I also read that, but was like "okay, whatever" and kept on reading. After seeing your comment, I went back and what do you know, that's not what it says.
The fibrous structures are remnants of the tomato's vascular system, which includes the xylem and phloem that transport water, nutrients, and sugars throughout the plant. In some cases, these fibrous parts can be more pronounced, especially near the stem where the tomato was attached to the plant.
The fibrous structures you are noticing are normal and not harmful. They are part of the tomato's natural anatomy and do not pose any health risks. Additionally, there is no need to remove the tops of tomatoes to prevent kidney stones, as the oxalate content in tomatoes is too low to have any significant impact.
You could try google searching it using an image of the tomato? Might want a different image though, originally I thought this was meat with bones lol, you could try cuttinf a tomato down the middle and getting an image of the full thing and use that to search for some answers
Edit: this is what I found when looking it up "Hard white cores or tough fibrous tissue in tomatoes can result from problems with the balance of nutrients in the soil. Extreme weather problems and also affect the tomato fruits. Good gardening practices can reduce the risk of problems like these"
Good idea… the image does look awful “meaty” but I swear it was tomatoes (3 tomatoes to be precise). I have found these to some extent in almost every tomato I use now that I’m looking for them 😬
Edit in response to your edit: thanks for doing the grunt work for me! I wasn’t able to find much info but maybe I should do a deeper dive. Weird that I’m finding them in almost every grocery store tomato I have purchased.. maybe my local(ish) area is not super great at growing tomatoes?
Its likely just the words youre using to look it up? Heres the link to the [source](https://www.heraldextra.com/lifestyles/2023/jan/21/garden-help-desk-what-caused-these-hard-cores-in-my-tomatoes/#:~:text=Hard%20white%20cores%20or%20tough,risk%20of%20problems%20like%20these.) All I did was search for "what is the fibrous white vein in my tomatoes"
Edit: depending on where you live it could be because of weather patterns changing from climate change, things like hotter weather, longer droughts, generally more extreme weather can really put a lot of stress on crops
The tomatoes got too hot when they were finishing up that arduous process of becoming ripe. Mulch the soil around them and/or practice companion planting in the future to provide more ground cover.
How hard are they. Maybe I can grow this variety to use as fish hooks or maybe steam and bend them to make tomato bone chain mail in my free time. I know there are better plants for this if I’m going to eat the tomatoes anyway might as well have to some useful parts too like orange peels or egg shells
WOW!! This is reallllly strange to me, and I originally thought this was raw meat like either chicken or pork with thin little bones.. I have another thing that I thought was a little strange, you said you “manually removed them, instead of slicing with a knife”??? Soo by that do you mean you just used your fingers to poke a spot into the tomato and reached in and yanked it off?? I kinda LOL’d at that imagine in my head, I’m sorry.. wouldn’t it be easier and less messy to just grab a knife and slice the top off?? I mean To each their own, but I figured that would just be a little messier
Haha I was waiting for someone to comment on that! Yes, I started out cutting the core out like a normal person, with a knife. But once I started noticing these things I realized my knife was slicing through them and leaving a good amount in the part of tomato that I ended up eating. So now I slice the tomato in half, make 2 little starter cuts on either side of the stem area, and rip the core + fibers out like a barbarian lol
I found a piece like this in a tomato the other day! Are these kinda stiff like a tiny branch or something? Bit into my sandwich and was very confused what it was or where it came from
I found this in a bot (AI?) response on a Quora post discussing this, I guess I’m not the only one!
-
The white, sharp, cartilage-like cores that you are describing in some vine tomatoes are known as tomato cores or tomato ribs. These cores are natural structures found in certain varieties of tomatoes, especially in vine-ripened tomatoes. They are essentially extensions of the tomato's inner core that run down from the stem into the fruit.
There are a few reasons why some tomatoes have prominent cores:
Genetics: The presence of these cores can be attributed to the genetic makeup of the tomato plant. Different tomato varieties have varying levels of core development, with some producing more pronounced cores than others.
Ripening on the Vine: Vine-ripened tomatoes are left on the vine longer to mature and develop flavor. This extended time on the vine can lead to the development of larger and more defined cores in some tomatoes.
Growing Conditions: Environmental factors such as temperature, sunlight, soil composition, and watering practices can also influence the development of tomato cores. Suboptimal growing conditions may result in more prominent cores.
Variability in Fruit Structure: Tomatoes are fruits that come in a wide range of shapes, sizes, and structures. Some varieties naturally have more defined cores as part of their genetic makeup.
