did u know about tomatoe
First known as the tomatil, tomatoes were
grown as wild, cherry-sized berries in the
South American Andes, before they were
brought to Mexico, where they were destined
to grow into the large fruit we know today.
Tomatil found its way to Europe via the conquistadors, and into
popular tomato legend. Tomatoes were thought to be poisonous,
but when the myth was dispelled, the fruit grew to be so popular,
it was used in everything from spaghetti sauces to juice.
Today, more than 60 million tons of tomatoes are produced
annually, 16 million tons more than the second most popular
fruit, the banana. And, no matter what they tell you: tomatoes
really ARE fruits, since they are an edible part of the plant that
contain the seeds (as opposed to a vegetable, which is an edible
stem, leaf, or root). This despite the “Nix vs. Hedden” case of
1893, where the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that tomatoes were to
be considered vegetables.
Did you know…
The very first GM crop was the FlavrSavr tomato, a variety that
stayed longer on the shelf and ripened later, allowing it to be
shipped without much damage to the fruit. Although FlavrSavr is
already off the market, there are still biotech tomatoes available,
engineered with delayed ripening, delayed softening, and insect
resistance traits. Soon to come: tomatoes with higher amounts of
the antioxidant lycopene.
grown as wild, cherry-sized berries in the
South American Andes, before they were
brought to Mexico, where they were destined
to grow into the large fruit we know today.
Tomatil found its way to Europe via the conquistadors, and into
popular tomato legend. Tomatoes were thought to be poisonous,
but when the myth was dispelled, the fruit grew to be so popular,
it was used in everything from spaghetti sauces to juice.
Today, more than 60 million tons of tomatoes are produced
annually, 16 million tons more than the second most popular
fruit, the banana. And, no matter what they tell you: tomatoes
really ARE fruits, since they are an edible part of the plant that
contain the seeds (as opposed to a vegetable, which is an edible
stem, leaf, or root). This despite the “Nix vs. Hedden” case of
1893, where the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that tomatoes were to
be considered vegetables.
Did you know…
The very first GM crop was the FlavrSavr tomato, a variety that
stayed longer on the shelf and ripened later, allowing it to be
shipped without much damage to the fruit. Although FlavrSavr is
already off the market, there are still biotech tomatoes available,
engineered with delayed ripening, delayed softening, and insect
resistance traits. Soon to come: tomatoes with higher amounts of
the antioxidant lycopene.
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