DealDash Cooks: The Tomato
Very few people dislike tomatoes, and they are a staple in many recipes. Let’s take a look at this delicious fruit.
Fruit!?! Yes, it’s true, the tomato is a fruit. The tomato is considered a fruit because it has seeds. So, technically speaking, cucumbers and pumpkins are also fruits! The tomato is typically considered a vegetable when cooking, though, because most of the dishes that use tomatoes are savory foods. However, if you are ever on a game show, or playing trivia at the bar with your friends and the question comes up – a tomato is definitely a fruit!
There are more than 7500 tomato varieties grown around the world, and tomatoes are grown pretty much everywhere, including colder climates where they are grown in greenhouses. You might be surprised to hear that China is the largest producer of tomatoes, accounting for approximately 25% of the world’s production. The United States is the second largest producer, and India takes third place in tomato production.
Tomatoes are not only delicious, but also very good for you. Tomatoes are packed full of lycopene, which is an antioxidant that is good for the heart and effective against certain cancers. Surprisingly, cooked tomatoes are actually better for you than raw ones, as more beneficial chemicals are released when the tomato is heated. Tomatoes are also chock full of healthy nutrients such as vitamins A and C, calcium, potassium.
If you love pizza (with tomato sauce of course!) then you might like to try some homemade sun-dried tomatoes on top of your next pizza. They are super easy to make, and so delicious.
Ingredients:
- 4 Pounds of tomatoes
- Salt to taste
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 200 degrees F
- Wash and cut tomatoes in half. Gently squeeze out the seeds. Place the tomatoes on a non-stick cookie sheet, and sprinkle with salt to taste.
- Bake until tomatoes take on a leathery texture. This takes hours. I would say approximately 6-7 hours for larger pieces, if you use smaller pieces such as from Roma tomatoes, it will take less time.
I hope that you found this article informative. If you need any kitchen supplies be sure to check DealDash first! DealDash has all of the supplies that you need for your kitchen. Here is a link to visit DealDash. Good luck and happy bidding everyone!
