Et Tu, Tomate?
Posted by Allison at 4/16/2008 6:48 PM and is filed under uncategorized 
This week my ex called to say that it was time to get back into raw again, so I now have a raw "partner" nearby, which is pretty cool. I've so lost my motivation. Who knows why? We went shopping and I got the usual veggies as well as fruit to put in the green juices. I chose honeydew, grapes and cantaloupe. I also have basil, garlic and ginger for flavoring and even got some cardamom powder. Another thing I bought was wheat grass powder. My experience with juicing and blending wheat grass was so bad that when one of my raw Twitter buddies suggested the powdered version, I thought why not? I'll try anything once. I lent my ex my Jack LaLanne Power Juicer and kept the VitaMix for myself.
I decided to eat raw during the day today (breakfast and lunch) and to only drink juices when I got home. My juice tasted fine, despite the fact that I was expecting the worst (based on my recent experience). I used honeydew, grape tomatoes, an Asian pear (so cute!), cucumber, ginger, romaine, celery, and a little wheat grass powder. I'm really thinking that making juice and saving it for later ruins the taste for me. I can almost always drink juices right after I make them, even when I am not in love with the flavor.
When I was washing the vegetables I happened to glance at the label on the grape tomatoes and just about flipped: they put WAX on the tomatoes "to maintain freshness." WHAT???? I felt almost as if I'd been assaulted. I already knew about wax on apples and cucumbers. I never blend my cucumbers without peeling them first if they are not organic. But now, tomatoes? How many foods am I eating that have wax on them? I wonder how safe that stuff is to eat when all you eat is produce.
So... how do you peel a tomato?
I did a little internet research. Apparently some produce, such as apples, produce their own wax coating. One site says the coating reformulates after awhile even after you wash it off. Another says that "extensive washing" removes that natural wax, but then the man-made wax (some of which have additional preservative chemicals mixed in) are applied. Why am I not surprised at the lack of clear information? Some people believe that anything that doesn't grow on the fruit or vegetable naturally is bad, while some prefer one type of wax over another. The wax found on organic produce is usually made from vegetation or insects, and must not include fungicides or preservatives. Other waxes are petroleum-based (and are sometimes referred to as "mineral wax"). I'd prefer not to eat these waxes at all. Below are links to three sites that talk about wax and produce.
I love how even if you get away from eating 100% raw, you are right back at it again, Allison. You RAWk! How cool of you to help your ex, too. You are a kind soul.
As for the wax on fruits and veggies, it drives me nuts. I'm hoping when we move to California that the foods won't need to be preserved with wax, since we'll be eating them right there where they are grown. That's my hope, anyway, until we have a large enough garden to sustain us!
Lots of love to you,
Wendi
XOXOXO
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Hi Allison, I've just discovered your blog and I'm really enjoying reading through it--love to read about your journey! I have a raw foods diet wiki website also that I'm hoping to fill with advice from others...Would you mind if I posted a link to your blog on my site? It's at:
http://rawfoodsdiet.wetpaint.com
Thanks!
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That's sick about the wax on tomatoes! I didn't realize they did that, I thought it was just apples and cucumbers sometimes. I will keep my eye peeled when I am shopping from now on. Thanks for sharing the info!!
Penni
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Firstly, darling, raw is a challenge for even the most disciplined. Sending lots of love & encouragement your way...it's a process. Don't worry. Just having the knowledge within your consciousness is a blessing. Second, I don't know about the tomatoes, but as for cucumbers, supposedly the English seedless variety which are typically wrapped in plastic are wax-free. I've yet to find anything 100% conclusive on this, but by my own comparison the English skins seem more naturally textured. Just a tidbit for ya.
<3, JMK
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Hey, I've been reading your blogs for a while, but I didn't ever leave a comment because I never got around to the registration thingie. I couldn't let WendiDee, Penni and blaqberry be the only ones commenting. (I saw her first!!!) I thought I was going to bed, but then I was just going to read one more thing... haha!so here I am. Not sleeping and commenting on your blog.
Oh, I got a juicer though! So exciting. No more green hands from juicing. That's so cool that your ex is going to be your raw buddy!
I knew about waxed apples and cucumbers, but I didn't know about tomatoes. Just checked mine. Now I'm wondering about things like my pretty shiny peppers and pears.
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