Green tomatoes cause nausea

Christine Albert studied German linguistics and literature as well as Scandinavian studies at the Albert Ludwigs University in Freiburg. She is currently doing a traineeship at Hubert Burda Media and is writing, among other things, for

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There are extra types of tomatoes that look green - and there are unripe tomatoes that are still green. A mix-up is fatal: If you eat too many unripe tomatoes, you are at risk of symptoms of poisoning.

Poisonous solanine

Sweet and sour pickled or processed into jam, green, unripe harvested tomatoes are considered a delicacy in some regions. But caution is advised: tomatoes, like potatoes, belong to the nightshade family. When immature, they contain large amounts of poisonous solanine to protect themselves from predators, warns the Bavarian Consumer Center.

If too much solanine is ingested, it can lead to headaches, stomach pain, nausea and vomiting. Children are particularly at risk and shouldn't eat unripe tomatoes at all. On the other hand, when they are ripe, even the smallest ones can safely access it. Because the solanine is broken down during fruit ripening.

Use only special green varieties

The bitter taste of the solanine can sometimes be masked by spices, sweetness or acidity during preparation. But cooking or frying in no way reduces the solanine content. That is why the consumer advice center recommends only using fruits of special green varieties for jams, chutneys or the like, which only contain small amounts of solanine when ripe.

If you are not sure whether the tomato variety is green or the fruit is simply not yet ripe, ask the seller in the store or at the market. He can tell you more about the varieties in the display and thus prevent mix-ups. (approx / dpa)

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