Are late blight tomatoes safe to can up?
Answer
According to Penn State Extension: Tomatoes showing signs of late blight disease should not be used for canning. This applies even to tomatoes with only minor lesions since we cannot be sure that the infestation has spread to the interior of the fruit and the extent of internal infestation is not always clearly visible. We also cannot recommend that consumers eat fresh or freeze diseased tomatoes. The disease organism by itself is not harmful to consume. But the tissue damage and rise in pH (decrease in acidity) that occurs can create conditions that promote the growth of other potentially harmful microorganisms.More information from Penn State here:
Courtesy of NYBG Plant Information Service
Topics
Ask a plant expert
Send us an email or use the question form below.