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- Dec 4, 2011
The report of tomato figs showed up in agricultural journals, like the 1841 Farmers' Register quoted below, and then appeared in cookbooks. At first it seemed like a way to preserve tomatoes for commercial shipping, but never took off for that.
The Patent Office got involved because it was the forerunner of the USDA and was the government agency involved in promoting agriculture. The introductory letter alludes to the popularity of tomatoes as a health fad in the 1830s.
These tomato figs are delicious.
TOMATO FIGS.
From the American Farmer.
Patent Office, July 10, 1841.
Dear sir,—The medicinal qualities of tomatoes have greatly increased their cultivation, and every new preparation of the article is deserving consideration. A sample of " tomato figs" has just been deposited at the patent office of a very superior quality,—from the taste I should suppose all the good qualities of the fruit are retained. In appearance the drum of tomatoes resembles one of figs so nearly that they might easily be mistaken lor the same.
The sample is deposited by Mrs. Steiger, of this city, and the recipe transmitted with it is enclosed for publication. It is deeply to be regretted that since the periodicals of the day are open to communications, so many valuable improvements are lost to the world barely for the want of publicity. Others may have dried the tomatoes with a recipe, however less successlul.
Very respectfully. H. L. Ellsworth.
Hon. J. S. Skinner.
Take six pounds of sugar to one peck (or 16 lbs.) of the fruit. Scald and remove the skin of the fruit in the usual way. Cook them over a fire, their own juice being sufficient without the addition of water, until the sugar penetrates and they are clarified. They are then taken out, spread on dishes, flattened and dried in the sun. A small quantity of the syrup should be occasionally sprinkled over them whilst drying; after which, pack them down in boxes, treating each layer with powdered sugar. The syrup is afterwards concentrated and bottled for use. They keep well from year to year, and retain surprisingly their flavor, which is nearly that of the best quality of fresh figs. The pear-shaped or single tomatoes answer the purpose best. Ordinary brown sugar may be used, a large portion of which is retained in the syrup.
A peck is eight quarts, but the recipe can be easily cut down.
The "usual way" of removing the skins was to briefly dip the tomatoes in boiling water--scald them as the recipe says--and the skins will become loose enough to slip off with only a little help from a knife.
"Powdered sugar" would refer to a granulated version of the brown sugar, which otherwise might be in chunks. Due to the expense of sugar, the author explains how to waste none, by boiling the sugar-water left in the pan into syrup for future use.
I'm not sure what the author means by single tomatoes, but pear-shaped tomatoes are still available in seed catalogs today, and are just a little larger than cherry tomatoes
The Patent Office got involved because it was the forerunner of the USDA and was the government agency involved in promoting agriculture. The introductory letter alludes to the popularity of tomatoes as a health fad in the 1830s.
These tomato figs are delicious.
TOMATO FIGS.
From the American Farmer.
Patent Office, July 10, 1841.
Dear sir,—The medicinal qualities of tomatoes have greatly increased their cultivation, and every new preparation of the article is deserving consideration. A sample of " tomato figs" has just been deposited at the patent office of a very superior quality,—from the taste I should suppose all the good qualities of the fruit are retained. In appearance the drum of tomatoes resembles one of figs so nearly that they might easily be mistaken lor the same.
The sample is deposited by Mrs. Steiger, of this city, and the recipe transmitted with it is enclosed for publication. It is deeply to be regretted that since the periodicals of the day are open to communications, so many valuable improvements are lost to the world barely for the want of publicity. Others may have dried the tomatoes with a recipe, however less successlul.
Very respectfully. H. L. Ellsworth.
Hon. J. S. Skinner.
Take six pounds of sugar to one peck (or 16 lbs.) of the fruit. Scald and remove the skin of the fruit in the usual way. Cook them over a fire, their own juice being sufficient without the addition of water, until the sugar penetrates and they are clarified. They are then taken out, spread on dishes, flattened and dried in the sun. A small quantity of the syrup should be occasionally sprinkled over them whilst drying; after which, pack them down in boxes, treating each layer with powdered sugar. The syrup is afterwards concentrated and bottled for use. They keep well from year to year, and retain surprisingly their flavor, which is nearly that of the best quality of fresh figs. The pear-shaped or single tomatoes answer the purpose best. Ordinary brown sugar may be used, a large portion of which is retained in the syrup.
A peck is eight quarts, but the recipe can be easily cut down.
The "usual way" of removing the skins was to briefly dip the tomatoes in boiling water--scald them as the recipe says--and the skins will become loose enough to slip off with only a little help from a knife.
"Powdered sugar" would refer to a granulated version of the brown sugar, which otherwise might be in chunks. Due to the expense of sugar, the author explains how to waste none, by boiling the sugar-water left in the pan into syrup for future use.
I'm not sure what the author means by single tomatoes, but pear-shaped tomatoes are still available in seed catalogs today, and are just a little larger than cherry tomatoes
The Farmers' Register, 1841
books.google.com
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