Why are tomatoes fruits and not a vegetable?

Answer 1

From Science Bob:

"To really figure out if a tomato is a fruit or vegetable, you need to know what makes a fruit a fruit, and a vegetable a vegetable. The big question to ask is, DOES IT HAVE SEEDS?

If the answer is yes, then technically, you have a FRUIT. This, of course, makes your tomato a fruit. It also makes cucumbers, squash, green beans and walnuts all fruits as well. VEGETABLES such as, radishes, celery, carrots, and lettuce do NOT have seeds (that are part of what we eat) and so they are grouped as vegetables."

Hope that explains it -- but don't try to convince people of it -- they don't want to hear it!

Answer 2

A "fruit" is considered to be the edible part of a plant containing the seeds, while a vegetable is defined as the edible non-fruit portions (roots, stems, leaves). Therefore, the seedy tomato is, indeed, a fruit. It joins other fruits -- such as squash, bell peppers, okra, cucumber, and eggplant -- in the "secretly not a vegetable" club.

But while botanically the tomato is a fruit, that's not the end of the story. In 1893, the US Supreme Court actually ruled the tomato a vegetable to create a fiscally-friendly little loophole. With this ruling American tomato farmers didn't have to compete with foreign tomato growers -- a hefty tax on all vegetable imports let them keep the market to themselves.

That figures - all boils down to money.

Answer 3

Botanically the definition of a fruit is the ripened ovary of a plant - that is, the thing that forms in the center of the flower when the flower whithers and the petals fall off. It contains the seeds. So botanically a tomato is a fruit. In terms of cooking / eating what we call a fruit is usually a sweet juicy item. Tomaote might (?) qualify. What we call a vegetable has no botanical definition - it can be a stem (celery, rhubarb), leaf (spinach, lettuce), fruit (bell pepper, tomato), root (carrot, beet) tuber (potato) or even seed (pea, bean). Hope this helps and enjoy your tomatoes.

Answer 4

A fruit is the ripened ovary of a plant. The easiest way to identify a fruit is probably by whether or not it has seeds. Tomatoes have seeds, so it's a fruit.

Vegetable is not a scientific term. It's a catch-all word used to identify a random assortment of plant stuffs.

So, scientifically, a tomato is a fruit, not a vegetable. But practically, who cares? :)

Answer 5

I always thought of tomatoes as a vegetable. To me fruits are sweeter and grow from trees - apples, oranges, plums, etc. Of course I consider grapes a fruit and they grow on vines just like tomatoes - same goes for watermelons, cantalope and other melons.

I guess botanically it can be call a fruit.....but to me they will always be a veggie.

Answer 6

Tomatoes are a fruit? What have you been smoking? They are a vegetable. (and happen to be my favorite btw)

Answer 7

Fruit generally contain seeds and vegetables are generally roots, stalks, or tubers. There are a lot of exceptions from peas, beans, cabbages, marrows and pumpkins, cucumbers, etc.

Answer 8

Because it grows from the plant's branches. Fruits grow from branches and vegetables from roots.

Answer 9

the tomato is a big berry
it comes from the berry family

Answer 10

because the genetic structure of the plant is that of a fruit.