Coconut, Coppertone, saltwater, freshly cut grass and charcoal heating on the grill. These are some of the smells that reminded me of summer while I was growing up. And now as a gardener, tomato leaves make that happy list.
While there’s no shortage of Coppertone and saltwater on a California summer day (or any day in any season here, for that matter), the one smell that truly ushers in summer and closes it out is the heady, earthy, viney, fragrant aroma of fresh tomato leaves as you brush against them — either to stake up the vines in June or to pull up the last lingering plants in October.
Have you ever wondered where, exactly, that distinctive smell comes from?
It’s not in the fruit, no matter how richly perfumed that heirloom variety may be. It’s only in the leaves, stems, and sepals (those little green “hats” on the flowers and fruits), and even on tiny seedlings that have barely seen the sun. It’s an unmistakable scent that no other plant shares, and people either love it or they hate it.
If you examine a tomato plant up close, you may notice that the foliage is covered in short, fine, hair-like structures. These hairs (what I affectionately dub tomato fuzz) are known as trichomes, and they serve a variety of functions and exist on many other plants as well.
On a tomato plant, several types of trichomes are found on the stems, leaves, and sepals.
One type works to reduce evaporation of water by trapping moisture on the surface of the leaf. Another helps shield the plant against environmental stresses like extreme temperatures, and yet another type, glandular trichomes, contains crystals and oils in the bulbous section of the structures, seen here on the ends.
Images by University of California, Davis.
It’s believed that these crystals and oils are part of the plant’s defense mechanisms. They produce an unpleasant feel, taste, and smell meant to protect the plant from insects that might feed on its foliage.
The essential oils are responsible for giving the tomato plant its characteristic smell, as well as the sticky yellow secretion you’ve probably had all over your hands after a day of harvesting tomatoes.
(As an aside, you might remember this post I wrote about a glycoalkaloid called tomatine that’s present in tomato leaves; it’s stored in the glandular trichomes as well.)
Within the oils, the volatile compounds that contribute most to tomato leaf scent are (Z)-3-hexenal, limonene, hexanal, (E)-2-hexenal, eugenol, 1,8-cineole, caryophyllene, beta-phellandrene, humulene, and linalool. It’s a little ironic that what might be considered “unpleasant” by pests can in fact be so intoxicating to the rest of us!
Like it or not, these compounds, collectively, are exclusive to tomato trichomes. If you want to add a distinctively tomatoey flavor to your tomato sauce or tomato soup, simply steep a few sprigs of tomato leaves in the pot the same way you would steep some bay leaves.
As the trichomes burst and release their oils, the herbal aroma will infuse your dish with a deeper layer of flavor that can only be described as… summer!
53 Comments
Lindsey Dougherty
September 17, 2015 at 11:25 pmLindsey Dougherty liked this on Facebook.
Dorothy Sides Frederick
September 17, 2015 at 11:25 pmDorothy Sides Frederick liked this on Facebook.
Plantasy
September 17, 2015 at 11:25 pmPlantasy liked this on Facebook.
Ellen Riingen
September 17, 2015 at 10:00 pmVicki – As I was just saying…..
Vicki Toler
September 17, 2015 at 10:04 pmVery interesting. Thanks for sharing.
Aimee Levens
September 17, 2015 at 9:46 pmWay cool. And it makes yer fingers green too! I like making a tomato leaf spray to keep away bad bugs…works great!
Linda Ly
September 18, 2015 at 6:42 amYellow, green, and sometimes even black if you really get a lot of that tomato “tar” on your hands… it all comes from the essential oils in the foliage!
Lindsey Dougherty
September 17, 2015 at 3:42 pmInteresting part about steeping the leaves to bolden the flavor.
Garden Betty
September 18, 2015 at 6:37 amI often do this with homemade sauces, especially if I’m using canned tomatoes or tomatoes that aren’t fully ripe yet.
Mallory L. N. Johnson
September 17, 2015 at 3:20 pmMallory L. N. Johnson liked this on Facebook.
theGardenBetty
September 17, 2015 at 12:02 pmIt’s an unmistakable scent that no other plant shares. Smells of Summer: Fresh, Fragrant Tomato Leaves http://t.co/vamOgdQnjx #gardenchat
thefolia
September 17, 2015 at 10:47 amThat’s a whole lot of intricate details about the lovely plant…the sent reminds me of my grandmother and her patch of land. I will have to try the leaves in a dish…thanks for the idea!
Linda Ly
September 17, 2015 at 11:34 amEnjoy!
David Miccinello
September 17, 2015 at 9:10 amDavid Miccinello liked this on Facebook.
GlobalLocavore
September 17, 2015 at 8:13 amSteep #tomato leaves into your next sauce for an added level of flavour <- genius #cooking tip! http://t.co/40qctmPUtD via @theGardenBetty
Kimberley Robertson
September 17, 2015 at 8:05 amKimberley Robertson liked this on Facebook.
Francine Mastini
September 17, 2015 at 7:20 amFrancine Mastini liked this on Facebook.
Lisa Steele
September 17, 2015 at 7:20 amLisa Steele liked this on Facebook.
Nicole Bond
September 17, 2015 at 7:20 amNicole Bond liked this on Facebook.
Beverly Osborn
September 17, 2015 at 7:20 amBeverly Osborn liked this on Facebook.
Lydia Ann
September 17, 2015 at 7:20 amLydia Ann liked this on Facebook.
McKenzie
September 17, 2015 at 6:59 amMaybe this is just an old wives’ tale, but I thought tomato leaves were poisonous? Is it not dangerous to add them to food? Because otherwise that sounds amazing!!
thefolia
September 17, 2015 at 10:49 amThey used to think that tomatoes were poisonous, maybe that’s why you recall it. Tomatoes are a nightshade and tend to trigger toxins and create inflammation like other nightshades but I can’t resist a juicy off the vine tomato!
McKenzie
September 17, 2015 at 1:07 pmI eat my weight in fresh tomatoes! I was just wondering about the leaves 🙂
Linda Ly
September 17, 2015 at 11:33 amNot poisonous! 🙂 I cover that myth in more detail here: http://www.gardenbetty.com/2013/08/tomato-leaves-the-toxic-myth/
I also have a couple of recipes that use tomato leaves in my book, The CSA Cookbook: http://www.thecsacookbook.com
McKenzie
September 17, 2015 at 1:07 pmVery cool! Thanks for the info.
Nicole Bond
September 17, 2015 at 6:58 amExcellent research and point of view!! Thanks Garden Betty!
Nicole Bond
September 17, 2015 at 6:59 amPlus, I’ve always loved the smell of my tomato plants while I garden. This is great!
Melissa Serviss Unkle
September 17, 2015 at 6:35 amMelissa Serviss Unkle liked this on Facebook.
Maddalena Cantoni
September 17, 2015 at 6:35 amMaddalena Cantoni liked this on Facebook.
Carolyn Harvey
September 17, 2015 at 6:35 amCarolyn Harvey liked this on Facebook.
Laurie Smith
September 17, 2015 at 6:35 amLaurie Smith liked this on Facebook.
Maddalena Cantoni
September 17, 2015 at 6:19 amwhen cropping tomatoes I start being careful not to be covered with green but after a while I surrender and at the end I feel I’m a vegetable
theGardenBetty
September 17, 2015 at 6:10 amBlogged on Garden Betty: Smells of Summer: Fresh, Fragrant Tomato Leaves http://t.co/5GFx9s4KeZ