Let's talk about tomatoes?

Question

You say tomatoe, I say tomahto...
When is a tomato considered a fruit, and when is it a vegetable? What makes the tomater so special?

Answer 1

Fruit: Based upon how it is formed botanically. A flower is made, pollenated, and then a fruit is made. Other botanically-speaking fruits include zucchinis and cucumbers.

Veggie: Based upon the fact that it is not sweet to the taste, but is used in savory dishes and sauce.

I think it's special b/c of it's high vitamin C content, and it's high lutein content, which they think may reduce once's risk for age-related a macular degeneration and other blindnesses.

Answer 2

The tomato is a fruit because it has seeds or so the saying goes. I think it's more of a mentality/psychological issue with tomatoes. One doesn't pick up a tomato and eat it the same way one can pick up an apple and eat it. Plus the really aren't sweet like fruit (except for th new breed of grape tomatoes), which is another thing one can associate with fruit but not really a tomato.

The tomato is great because of its versatility. One can slice, dice, wedge, puree, or stuff a tomato. It is the base for many sauces, like barbaque sauce. One can eat them ripened or not. Fried Green Tomatoes! Tomatoes are so good a movie was named after them. How can something be more special?

Answer 3

It is considered a fruit because it is not a root. Peppers are also a fruit, so are cucumbers etc. It is served as a vegetable for taste purpuses of course. Tomatoes taste better on pasta than on ice cream...

Answer 4

It's a fruit.

My tomato plants are all dying because we're having an unseasonably cool summer here in Southern California!

Tomatoes are special because they're very easy to grow (when it's warm).

Answer 5

It is a fruit and I always say veggie but all I know is I plant 60 plants so I can freeze them for veggie soups and chili:) The lycopene is good for my husbands health too.If I spelled it right, oh well, I like to go to the garden and graze on my cherry tomatoes!

Answer 6

The part of a plant that has seeds in it is a fruit.
Vegetables are grown underground like turnips, potatoes, sweet potatoes, etc.

Answer 7

What is their in the name? Just eat tomatoes. These are good full of minerals and vitamins.

Answer 8

ITs a vegetable that is classified as a fruit

Answer 9

They are always a fruit but I admit I have a tendency to call them veggies.

Answer 10

But I say........toma toe. Years ago I drove past a farm stand and they ran out of room on their sign so they put TOMA on the first line and TOE underneath on the second line. I've never gotten it out of my head, and still call it that way. Watch......now you will too! Let me know about 20 years from now! :)