What can you smell?

Can you smell the fresh aroma of the greenhouse where these tomatoes have been growing, the sweet natural aroma and hints of acid that helps you to recognise a good one.

What are they?

Tomatoes are actually classed as a fruit from a plant of the nightshade family and are relatives of the pepper and the potato.

How do they grow?

Tomatoes grow on thick branches known as vines; these can often grow up to 12 feet long.

The longer the tomatoes are allowed to mature on the vine, the sweeter and richer they will be.

Many commercial tomatoes are picked prior to becoming fully ripe and often have to ripen away from the vine whilst being transported to the shops. These will often be lacking in smell as well as flavour.

How many types are there?

There are over 1000 different varieties ranging in size, shape and colour from the more popular red ones to yellow and even green ripe varieties, there are several that even have stripes similar to a zebra. They can come as small as buttons known as " tiny Cherry tomatoes" or as large as clenched fists, these are known as beefsteak tomatoes.

Where did they originally come from?

Tomatoes originated from what is now known as Peru.They started out as a weed and spread to Mexico, before becoming a staple in the diet of the Ancient Aztecs, infact we obtained the name from the Aztecs who called them "Tomatle" meaning "plump fruit".

The Visiting Spanish bought the tomato back to Spain, before they spread across the rest of Europe. When they arrived in Britain, they were met with great suspicion as people thought that they could give you leprosy. Even 18th century cookbooks recommended that the tomatoes has to be cooked for at least three hours to render them safe to eat.

What are they used for?

Tomatoes are extremely versatile and are used for a wide variety both in their natural state in salads, or added cooked in the form of casseroles, they are also found in pizza bases, purees, ketchups, as sun dried, as a juice etc.

Are they Nutritious?

Tomatoes are extremely low in calories; two medium sized tomatoes contain only 22 calories between them.

Tomatoes are a good source of Vitamin C that is good to maintain the bodies defence system against bacteria.Tomatoes are a good source of Caratenoids (these turn the tomatoes red), which may help to preserve good health and neutralise free radicals that can cause some forms of cancers.