Tomato Facts

1. Tomato Facts

2. Lycopersicon lycopersicum is the scientific term for the common tomato. • Botanically, tomatoes are a fruit. This is because, generally, a fruit is the edible part of the plant that contains the seeds, while a vegetable is the edible stems, leaves, and roots of the plant. • Tomatoes belong to the same family as nightshade, the tomato's deadly cousin.

3. A Little Tomato History • The tomato is native to the Americas. It was initially cultivated by Aztecs and Incas as early as 700 A.D. Europeans first saw the tomato when the Conquistadors reached Mexico and Central America in the 16th century. Tomato seeds were taken back to Europe where they quickly found favor in the Mediterranean countries of Spain, Portugal and Italy. • As the tomato traveled north, it was veiled in mystery. The French called it “The Apple of Love,” the Germans “The Apple of Paradise;” but the British, while admiring its brilliant red color, disclaimed the tomato as a food--they believed it was poisonous. This same fear persisted among colonists in the United States until the early 19th century; but in 1812, the Creoles in New Orleans put their cooking on the map with their tomato-enhanced gumbos and jambalayas. The people of Maine quickly followed suit, combining fresh tomatoes with local seafood. • By 1850, the tomato was an important produce item in every American city. People were planting tomatoes in their home gardens, while farmers commercially produced fresh tomatoes throughout the year. When cold weather halted local production, consumers relied on areas with temperate climates to furnish their supply of tomatoes.

4. The Myth

5. HARVESTINGTomatoes are harvested by machine while still green. CHARACTERISTICS Tomatoes are grown for one trait only: to be hard enough to withstand shipping. RESIDUESTomatoes have chemical residues on them from pesticides, fungicides and fertilizers. RIPENINGTomatoes are ripened with chemicals.

6. The Reality

7. HARVESTINGOnly processing tomatoes are harvested by machine. California's fresh tomatoes are always hand selected for quality and ripeness based upon the specific needs of the customer. CHARACTERISTICS Tomatoes are bred for flavor, color, disease resistance, symmetry, ease of harvest, and to meet the needs of specific climates. Some of the varieties produced commercially in California are grown by backyard growers today. California is also a leading producer of heirloom tomatoes, varieties that have been passed down from one generation to another. RESIDUES California's conventionally grown tomatoes are virtually residue free. Few pesticides are used thanks to California's arid climate, which does not promote disease. Most growers employ strict safety protocol that begins in the field and extends through the packing shed. An increasing number of growers utilize “third party testing” to ensure their tomatoes meet these requirements. RIPENING Some tomatoes are encouraged to ripen further with ethylene, the plant's natural ripening hormone.

8. Nutrition Facts _____ Serving Size 1 medium tomato (148g) Amount Per Serving Calories 35 Calories from Fat 0 % of Daily Value* Total Fat 0.5 g 1% Saturated Fat 0g 0% Cholesterol 0g 0% Sodium 5mg 0% Potassium 360mg 10% Total Carbohydrate 7g 2% Dietary Fiber 1g 4% Sugars 4g Protein 1g Vitamin A 20% Vitamin C 40% Calcium 2% Iron 2% *Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. _____ _____ _____

9. Tomato Safety

10. At the Store • Trust your senses. • Look for fresh-looking tomatoes that are not bruised, shriveled, moldy, or slimy. • Buy only what you need that can be used within a few days. • Handle tomatoes gently at the store. • Keep tomatoes on top in the cart (putting groceries on top of tomatoes can bruise them).

11. At Home • Germs can adhere to the surface of tomatoes and can be passed to the flesh when cut (cross contamination). • Wash tomatoes just before you use them in clean drinking water. • Wash tomatoes in slightly warm water (~80°F to 100°F) to bring out the flavor and aroma of the tomatoes. • Do not use detergent when washing tomatoes. Detergent residues can be left on the tomatoes. • The Food and Drug Administration has not labeled detergent to be used on foods.

12. In addition to washing, you should: • Clean surfaces, utensils, and hands after touching raw meat and poultry and before you use them on fresh produce. • Keep refrigerators clean and cold. Cover and refrigerate produce you have cut. • Wash your hands thoroughly after using the toilet or changing diapers, and before preparing food. • Keep cut produce items in the refrigerator until just before serving. Discard cut produce items if they have been out of the refrigerator for more than four hours.

13. Don’t Refrigerate Your Tomatoes! • Most fresh tomatoes sold in supermarkets are firm, not yet ripe. This is because soft, ripe fruit is easily bruised, even under today's highly-controlled shipping conditions. But the fruit will ripen properly and develop good flavor and aroma if kept at room temperature, between 55° F and 70° F. • Select tomatoes at various degrees of ripeness and keep them at room temperature. Use the ripest fruit first, just as your do with bananas and avocados. Never refrigerate a tomato that is not fully red or ripe! Cold temperatures destroy flavor and stop the ripening process. Once fully ripe, a tomato can be refrigerated, but only for a few days; any longer results in flavor deterioration.

