Facts About Homegrown Tomatoes
Your Tomato Garden Treat yourself to one of the most sought after pleasures of summer: homegrown tomatoes fresh from your tomato garden.
As noted by singer-songwriter Guy Clark, "There's only two things money can't buy.
That's true love and homegrown tomatoes".
Anyone who has had the good fortune of tasting a tomato fresh from the vine will surely agree with Clark.
Not only do homegrown tomatoes taste scrumptious, they offer many health benefits as well.
Your tomato garden will be an excellent source of
Your tomato garden will produce much more succulent tomatoes than those available at your local grocer.
This is largely due to the fact that the juiciest varieties cannot be shipped without damaging the fruit.
Fruit? Botanically speaking, tomatoes are a fruit.
A fruit is the mature reproductive body, or ovary, of a plant (a bloom that develops into a fruit and contains seeds).
A vegetable is the edible part of a plant such as a root, stem or leaf.
Therefore the tomato is technically a fruit.
But in 1893, the U.
S.
Supreme Court ruled that tomatoes are a vegetable, not a fruit.
The tomato has a heritage of misunderstanding.
The tomato plant itself is a perennial.
However, tomatoes are grown as annuals in most of the United States since they cannot endure fall frosts.
A member of the nightshade family, their origins have been traced to South America.
Early European explorers' notion that tomatoes were poisonous subjected them to mere decorative use.
Thomas Jefferson was one of the first Americans to discover the delectable possibilities.
Now, on average, every American consumes roughly 90 lbs of tomatoes per year.
Since modest beginnings, tomatoes have become the most popularly grown garden plant in America.
Easy to care for, good for your health, and great to eat, tomatoes make a wonderful contribution to any garden.
As noted by singer-songwriter Guy Clark, "There's only two things money can't buy.
That's true love and homegrown tomatoes".
Anyone who has had the good fortune of tasting a tomato fresh from the vine will surely agree with Clark.
Not only do homegrown tomatoes taste scrumptious, they offer many health benefits as well.
Your tomato garden will be an excellent source of
- Vitamin C (essential for a healthy immune system, keeps gums healthy, has antioxidant properties, and is partially responsible for producing collagen found in muscle and bone)
- Vitamin A (from beta carotene-promotes eye health by helping your eyes adjust to changes when coming in from outside, has antioxidant properties which neutralize free radicals and prevent cellular and tissue damage, and keeps the eyes, skin, and mucous membranes moist)
- Lycopene-Tomatoes are the richest source of lycopene in the US diet (shown to be beneficial in reducing the risk of prostate cancer, ongoing research suggests that lycopene may be heart protective and may aid in blood pressure and bone health).
Your tomato garden will produce much more succulent tomatoes than those available at your local grocer.
This is largely due to the fact that the juiciest varieties cannot be shipped without damaging the fruit.
Fruit? Botanically speaking, tomatoes are a fruit.
A fruit is the mature reproductive body, or ovary, of a plant (a bloom that develops into a fruit and contains seeds).
A vegetable is the edible part of a plant such as a root, stem or leaf.
Therefore the tomato is technically a fruit.
But in 1893, the U.
S.
Supreme Court ruled that tomatoes are a vegetable, not a fruit.
The tomato has a heritage of misunderstanding.
The tomato plant itself is a perennial.
However, tomatoes are grown as annuals in most of the United States since they cannot endure fall frosts.
A member of the nightshade family, their origins have been traced to South America.
Early European explorers' notion that tomatoes were poisonous subjected them to mere decorative use.
Thomas Jefferson was one of the first Americans to discover the delectable possibilities.
Now, on average, every American consumes roughly 90 lbs of tomatoes per year.
Since modest beginnings, tomatoes have become the most popularly grown garden plant in America.
Easy to care for, good for your health, and great to eat, tomatoes make a wonderful contribution to any garden.
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