Tomato Leaf Pesto -yay or nay?

NarnianGarden · April 24, 2015

I was under the impression that tomato leaves / vines were toxic and should not be ingested, so great was my surprise when I cam across this recipe:
http://sustainableseedco.com/blog/re...to-leaf-pesto/
Granted, the amount is small. Still, it makes me wonder.. Tomato leave and vines are not something that I'd like to cook with.

This article tackles the same questions...
http://ask.metafilter.com/79079/How-...e-tomato-vines

Worth1 · April 24, 2015

They are poison and I dont think these chefs should be doing it.
One thing leads to another and soon someone will put enough in to get really sick.

Worth

joseph · April 24, 2015

There will not be any eating of tomato leaves in my household.

Douglas_OW · April 24, 2015

I've read several recent references to eating the leaves. I always believed it was dicey, but others seem to highly recommend it:

http://www.rodalenews.com/research-f...ll-these-years

You know if you read it on the Internet, it has to be true; that's the law, isn't it?

Jim

Tomato Beth · April 24, 2015

Well, after doing a quick search, I found the toxic chemicals in the leaves are solanidine, tomatidine, and solasonine. Exposing mice to these chemicals caused their liver weights to increase (I'm assuming this is a bad thing, meaning the liver is overworking to get rid of the toxins, or becoming damaged).
Here's one abstract: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8613903

Here's another one noting that ingesting these compounds caused mice to miscarry during pregnancy: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12453729

Here's the MSDS on solanidine: https://www.mpbio.com/includes/msds/...33-EN-ANSI.pdf

The toxicology discussion is in section 11 and notes that solanidine can cause nausea, vomiting, skin redness, edema, and in high doses, unconsciousness.

The lethal dosage is not determined. My guess is no one wants to volunteer to take a lethal dose of tomato leaves.

The MSDSs on the other 2 chemicals state they don't have enough information on how it affects humans to be able to discuss toxicology in detail.

So, I would not eat them.

Based on this admittedly very limited information, I would highly recommend that anyone who is pregnant or nursing definitely not eat tomato leaves or plant matter (except the tomatoes, of course), unless consulting with their OB or midwife first.

Worth1 · April 24, 2015

It like poppies each variety has different amounts of opium.
At least I would guess.
Not worth it.
Rich tomato flavor my eye.

Worth

NarnianGarden · April 25, 2015

So why would anyone want to try and cook with them? Given so many harmless leafy greens available, the risk doesn't seem justifiable. Novelty factor?

loeb · April 25, 2015

Because its a "novelty". One of my friends eats them as an addition to salads or sandwiches, she likes the aroma, so uses them as any other aromatic plant. Personally I like he smell of tomato leaves too, but I'm no so adventurous

I guess in a small amounts it will do nothing to you, if you are not allergic or with some liver problems.
Ok I have checked this and she is using them for the tomatina content. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19514731 So, kind of herbal use. You would have to eat 0,5kg to have the harmfull toxic level so I guess it's pretty safe.

ginger2778 · April 25, 2015

nay nay nay nay nay nay nay nay nay nay nay nay nay nay nay nay

AlittleSalt · April 26, 2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by joseph

There will not be any eating of tomato leaves in my household.

Joseph ... "Respect." Nobody is eating tomato leaves in my house either.

Sun City Linda · April 26, 2015

Somebody posted here a couple years ago the recipe and their comments about how it tasted and more and then Corona Barb closed the thread, which seemed, to me to be a good idea.

**Mischka** · April 26, 2015

This would make for a good episode of Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern.

Tomato Beth · April 27, 2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by Worth1

It like poppies each variety has different amounts of opium.
At least I would guess.
Not worth it.
Rich tomato flavor my eye.

Worth

Being part Lithuanian, it's practically required that I like poppy seeds in just about anything. Poppy seed bread--mmmmm!!.

All parts of poppies except the seeds are quite toxic. The California, Oriental, and Flanders poppies don't have edible seeds.

The only type of poppy that has edible seeds is the Breadseed poppy (papaver somniferum). Papaver somniferum also happens to be the species that is harvested in other parts of the world for opium. Note that using it for opium production in the US is highly illegal, but growing it for gardening/culinary purposes is legal. The one type of poppy used for opium production is not the kind that produces the most seeds. I want the seeds, so I grow Hungarian Blue and Giganteum. They make huge seed heads with lots of seeds. I comb through the seeds to make sure any other flower part hasn't slipped in. I don't want my poppy seed bread to be poisonous.

loeb · April 27, 2015

Your bread won't go poisonous from that. But its still not so nice to find a piece of poppy wood in the bread

There could be a problem if you would soak poppy seeds for too long in cool water, so they would start to sprout. Just slightly sprouted seeds can give nasty migreine for someone who is sensitive to that. Checked on myself, so now I'm boiling them instead of just soaking.. still love the poppyseed cake

Anyway, varietes sound very nice, you have reminded me my childhood and all those poppy heads in autumn drying, kids were eating seeds straight from that.. So nice.

Cole_Robbie · April 27, 2015

The recipe author's web page is here: http://www.gardenbetty.com/contact/

She looks like more of a free spirit than a scientist, so not that she was thinking this, but what I was thinking was that antioxidants tend to bond with toxins and form compounds that are much less easily absorbed by the body. The garlic and olive oil in the recipe could contain the necessary antioxidants to do so. That's why the recipe doesn't make people sick...or at least that is just my guess.

