to the fellows…at least not until after the incubation period is past.
Bright, uh-oh. Teenagers? Do I need to worry about teenagers, too?
Robin, I’m totally prissy about some stuff, but apparently not tomatoes!
Marc, an armed guard…that’s an idea!
Growthumbs, was your blemish animal-inflicted, too?
Chigiy, that’s sort of what I thought…and I figured judicious cutting would be OK. After all, the rodent couldn’t possibly have licked the whole thing. Right? RIGHT???
on Aug 1st, 2007 at 7:03 pm
I have done exactly the same thing. It is NOT FAIR. Did the chipmunk help you hoe the ground or plant the seed?
I found your blog because of a search for “tomato hornworm”, having just found 5 in my garden in the space of 10 minutes. It looks like you had the same problem last year about this time!
Love your posts.
on Aug 1st, 2007 at 10:06 pm
Brenda, the chipmunk did nada. NADA. This is why I get so irritable. However, the hornworms seem to be leaving me alone this year. At least, that’s what I think. I haven’t seen any yet, at least…
on Aug 6th, 2007 at 10:41 am
[...] 2007 Iowa City , Fruit , Comments , Friends I shocked any number of my citified friends with my rodent-bitten tomato-eating. Protests came in from as far away as North Carolina pleading with me to return to something [...]
on Jul 31st, 2008 at 9:38 pm
I have just ate a tomatoe bitten by a wild animal.I hope that animal does not have rabies!
on Aug 4th, 2008 at 10:09 pm
Juju, did you at least cut away the bitten part?