On Thu, 9 Mar 2006 15:02:03 +0000, Sue Begg wrote:

In message , Pam Moore
writes
On Tue, 08 Mar 2005 06:34:47 +0100, Magwitch wrote:
is it possible to grow tomato plants from seeds taken directly from a
tin
of
peeled plum tomatoes?

My father (now 86) was a Japanese POW on the Burma-Siam railway. In the 4
years of captivity, they only received one Red Cross parcel as the Japs
withheld them (they discovered shed-fulls of RC food and medical supplies in
the camp when the Japs surrendered). He had a choice of either a can of
peaches or one of tomatoes.

Although sorely tempted by the peaches, he chose the tomatoes as he thought
he'd try to grow any seeds, everyone was very doubtful and didn't think
they'd grow, but in the hot humid climate they all germinated and flourished
so the camp got a good source of vitamins. The first thing he did on
arriving at another camp was plant the tomato seeds - earning him the
nickname, 'Tomato Lucas'. He still grows wonderful tomatoes to this day, in
addition to maintaining his 3 acre garden.


Been reading this newsgroup for a long time and simply had to add my
fourpennyworth to this one.
Last year, a few months after a family party I discovered an onion
growing on the compost heap. Nothing unusual in that except that the
bulb was a PICKLED silverskin onion out of a jar. I would have expected
the vinegar to kill any germ of growth in it.
Unfortunately it got thrown away before I thought to take photographs.
Although without 'smellyvision' there would be no way to detect the
vinegar anyway I suppose.

LOL!

Originally of course pickling was designed to keep things from going bad,
and they used to cook the food longer and use a stronger vinegar. Nowadays,
we tend to pickle things for the flavour and weaker vinegar is used, hence
the short use-by dates on pickled onions.

--
Tim C.