A Witch's Touch: How Magic Can Preserve Spoiled Tomatoes

Once upon a time, in a small village, there lived an exceptional witch named Agatha. She was known for her incredible powers and impeccable knowledge of herbs and potions. Agatha was highly respected and feared by the villagers. However, she had a mischievous side that often led her to play pranks on the unsuspecting townsfolk. One summer, Agatha decided to take her pranks a step further. She cast a spell on the tomatoes in the village's garden.

It’d be hard to imagine life without spaghetti Bolognese, saucy pizza, or ketchup-dunked french fries. But once upon a time, tomatoes had a very different reputation. They were considered downright dangerous, physically and morally. Fortunately, everything changed with the Salem Witch Tomato Trial.

The groundwork for this trial was laid long before the Salem Witch Trials when the Aztecs first introduced Spanish Conquistadors to tomatoes, a staple of Mesoamerican cuisine. And although tomatoes were clearly edible the Aztecs ate them, after all it s hard to tell the difference between yellow cherry tomatoes and hallucinogenic mandrake fruit.

She cast a spell on the tomatoes in the village's garden. Overnight, the once ripe and juicy tomatoes turned into spoiled and rotten fruits. The villagers were puzzled and devastated to see their prized harvest destroyed.

America’s Alleged Trial Against Tomatoes, Not Witches, In Salem

According to The Packer Fresh Trends 2021 survey, 54 percent of Americans consumed more veggies last year than the year before. At the top of their grocery lists were staples like potatoes and tomatoes. Of course, discerning Ripley’s fans know tomatoes are fruits, not vegetables. (For everybody else, here are the mind-boggling details.) But the essential point remains the same: whether fresh, frozen, canned, or processed, tomatoes are highly popular grocery items.

It’d be hard to imagine life without spaghetti Bolognese, saucy pizza, or ketchup-dunked french fries. But once upon a time, tomatoes had a very different reputation. They were considered downright dangerous, physically and morally. Fortunately, everything changed with the Salem Witch Tomato Trial.

America’s Most Underrated Salem Trial?

Examination of a Witch by Tompkins Harrison Matteson. Courtesy Peabody Essex Museum.

The Salem Witch Trials of Massachusetts took place between 1692 and 1693 and involved the persecution of roughly 200 individuals accused of sorcery. Of those incriminated, 20 people faced execution, making for a period of hysteria that continues to darken the history of colonial America. But there’s supposedly another trial that took place in Salem — Salem, New Jersey, that is — on September 25, 1820: the Salem Tomato Trial.

The groundwork for this trial was laid long before the Salem Witch Trials when the Aztecs first introduced Spanish Conquistadors to tomatoes, a staple of Mesoamerican cuisine. Even the name “tomato” has come down to us from the Nahuatl term “tomatl,” Uto-Aztecan for “the swelling fruit” (via The Vintage News). No doubt, the Conquistadors enjoyed delish proto-Mexican food among the tribes of Mesoamerica. But when these soldiers of fortune returned to Spain laden with bushels of the seductive red produce, most Europeans didn’t bite.

The Decorative Plant that Didn’t Play Well with Pewter

Despite knowing that tomatoes were edible, most Europeans grew them only as decorative plants. They admired the nightshade’s vibrant colors and delicate, fuzzy leaves. But gardeners couldn’t wrap their heads around, let alone sink their teeth into, devouring them. This attitude persisted not only on the continent but also in the British Isles and the American colonies.

In the late 1700s, the tomato’s reputation took a turn for the worse. With religious fervor at an all-time high, everything came under religious scrutiny. Even the so-called “swelling fruit.” People started fearing tomatoes, associating their unabashed scarlet hue with danger, death, and sin. They nicknamed them “the poison apple,” according to Smithsonian Magazine, alluding to the fruit that got Adam and Eve in so much trouble.

What made the hysteria around tomatoes so tricky to combat? Genuine cases of individuals getting sick or dropping dead after indulging in the fleshy crimson produce. But people of the time failed to recognize the true culprit: pewter. You see, Euro-Americans relied on pewter plates to serve food, including tomatoes. Pewter contains scary amounts of lead, only exacerbated by the highly acidic nature of tomatoes. In other words, the pewter-tomato combo represented the perfect recipe for disaster.

The Salem Tomato Trial of 1820

Little changed regarding the tomato’s reputation over the next century. Countless scholars and physicians weighed in on the matter, classifying them as everything from degenerate aphrodisiacs to toxin-laden curiosities never to be eaten. But one man would allegedly suffer the tomato’s bad rap no longer: Colonel Robert Gibbon Johnson. Disgusted by the unfounded information, he decided to prove once and for all the edibility of tomatoes by staging the Salem Tomato Trial.