April 24, 2015	#1
NarnianGarden Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: Finland, EU Posts: 2,550	Tomato Leaf Pesto -yay or nay? I was under the impression that tomato leaves / vines were toxic and should not be ingested, so great was my surprise when I cam across this recipe: http://sustainableseedco.com/blog/re...to-leaf-pesto/ Granted, the amount is small. Still, it makes me wonder.. Tomato leave and vines are not something that I'd like to cook with. This article tackles the same questions... http://ask.metafilter.com/79079/How-...e-tomato-vines

April 24, 2015	#5
Tomato Beth Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2014 Location: PA 6b Posts: 277	Well, after doing a quick search, I found the toxic chemicals in the leaves are solanidine, tomatidine, and solasonine. Exposing mice to these chemicals caused their liver weights to increase (I'm assuming this is a bad thing, meaning the liver is overworking to get rid of the toxins, or becoming damaged). Here's one abstract: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8613903 Here's another one noting that ingesting these compounds caused mice to miscarry during pregnancy: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12453729 Here's the MSDS on solanidine: https://www.mpbio.com/includes/msds/...33-EN-ANSI.pdf The toxicology discussion is in section 11 and notes that solanidine can cause nausea, vomiting, skin redness, edema, and in high doses, unconsciousness. The lethal dosage is not determined. My guess is no one wants to volunteer to take a lethal dose of tomato leaves. The MSDSs on the other 2 chemicals state they don't have enough information on how it affects humans to be able to discuss toxicology in detail. So, I would not eat them. Based on this admittedly very limited information, I would highly recommend that anyone who is pregnant or nursing definitely not eat tomato leaves or plant matter (except the tomatoes, of course), unless consulting with their OB or midwife first. __________________ I'm a geek and a mom, and I write about it at Confessions of a Geeky Mom: http://confessionsofageekymom.com/ Last edited by Tomato Beth; April 24, 2015 at 08:09 PM.

April 25, 2015	#8
loeb Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Poland Posts: 251	Because its a "novelty". One of my friends eats them as an addition to salads or sandwiches, she likes the aroma, so uses them as any other aromatic plant. Personally I like he smell of tomato leaves too, but I'm no so adventurousI guess in a small amounts it will do nothing to you, if you are not allergic or with some liver problems. Ok I have checked this and she is using them for the tomatina content. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19514731 So, kind of herbal use. You would have to eat 0,5kg to have the harmfull toxic level so I guess it's pretty safe. Last edited by loeb; April 25, 2015 at 03:53 AM.

April 26, 2015	#12
Mischka Tomatoville® Administrator Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: The Bay State Posts: 3,207	This would make for a good episode of Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern. __________________ Mischka One last word of farewell, Dear Master and Mistress. Whenever you visit my grave, say to yourselves with regret but also with happiness in your hearts at the remembrance of my long happy life with you: "Here lies one who loved us and whom we loved." No matter how deep my sleep I shall hear you, and not all the power of death can keep my spirit from wagging a grateful tail.

April 24, 2015	#2
Worth1 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Den of Drunken Fools Posts: 38,539	They are poison and I dont think these chefs should be doing it. One thing leads to another and soon someone will put enough in to get really sick. Worth

April 24, 2015	#3
joseph Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2013 Location: Cache Valley, N/E of The Great Salt Lake Posts: 1,244	There will not be any eating of tomato leaves in my household.

April 24, 2015	#4
Douglas_OW Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: NJ z5 Posts: 281	I've read several recent references to eating the leaves. I always believed it was dicey, but others seem to highly recommend it: http://www.rodalenews.com/research-f...ll-these-years You know if you read it on the Internet, it has to be true; that's the law, isn't it? Jim

April 25, 2015	#9
ginger2778 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Plantation, Florida zone 10 Posts: 9,283	nay nay nay nay nay nay nay nay nay nay nay nay nay nay nay nay

April 26, 2015	#11
Sun City Linda Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: SoCal Inland Posts: 2,705	Somebody posted here a couple years ago the recipe and their comments about how it tasted and more and then Corona Barb closed the thread, which seemed, to me to be a good idea.

April 27, 2015	#14
loeb Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Poland Posts: 251	Your bread won't go poisonous from that. But its still not so nice to find a piece of poppy wood in the bread There could be a problem if you would soak poppy seeds for too long in cool water, so they would start to sprout. Just slightly sprouted seeds can give nasty migreine for someone who is sensitive to that. Checked on myself, so now I'm boiling them instead of just soaking.. still love the poppyseed cake Anyway, varietes sound very nice, you have reminded me my childhood and all those poppy heads in autumn drying, kids were eating seeds straight from that.. So nice.

April 27, 2015	#15
Cole_Robbie Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Illinois, zone 6 Posts: 8,407	The recipe author's web page is here: http://www.gardenbetty.com/contact/ She looks like more of a free spirit than a scientist, so not that she was thinking this, but what I was thinking was that antioxidants tend to bond with toxins and form compounds that are much less easily absorbed by the body. The garlic and olive oil in the recipe could contain the necessary antioxidants to do so. That's why the recipe doesn't make people sick...or at least that is just my guess.