At this time of year, when tomato lovers put tomatoes on everything but their breakfast cereal, it is hard to believe that there was a time in its history when the tomato was considered poisonous and too dangerous to eat.

Author Arthur Allen paid a visit to NPR this weekend to discuss the history of the tomato and his new book, "Ripe: The Search for the Perfect Tomato."

Remarkably, the consumers' desire for tomatoes that taste great are changing the way the tomato is farmed. With the popularity of heirloom tomatoes and the general dissatisfaction with anything that can be found in winter in the grocery store, the tomato business is changing.