The story goes that on September 25, 1820, Johnson stood outside the Salem courthouse in New Jersey with a basket of tomatoes. After a crowd gathered to watch, he downed every single one of the red orbs. To the amazement of the onlookers, Johnson remained conscious, healthy, and free from the symptoms of poisoning. His trial-by-tomato changed many minds. Soon, tomatoes became a staple of New Jersey cuisine.

Tall Tales from Salem

However, it appears that most — if not all — of this fanciful tale is made up. While Colonel Johnson did live in Salem, New Jersey, the story of him eating tomatoes at the courthouse does not appear in contemporary documents until about 90 years after it supposedly took place.

In fact, tomatoes could be found in cookbooks from the time and were even enjoyed by Thomas Jefferson! However, the produce may have been more popular among the wealthy, like Jefferson, and therefore could have had a less-than-appetizing reputation in more rural areas.

Accounts of the Salem Tomato Trial were based on unwritten folklore, and exacerbated by people like Joseph Sickler, a newspaper reporter and Salem’s postmaster, who was brought on by CBS as a “historical consultant” for a radio show which created an audio drama based on the story and presented it as fact.

Much like how stories of the Salem Witch Trials got out of hand over time — there were never any witches burned at the stake in Salem — so it appears that the tale of Salem Tomato Trial did as well.

By Engrid Barnett, contributor for Ripleys.com

Word quickly spread about the mysterious and unfortunate incident. The villagers blamed the witch for their misery. They pleaded with Agatha to reverse the spell and restore their tomatoes. But the mischievous witch refused, finding immense joy in watching the villagers struggle. As days turned into weeks, the spoiled tomatoes became a source of frustration and anger for the villagers. They held meetings, trying to come up with a plan to outsmart the wicked witch. But no matter what they tried, Agatha always seemed to be one step ahead. Finally, a young boy named Oliver came up with a brilliant idea. He approached Agatha with a proposal. He told her that if she could teach him the secrets of her powers, he would willingly become Agatha's apprentice and carry on her legacy. Intrigued by the boy's audacity, Agatha accepted his offer. She agreed to teach Oliver her magical secrets, hoping to mold him into an equally mischievous witch. Together, they spent hours practicing spells and brewing potions. As time went on, Oliver's true nature began to shine through. He showed compassion, empathy, and a genuine desire to help others. Agatha, impressed and surprised by his character, started reconsidering her practices. She realized that her pranks had caused unnecessary pain and suffering. With a newfound understanding, Agatha decided to lift the spell from the tomatoes and make amends with the villagers. The once spoiled tomatoes were magically transformed into the juiciest and tastiest fruits that the villagers had ever seen. From that day forward, Agatha and Oliver worked together to bring joy and happiness to the village. They became beloved members of the community, using their powers to heal the sick and protect the weak. The villagers learned never to judge someone solely based on their actions, for even the most wicked witch can have a change of heart. In this tale of mischief and redemption, Agatha, the exceptional witch, learned a valuable lesson about the consequences of her actions..

Reviews for "Witchcraft and Tomatoes: A Magical Connection for Preservation"

1. Samantha - 2/5 - I had high hopes for "Exceptional Witch Spoiled Tomatoes" as I am a fan of witch-themed novels. However, I found this book to be quite disappointing. The plot was scattered and lacked coherence, making it difficult to follow. The characters were poorly developed, and I couldn't connect with any of them. The writing style was also quite dull and lacked the magic and imagination that I expected from a book in this genre. Overall, "Exceptional Witch Spoiled Tomatoes" did not live up to its potential and left me feeling unsatisfied.

2. James - 1/5 - I regret wasting my time on "Exceptional Witch Spoiled Tomatoes". The storyline was unoriginal and predictable, and I found myself losing interest within the first few chapters. The characters were one-dimensional and lacked depth, making it difficult to care about their fates. Additionally, the writing lacked finesse and failed to captivate my attention. I was hoping for a magical and captivating read, but unfortunately, this book fell flat for me.

3. Emma - 2/5 - While the concept of "Exceptional Witch Spoiled Tomatoes" sounded intriguing, the execution was disappointing. The plot dragged on, and there were many unnecessary subplots that added confusion rather than depth to the story. The characters were also quite forgettable, and I found it challenging to keep track of who was who. Additionally, the writing style was lackluster, lacking descriptive prose or any form of brilliance that would have made the book more enjoyable. Overall, I wouldn't recommend "Exceptional Witch Spoiled Tomatoes" to fellow readers looking for a gripping witchy read.

The Mystical Art of Rescuing Spoiled Tomatoes: A Witch's Toolkit