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Is it OK to eat sound tomatoes from blighted plants?

(8 Posts)
CarrotTop Tue 08-Sept-26 15:29:38

I've been growing toms for years but this year all my beefsteaks (Brandywine Pink) have developed gnarled blackened fruits. After the heatwaves I thought the fruit had just got sunburned but, after the rain, they started to go black as well. I've got rid of the lot today, but rescued half a dozen fruits (some almost ripe, some green) which look sound. Is it OK to eat them or do they carry blight spores?

Oreo Tue 08-Sept-26 18:37:23

Well, I wouldn’t eat them.
I grew three different kinds of tomatoes this year and only one was successful the others we threw away after a while.

Farmor15 Tue 08-Sept-26 20:22:34

If they're sound, they'll be OK to eat. Even if they carry blight spores, they won't do you any harm. The fungus only harms tomato and potato plants, though some other types of fungus can produce toxins harmful to humans.

karmalady Tue 08-Sept-26 20:39:29

I did not eat mine, nor put them in my compost. I binned them. Luckily only from one plant but even some of the others were wrinkling in a day or so, they were binned too. I skinned a lot today for a sauce, those were all unblemished

merlotgran Tue 08-Sept-26 20:45:29

I’ve eaten sound tomatoes from blighted plants and I’m still here!

CarrotTop Tue 08-Sept-26 20:54:31

Thanks, all - don't you just love gardeners, they each have their own ideas and experience so it really becomes a matter of suck it and see! I still haven't made my mind up whether or not to eat them - they're absolutely sound and unblemished, not a bit like the other toms on the same vines, so it's tempting.
Tomato sandwich on generously-buttered bread with a glass of cold milk. Heaven! (Or I may end up in Heaven...) grin

Oldnproud Tue 08-Sept-26 20:59:51

At the end of the growing season, I pick unripe tomatoes to ripen indoors, in a cool room.

I dont keep any tomatoes that look the slightest bit blighted at that stage, but some always develop signs of it over the coming weeks. I throw those away, but keep and eat any that still look OK once they are ripe.

Whitewavemark2 Tue 08-Sept-26 21:21:24

You can definitely eat tomatoes from blighted plants, just as you can eat potatoes from blighted plants - unless you haven’t caught them in time.