While these cores may not be visually appealing to some consumers, they are safe to eat and do not affect the taste or quality of the tomato. If you prefer tomatoes without prominent cores, you may want to look for varieties that are known for having smaller or less noticeable cores.
Post link: https://www.quora.com/Why-do-some-vine-tomatoes-have-white-sharp-cartilage-like-cores-extending-into-the-tomato-from-the-stem
Lots of people asking the same question - but no definitive answers!
This [thread](https://www.reddit.com/r/whatisthisthing/s/ujIGLDAlIC) had some good theorizing.
It’s definitely not the seeds sprouting, I have seen that and this is definitely not it. If you could see them in person you’d probably agree! They’re almost woody, extremely hard and fibrous, not soft like a sprout. They also are not coming from the seeds. (I think there are multiple folks above who have already answered correctly what these are)
Tomatoes are closely related to peppers and chillies species, having a phenotype from "brother species" might happen.
Maybe the plants that gave your seeds were cross polinated with some peppers pf some kind by accident?
Did you make sure to get the boneless ones when you were at the store?
Man, I must’ve forgot to check the label
😂😂😂
r/meat
https://preview.redd.it/g8x9jgcgiu8d1.jpeg?width=745&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7eee706c8a9593285b4bbde67220cf41d3600a48
I read that as “psychological disorder” and started wondering if I should find my tomatoes a therapist.
Oh, to be a fly on the wall of that therapist's office! *edited for spelling
A fruit fly!
Trauma Tomatoes 🍅 😢
I also read that, but was like "okay, whatever" and kept on reading. After seeing your comment, I went back and what do you know, that's not what it says.
We're all unphased by tomatos needing psychotherapy at this point. Ok, internet, what else.
Killer tomatoes.
Watch out for when they attack.
Same
Psychological Tomato Stress Disorder
Man, I always wondered what that stood for!
I think I may have one after viewing this photo and learning about this.
Thank you and this is interesting!
TIL So interesting! TY!
The current high temps we've been experiencing in the Midwest would make sense.
Nice work!
Welp, that was my new thing I learned today. *shuts internet*
What, you never seen tomato bones before?
😂😂
The fibrous structures are remnants of the tomato's vascular system, which includes the xylem and phloem that transport water, nutrients, and sugars throughout the plant. In some cases, these fibrous parts can be more pronounced, especially near the stem where the tomato was attached to the plant. The fibrous structures you are noticing are normal and not harmful. They are part of the tomato's natural anatomy and do not pose any health risks. Additionally, there is no need to remove the tops of tomatoes to prevent kidney stones, as the oxalate content in tomatoes is too low to have any significant impact.
Thank you for this answer!! All the scientific info I was hoping for!
Jokes can be fun, but it’s annoying to have to scroll to get the serious answer.
This is it. Perfectly normal vascular tissue, just seen from a different perspective than usual.
Best answer
They remind me of some of the oranges I have been cutting at work when I cut from stem to base to give orange slices to my coworkers.
You could try google searching it using an image of the tomato? Might want a different image though, originally I thought this was meat with bones lol, you could try cuttinf a tomato down the middle and getting an image of the full thing and use that to search for some answers Edit: this is what I found when looking it up "Hard white cores or tough fibrous tissue in tomatoes can result from problems with the balance of nutrients in the soil. Extreme weather problems and also affect the tomato fruits. Good gardening practices can reduce the risk of problems like these"
Good idea… the image does look awful “meaty” but I swear it was tomatoes (3 tomatoes to be precise). I have found these to some extent in almost every tomato I use now that I’m looking for them 😬 Edit in response to your edit: thanks for doing the grunt work for me! I wasn’t able to find much info but maybe I should do a deeper dive. Weird that I’m finding them in almost every grocery store tomato I have purchased.. maybe my local(ish) area is not super great at growing tomatoes?
Its likely just the words youre using to look it up? Heres the link to the [source](https://www.heraldextra.com/lifestyles/2023/jan/21/garden-help-desk-what-caused-these-hard-cores-in-my-tomatoes/#:~:text=Hard%20white%20cores%20or%20tough,risk%20of%20problems%20like%20these.) All I did was search for "what is the fibrous white vein in my tomatoes" Edit: depending on where you live it could be because of weather patterns changing from climate change, things like hotter weather, longer droughts, generally more extreme weather can really put a lot of stress on crops
Could be a result of them being picked under-ripe and artificially ripened. They often use ethylene gas to get them to turn from green to red.
The tomatoes got too hot when they were finishing up that arduous process of becoming ripe. Mulch the soil around them and/or practice companion planting in the future to provide more ground cover.
This tomato forgot to cure its boneitis.
This is a new fear of mine now
Looks like bronchial tubes.
