The Tomato - Nature's Lovely Gift Wrapped Offering

by VC Staffers

Tomato - the rich red classy fruit has been a mainstay of kitchens and evokes images of juice trickling down our chins as we take a deep bite of a fresh firm fruit.

Widely found and easily cultivatable in kitchen gardens, the tomato has found its way from farms and fields to the small manicured gardens that are now a part of urban life. The fruit can be grown easily in flowerpots and in small patches of soil wherever sunlight is available.

The tomato belongs to the Nightshade family of plants. Several centuries ago, tomatoes were considered poisonous and the Latin name given to the fruit was “juicy wolf peach.” The animal associated with it was considered to be dangerous to farmers hence popular wisdom said that the tomato fruit was poisonous and the fruit was deemed to be fit for wolves alone!

Value per Bite

A tomato is a rich source of nutrition, loaded with various essential minerals and vitamins like Vitamin B and C. It is rich in beta carotenes and has a blend of important phyto-chemicals and has a very small percentage of fat. Today doctors use it as a favorite prescription for patients suffering from obesity. Tomatoes have just 34 calories; they contains essential minerals like iron, phosphorus, calcium and potassium. Besides the essential minerals and vitamins, the tomato also has considerable dietary fiber that is extremely good for your body.

The tomato should actually have been classified as a fruit, but in the early 18th century, some enterprising importers managed to have it classified and listed as a raw vegetable. This lowered their taxes. Thus, this abundant fruit legally got labeled as a vegetable. We are not complaining, even today, we pay less for tomatoes due to it being taxed at lower rates.

Choosing Tomatoes

Tomatoes are best if they are heavy, with a near perfect round shape and have no cuts or blemishes. See that the skin has a shine on it. In fact each individual piece should be stretched tight with its contents and juices and should burst rather yield to moderate pressure.

Storage

Tomatoes need to be carefully stored while in use in the kitchen by keeping them upside down with the stem as base and out of any direct sunlight. Do not store tomatoes in the refrigerator as they tend to get soft and flaccid. If you plan to use the tomatoes purchased over a few days, look for those that are a little greenish and hard. Store them at room temperature in a wire basket. You will find that they ripen over time and you can have a steady supply.

Eating Tomatoes

Many weight conscious people make a regular meal of tomatoes and cucumbers by tossing them into a salad and serving with a pinch of salt and lime. You can skip the salt altogether if you wish. The resulting dish is filling, nutritious and practically devoid of any fats. This makes a great midday snack for people on the move.

You can replace carrots with tomatoes in many soups. Hot tomato soup with a dash of salt and pepper and a small blob of butter makes a perfect drink on a cold evening. In fact, it has multiple benefits. The pepper and the temperature of the soup warms you up internally, the vitamin C in it fights the cold and the butter gives you energy. What a lovely way to get well!

While using tomatoes in your cooking, remember that the vitamin C in it can react with some metals. So take care to use stainless steel or porcelain utensils and cook ware.

For centuries we deprived ourselves of the many benefits of this “juicy wolf peach”. The wolves couldn’t have got a better deal!

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