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Would you eat a purple tomato?

Do you remember when green ketchup hit the grocery store shelves a few years ago. Or purple ketchup.

I do...my sisters begged my parents to get some of the un-naturally colored stuff one night when we were going to have grilled hamburgers and fries at home.

It was.....weird. Squirting a green fluid over your burger. Purple coloring on the fries. It tasted like ketchup...sort of. But the mental block of not seeing red was overwhelming.

Fast forward a few years and the newest rage about to break into the grocery scene....the purple tomato.

SALEM, Oregon (AP) -- Oregon State University researchers are fine-tuning a purple tomato -- a new blend of colors and nutrients. The skin is as dark as an eggplant. But it doesn't just look cool -- it could be better for you.

The novel pigment contains the same phytochemical found in blueberries that is thought to reduce the risk of cancer and heart disease. Six years in the making, the purple hybrid could hit salad plates in two years.

Genetic origins are not at issue. The purple tomato traces its roots to a wild species in South America, not a petri dish.

Jim Myers, the Oregon State professor overseeing the project, said he doesn't see it changing the world, but it may entice gardeners and commercial growers to try it.

Although locals can't buy the hybrids yet, several got to sample them at farmers markets around the Mid Valley this summer, and a handful got a sneak peek at a local nursery.

Barbara Taylor, of Monmouth, marveled at its color when she saw the tomato last month. "Wow," she said. "It's definitely different."

I don't know about this. First of all....genetically engineered or not, tomatos are supposed to be red. Maybe green sometimes. Even the occasional shade of orange.

Not purple. That's just not right.

They say they were inspired by the pigmentation of blueberries, which are supposed to be good for you. If it reduces the risk of cancers and heart disease...maybe we should all try it.

Posted by Jason Palmer at 3:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)