A gardening experiment carried out by YouTuber and gardening influencer James Prigioni has drawn attention after he successfully grew tomato plants using seeds taken from a McDonald's burger. Prigioni documented the entire process on his YouTube channel and shared it on March 7, turning an ordinary fast‑food meal into a months‑long gardening test. The experiment involved tomatoes taken from McDonald's Quarter Pounders, with Prigioni testing whether the seeds would germinate and produce fruit under normal growing conditions.
Also Read: At 103, This Vadodara Tea Seller Proves Hard Work Has No Age Limit
What James Prigioni Did
In the 22-minute-long video, Prigioni began the experiment by purchasing two Quarter Pounders with cheese from McDonald's. From the first burger, he removed a tomato slice and extracted a few seeds, which he planted in soil. From the second burger, he took another tomato slice and planted the entire slice directly into the soil, without separating the seeds.
Both were initially planted in small containers indoors to check whether any sprouting would occur at all. “For me, it was just about fun,” Prigioni said in his video, explaining that the experiment was driven by curiosity rather than expectation.
From Kitchen Experiment To Growing Plants
Within days, both planting methods showed early signs of growth. After around three weeks, the seedlings were moved outdoors. One plant was transferred to the ground, while the other was planted in a container.
Over a period of more than 120 days, both plants continued to grow, despite inconsistent watering during particularly hot days. The container‑grown plant produced fruit slightly earlier, which Prigioni attributed to stress, while the plant grown in the ground continued to develop more slowly but steadily.
By around day 94, Prigioni began harvesting tomatoes, with both plants eventually producing fruit.
The Harvest And Taste Test
As the experiment continued, the plant grown directly in the soil began producing an unexpectedly large yield, with dozens of tomatoes developing on its branches. “I expected this tomato to grow, but I did not expect this,” Prigioni said. “I've had some plants with a lot of tomatoes on them, but never in my life have I seen a single tomato plant with this much fruit on it.”
He later taste‑tested the tomatoes, describing them as mild, slightly sweet and low in acidity. “No acidity, sweet but a mild sweet,” he said, adding that the tomatoes were easy to eat in larger quantities. The smaller tomatoes produced by the container‑grown plant were described as slightly sweeter.
What Prigioni Said About The Seeds
Prigioni noted that tomatoes used in fast‑food burgers are typically hybrid varieties, bred for durability and consistency rather than replanting. Because of this, the plants grown from such seeds may not produce fruit that is identical to the original tomato.
“The tomatoes are likely hybrids,” he explained, adding that such plants may not grow “true to seed” but can still be productive.
By the end of the experiment, one of the plants began struggling to ripen all of its fruit at once, which Prigioni said was likely due to the sheer volume of tomatoes it was trying to support.
Also Read: Priyanka Chopra Enjoys Amritsari Kulcha And Chole During Her Visit To Amritsar
How The Internet Reacted To The Video
The video garnered mixed reactions from social media.
One user commented, “Just by taking the seed and eating the planted tomato. This guy officially ate more McDonald's food than the CEO.”
Another person wrote, “I have to say, I didn't expect anything from a McDonalds burger. This was fun to watch.”
A third user commented, “I grew tomatoes from McDonald's salad from 2007. Been saving the seeds every year and still growing”
“Glad to see McDonalds still uses real tomatoes,” wrote another user.
“I haven't seen a McDonald's burger in a long time; was surprised by how good those tomatoes actually looked,” commented another user.
A user also wrote, “I'm surprised it worked as well as it did. The McDonalds tomatoes are probably a hybrid that won't breed true from saved seed.”
What are your thoughts on this video? Let us know in the comments below.