Beware! Beware!
Tomatoes contain poisons!

The grand prize for fearfulness went, however, to the British. Mislead by a famous horticulturalist, they came to believe that tomatoes contained dangerous poisons. Tomatoes could make you sick, they feared, or perhaps a little crazy, or maybe even kill you.

We now know this was all bunk. Tomatoes are one of the healthiest things you can eat. They contain lots of essential vitamins and minerals. They are very good for you.

But for hundreds of years — in fact, right up into the late 1800's — this false belief kept most people in the English-speaking world away from even giving tomatoes a try.

Tomatoes finally become a U.S. favorite

What turned the tide? It was the immigration of lots of Italians to the United States — first, hundreds of thousands and then eventually millions — looking for a better life for themselves and their children.

This happened over a stretch of about 30 years beginning in the 1880's. Some of these newcomers came to Massachusetts and settled in Boston's North End. Some of them ended up seeking work picking vegetables on Arlington farms. And guess what: they were healthy; they had plenty of energy; they worked hard; and they ate lots of tomatoes.

This time seeing was believing; and New Englanders realized that maybe tomatoes weren't so dangerous after all. They decided to give them a try. Once that happened, interest in tomatoes took off. They quickly became a popular food all around the country.

This sudden interest in things tomato got a big boost when scientists at the Campbell Company in New Jersey figured out how to make soups that could be canned and sold to ordinary households at prices they could afford.

Campbell's tomato soup turned out to be one of the most popular choices the company offered. Even today it remains one of Campbell's top sellers.