I can’t imagine a life without tomatoes.  Really!  What other fruit has that texture and bite, that combination of sweetness and acidity?  According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Americans eat more than 22 pounds of tomatoes every year.  More than half this amount is eaten in the form of ketchup and tomato sauce.

The word tomato comes from the Aztec tomatl.  Many historians believe that the Spanish explorer Cortes may have been the first to disseminate the small yellow tomato to Europe after he captured the Aztec city of Tenochtitlan, now Mexico City, in 1521.   They were also responsible for distributing the tomato throughout the colonies of America, the Caribbean, and the Philippines, from where it spread throughout the entire Asian continent.

Today, China is the largest producer of the tomato, accounting for about one quarter of the global output, followed by the United States and Turkey.  In 2008 alone about 130 million tons of tomatoes were produced.

Tomatoes are commonly classified as determinate or indeterminate.  Determinate types bear a full crop all at one time and are preferred by commercial growers who prefer to harvest a whole field at one time.  Indeterminate types develop into vines and continue producing until killed by frost.  They are preferred by home growers and local-market farmers who want ripe fruit throughout the season.

There are about 5,000 cultivated varieties of tomatoes in the world and there is considerable difference between commercial and home-gardener cultivars.  Commercial cultivars are generally bred for consistent size and shape, disease and pest resistance and suitability for mechanized picking and shipping, as well as their ability to be picked before fully ripening.  Home cultivars are often bred for flavor.

Unripe tomatoes are picked and thus green, then allowed to ripen in storage with ethylene.  As they ripen they turn red or orange and begin to soften.  Ethylene is a hydrocarbon gas produced by fruits that acts as the molecular cue to begin the ripening process.  Tomatoes ripened in this way have poorer flavor and a mealier, starchier texture than tomatoes ripened on the vine; however, tend to have a longer shelf life.  You may have noticed “tomatoes on the vine,” which are sold with the fruit still connected to a piece of vine.  These tomatoes are determinate varieties and although they may have more flavor, are still picked unripe (green) and cost a premium.

Fruit or vegetable?  Along with the tomato, green beans, eggplants, cucumbers and corn are all fruits anatomically, but we refer to them as vegetables.  Common usage today is based on culinary custom, not on plant anatomy.  So how did the tomato become referred to as a fruit?  In 1887, U.S. tariff laws imposed a duty on vegetables but not on fruits.  A New York importer received a shipment of tomatoes from West Indies and declared duty-free status.  U.S. customs agents disagreed and imposed a 10 percent duty on the tomatoes.  Since there was no constitution and statute offering guidance on the question, the Supreme Court decided on grounds of linguistic custom.  The tomato is generally served with dinner and not dessert and therefore shall be regarded as a vegetable.

Tomatoes contain high levels of lycopene, one of the most powerful natural antioxidants.  They also contain high amounts of vitamin C and A.  Other nutritional facts:

One raw tomato has 25 calories, five grams of carbohydrates, one gram of protein, zero grams of cholesterol, zero grams of fat and zero grams of saturated fat.

When we can’t harvest vine-ripe tomatoes for our products, we insist on canned San Marzano tomatoes, which have thin skins, less water and a higher percentage of pulp than many other types of tomato.   The important thing to check out on canned tomato products is that the can reads only tomatoes, and maybe a sprig or two of fresh basil; that’s it – no added water, no emulsifiers or thickeners or sweeteners.

Storing tomatoes – Never, ever refrigerate a fresh tomato.  Cold temperatures make the flesh of a tomato pulpy and destroy the flavor.  Tomatoes are alive and respiring and need oxygen to survive.  Refrigeration denies oxygen which results in cell damage and the accumulation of alcohol in the tissues.  This chemical process damages the skin and flesh of the tomato.  So, always store tomatoes at room temperature stem-end down.  This prevents air from entering and moisture from exiting its scar, prolonging shelf life. 

Here in the South, the tomato is part of the fabric of our life.  During the summer months, we take two slices of white bread, slice a vine ripe tomato, add a layer of good quality mayonnaise, a little salt and pepper and viola.  We are a little more particular – grilled country fresh rustic bread rubbed with garlic, homegrown heirloom tomatoes, homemade mayonnaise or fresh butter, earthy sea salt, freshly ground peppercorns and a few leaves of basil picked from the herb garden will do just fine, thank you very much.