Juicy, Delicious Tomatoes: Temping Tidbits Of Information

by admin on January 17, 2009

When it comes to produce, we eat more tomatoestomatoes than any other vegetable, except for potatoes, lettuce, and onions. Indeed, tomatoes are a central component to dozens of foods in our diet. We eat them sliced, with oil and vinegar. We eat them on salads. We put them on BLTs. We drink tomato juice. But they’re also an ingredient in a variety of dishes and cuisines. What would pizza sauce be without tomatoes? Or ketchup? Or the comforting warmth of tomato soup?

Although we eat a variety of tomatoes and tomato products, there are many interesting facts about the red delicacy that escape the attention of most people. Here are some tasty tidbits about the tomato:

  • Botanically speaking, tomatoes are a fruit, not a vegetable – although in 1893 the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that tomatoes were to be considered vegetables.
  • Processing tomatoes are harvested by machine when they’re ripe.
  • Fresh tomatoes are picked green, and then begin the ripening process with the help of ethylene.

Tomatoes are not only a tasty addition to any meal, but they’re also good for you. They contain the antioxidant lycopene, are high in both vitamin C and vitamin A, and are a good source of dietary fiber.

Whether you choose beefsteaks, romas, cherry tomatoes, grape tomatoes, or any of the other 7,000 varieties that are grown today, tomatoes allow you to expand your culinary repertoire while providing the health benefits you need.

Many people aren’t sure about the proper handling of tomatoes. If you buy them when they’re not quite ripe, you can put them in a sack or in your cupboard to hasten the ripening process. Contrary to popular belief, you shouldn’t refrigerate tomatoes; leaving them out at room temperature helps keep them from spoiling. If you need to peel a tomato, the best method is to place it in boiling water for about 10 seconds, and then plunge it into ice water. This will make the skin slide right off. If you’ve purchased a large quantity tomatoes, you can freeze them without cooking them first. Just wash them, cut out the stem, place them on a cookie sheet, and stick them in the freezer. Once they’re frozen, you can put them in a freezer bag and use them for cooking during the winter.

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