14. Freezing Tomatoes

15. Raw Tomatoes • Can be quickly frozen without blanching first. • Can be frozen without their skins • Can be frozen whole with their skins. Frozen Tomatoes • Best used in cooked foods such as soups, sauces and stews as they become mushy when they're thawed.

16. Tomatoes • May be frozen whole, sliced, chopped, or puréed. • Can be frozen raw or cooked, as juice or sauce, or prepared in the recipe of your choice. Thawed Raw Tomatoes • May be used in any cooked-tomato recipe. • Should not be substituted for fresh tomatoes as freezing causes their texture to become mushy. • Should be seasoned just before serving rather than before freezing.

17. Tomato Preparation Select firm, ripe tomatoes. Sort, discarding any that are spoiled. Wash under clean running water. Dry by blotting with paper towels. Whole Tomatoes with Peels Cut away the stem scar. Place the tomatoes on cookie sheets and freeze. Once frozen, transfer tomatoes into freezer bags or other containers, label and seal tightly. Tomatoes maybe removed a few at a time or all at once. To peel, run frozen tomato under warm water and skin will slip off easily. Peeled Tomatoes Wash, dip in boiling water 30 to 60 seconds until the skins split. Peel and then freeze as noted above.

18. Drying Tomatoes

19. Drying Tomatoes for Stewing • Steam tomatoes or dip them in boiling water to loosen skins. • Dip in cold water then peel. • Cut into sections about 3/4 of an inch wide or slice them. • Cut small pear or plum tomatoes in half. • Blanch in steam for 3 minutes or in water for 1 minute. • Dry in a dehydrator 5 to 8 hours or 6 to 12 hours in an oven. • 20 lbs. fresh tomatoes yield ¾ lbs. dried

20. Pasteurizing and Conditioning of Dried Foods • All sun-dried foods must be pasteurized to destroy insects. • Place dried food evenly in shallow trays no more than 1 inch in depth. • Vegetables should be heated at 150 °F for 30 minutes or 160 °F for 10 minutes.

21. Storing the Food • Cool dried food should be placed in a closed container that has been washed and dried before storing. • Home canning jars are good containers for storing dried foods. • Store in a cool, dry, dark place. • Dried foods should be used within 3 to 6 months as they will lose their flavor and color to some extent during storage.

22. Reconstituting Dried Foods • Dried foods may be reconstituted (restoring moisture) by soaking the food in water. • Time for reconstituting will depend on the size and shape of the food and the food itself. • Generally most dried vegetables take 2 hours to be reconstituted. • To prevent growth of microorganisms, dried foods should be reconstituted in the refrigerator. • One cup of dried vegetable will yield approximately 2 cups of reconstituted vegetable. • Reconstituted foods should be cooked in the water in which they were soaking.

23. Canning Tomatoes

24. Use only fresh, firm, red-ripe tomatoes free of decayed spots, weather cracks and fungal growth

25. Wash tomatoes under cool, running water Cut small “x” on tomatoes; this helps with peeling.

26. Dip tomatoes in boiling water for 30 to 60 seconds or until skins split. Then dip in cold water. Remove from water, peel, cut stems, core and cut tomatoes into eighths.

27. Place tomatoes in thick bottom sauce pan. Bring tomatoes to a boil and boil about 5 minutes.

28. Add 1 tbsp. bottled lemon juice to pint (2 tbsp. quart) jars. Fill hot jars with tomatoes and liquid leaving ½ inch head space. Remove air bubbles, wipe jars and adjust lids. Prepare canning jars and 2-piece lids by washing in hot soapy water. Rinse well. Sterilize jars in boiling water and lids in hot water. Keep hot until ready to fill. Process in boiling water bath canner, 35 minutes for pints and 45 minutes for quarts.

29. Label with food and date and store in cool dry place. Once finished, rings can be removed and used again. Note: Once cool, check seals by pressing middle of lid with finger. If not sealed, reprocess or refrigerate.

30. Cooking Q & A

31. Q:Is it true that adding fresh tomatoes slows the cooking of certain foods? I've heard this before and wondered if it is a myth or not. • A:Some foods such as rice and potatoes take longer to cook when tomatoes are added. It seems the acid from the tomato prevents the starch from these foods from breaking down. I cannot find evidence to support any other vegetable as yet, but in my years of test kitchen work, this seems to be the case for at least these vegetables. • Q:What happens if I cook a tomato sauce in an iron pan? Do the vitamins of the tomatoes absorb some of the iron? • A: Studies have shown that iron utensils such as cast-iron skillets and Dutch ovens contribute significantly to the iron content in cooked foods. The amount that leaches into the food varies depending on which food you are cooking. If you are concerned with any health risks because of a medical problem that limits the intake of iron, I would contact your physician just to be safe. .

32. Food Preservation Questions • Local Extension County Office • Alabama Cooperative Extension website www.aces.edu • National Center for Home Food Preservation www.uga.edu/nchfp/