A Brief History of the Tomato Pincushion

While browsing the dollar store for hair nets, for my new career in the pizza industry, the pincushions hanging on the wall nearby caught my attention, because a pincushion is a tomato.

Did you ever think, “Why the hell is a pincushion a tomato?” I never did until this profound moment, where all the sound and busyness surrounding me in the store disappeared and it seemed as though there was a glorifying light around all the pincushions

Photo credit, Pook & Pook, Inc.

The history of the tomato pincushion is fascinating and I want to share this important information with you:

During the Victorian Era, it was believed that placing a tomato on the mantle of a new home would bring good luck and prosperity and ward off evil spirits. I’m guessing somehow the poised Victorian Women had a connection to a coven of spicy Sicilian witches and this is how they learned about all the mystical properties of the sacred fruit. The vibrant red hue wards off demons and the plump figure of the tomato signifies wealth, prosperity, and beauty.

When tomatoes were out of season, families improvised with round balls of red fabric filled with sawdust, horse hair, or sand, which they also realized served as a convenient place to store sewing pins. It was common in this era to see pincushions in various vegetable shapes. Despite this, the tomato pincushion prevailed and remains the most popular choice (obviously).

I initially thought the mini tomato tassel hanging off the big tomato was a different variety, most likely a plum. I found it curious though and decided to dig a little. Shockingly, I discovered that it was actually a strawberry?!

Tomato Pincushion.