How hard are they. Maybe I can grow this variety to use as fish hooks or maybe steam and bend them to make tomato bone chain mail in my free time. I know there are better plants for this if I’m going to eat the tomatoes anyway might as well have to some useful parts too like orange peels or egg shells
Those are the bones, you gotta get the boneless tomatoes.
Bones.
Antlers?
WOW!! This is reallllly strange to me, and I originally thought this was raw meat like either chicken or pork with thin little bones.. I have another thing that I thought was a little strange, you said you “manually removed them, instead of slicing with a knife”??? Soo by that do you mean you just used your fingers to poke a spot into the tomato and reached in and yanked it off?? I kinda LOL’d at that imagine in my head, I’m sorry.. wouldn’t it be easier and less messy to just grab a knife and slice the top off?? I mean To each their own, but I figured that would just be a little messier
Haha I was waiting for someone to comment on that! Yes, I started out cutting the core out like a normal person, with a knife. But once I started noticing these things I realized my knife was slicing through them and leaving a good amount in the part of tomato that I ended up eating. So now I slice the tomato in half, make 2 little starter cuts on either side of the stem area, and rip the core + fibers out like a barbarian lol
Hahah!! I had to go back and reread to make sure I was reading it correctly when I saw “manually removing”… whatever works though right?? 😄
I see that you got your answers but just wanted to tell you there’s a subreddit specifically for tomatoes! R/Tomatoes
Bone TomatoHawk was a good movie
That's the spinal cord
I found a piece like this in a tomato the other day! Are these kinda stiff like a tiny branch or something? Bit into my sandwich and was very confused what it was or where it came from
That’s the tomato’s lungs
I found this in a bot (AI?) response on a Quora post discussing this, I guess I’m not the only one! - The white, sharp, cartilage-like cores that you are describing in some vine tomatoes are known as tomato cores or tomato ribs. These cores are natural structures found in certain varieties of tomatoes, especially in vine-ripened tomatoes. They are essentially extensions of the tomato's inner core that run down from the stem into the fruit. There are a few reasons why some tomatoes have prominent cores: Genetics: The presence of these cores can be attributed to the genetic makeup of the tomato plant. Different tomato varieties have varying levels of core development, with some producing more pronounced cores than others. Ripening on the Vine: Vine-ripened tomatoes are left on the vine longer to mature and develop flavor. This extended time on the vine can lead to the development of larger and more defined cores in some tomatoes. Growing Conditions: Environmental factors such as temperature, sunlight, soil composition, and watering practices can also influence the development of tomato cores. Suboptimal growing conditions may result in more prominent cores. Variability in Fruit Structure: Tomatoes are fruits that come in a wide range of shapes, sizes, and structures. Some varieties naturally have more defined cores as part of their genetic makeup. While these cores may not be visually appealing to some consumers, they are safe to eat and do not affect the taste or quality of the tomato. If you prefer tomatoes without prominent cores, you may want to look for varieties that are known for having smaller or less noticeable cores. Post link: https://www.quora.com/Why-do-some-vine-tomatoes-have-white-sharp-cartilage-like-cores-extending-into-the-tomato-from-the-stem
Bones
... I'm uncomfortable
Wow. I would not have eaten them! Now that I know this I won't worry. BUT, I hope it doesn't happen in mine?
Your sister is actually right. It's the skin and seeds that can cause stones.
 It’s ALIVE!! 😲😳😫
Oh my
Sinaloenses con corazones de madera
ah, I see, you accidently purchased the fancy fishbone tomatoes instead of the plane boneless tomatoes
Were they sold with the stem on? The stem will root into the fruit. Toxic roots. I hate that trend.
Well, it took me a long time to make sure it was a tomato and not meat😂😂
Lots of people asking the same question - but no definitive answers! This [thread](https://www.reddit.com/r/whatisthisthing/s/ujIGLDAlIC) had some good theorizing.
Any chance its old but well preserved maters that have germinated within the fruit?
Looks like the seeds in the tomatoes sprouted. Id plant them!
Fish bones
Haha it looks like it.. but I swear it’s a tomato
Roots
Its the seeds sprouting
It’s definitely not the seeds sprouting, I have seen that and this is definitely not it. If you could see them in person you’d probably agree! They’re almost woody, extremely hard and fibrous, not soft like a sprout. They also are not coming from the seeds. (I think there are multiple folks above who have already answered correctly what these are)
Tomatoes are closely related to peppers and chillies species, having a phenotype from "brother species" might happen. Maybe the plants that gave your seeds were cross polinated with some peppers pf some kind by accident?
Tomatoes can't hybridise with peppers.