I just love them from my head to-ma-toes! In the spring, I usually plant a couple of tomato plants in the garden for delicious sun-ripened fruits from summer through fall. Thanks to commercial greenhouse tomato growers, I get my tomatoes from grocery stores during cooler months. Tomatoes color and flavor my palate. I can eat them every day as a snack, in salads, or prepared in sauces, salsa, or soups. I confess that I use ketchup on almost anything, and I’ve included a few yummy ketchup recipes, too. So, tomato lovers, this post is ripe with information on tomato origin, varieties, nutritional value, health benefits, and tips for buying and gardening tips.

Origin and Cultivation

Tomatoes are native to South America and were first cultivated by the Aztecs and Incas. Later, in the 16th century, the Spanish explorers brought tomatoes to Europe, where they were initially used as ornamental plants due to their vibrant colors. Today, tomatoes are grown in open fields worldwide in warm climates and harvested in the summer months. They are also grown in greenhouses in soil or grown using hydroponics. Hydroponics is a soilless system that relies on mineral nutrient solution added to water which supplies the roots of the plants. Greenhouse and hydroponic tomatoes are grown all year round.

Tomato Varieties

Did you know that there are more than 10,000 tomato varieties? So, when choosing tomatoes, consider how you want to use them. Below are a few popular varieties.

• Beefsteak, Better Boy, German Johnson, and Heirloom are large, juicy, have more seeds, and are great for eating fresh as part of salads, sandwiches, and burgers. In addition, these tomatoes are ideal for roasting and excellent for juicing or recipes that require a lot of liquid.
• Roma, Plum Regal, and San Marzano are excellent for making sauces and paste. These tomatoes are meaty with few seeds and impart a mild tomato flavor.
• Cherry and Grape are small, juicy, sweet, and flavorful. They are great for popping into your mouth, salads, or roasting. Grape tomatoes have thicker skin and are meatier and less juicy than cherry tomatoes. Grape tomatoes also have a longer shelf life.
• Campari (Tomato on the Vine) is bigger than a cherry tomato. It is juicy and sweet, with a low acid content and crisp texture. These are wonderful to oven-roast or slice as part of a salad. 
• Kumato (greenish brown) and Rosso Bruno (deep brown) have a complex flavor that is sweet and tart and has low acid content. Both are great in salads, salsa, or sauces. 
• Midnight Snack Tomato (indigo with shades of red) is excellent in salads or eating off the vine. It is meaty, with a sweet-tart flavor and few seeds.  
• Lolli Bombs and Honey Bombs. The vibrant yellow sweet-like-candy Lolli Bombs and the sweet-like-honey red cherry Honey Bombs are just perfect to snack on or sliced to enjoy in salads.
• Green Zebra Tomato ripens as chartreuse green-yellow with mottled green and gold stripes. These are not to be confused with unripe heirloom tomatoes. Their flavor profile has a bright sweet-tart taste and is more acidic than red tomatoes. Use them for salsa or salad.

Nutritional Value

Tomatoes are a rich source of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Here is a breakdown of the nutritional content of a medium-sized tomato:

• Calories: 22
• Protein: 1 gram
• Carbohydrates: 5 grams
• Fiber: 1.5 grams
• Sugars: 3 grams
• Vitamin C: 17% of Recommended Daily Intake (RDI).
• Vitamin K: 11% of RDI
• Potassium: 6% of RDI
• Folate: 5% of RDI
• Vitamin A: 6% RDI

Health Benefits

Tomatoes contain lycopene, which has been scientifically proven to reduce oxidative stress and inflammation in the body that contributes to chronic diseases. Thus, eating tomatoes is linked to a reduced risk of heart disease and certain types of cancer, including prostate cancer and skin cancer. According to Healthline, lycopene is mainly found on the skin, and the redder the tomato, the more lycopene it contains. Interestingly, this article also mentions that gram for gram, processed tomato products like ketchup, tomato juice, tomato paste, and tomato sauces have much higher lycopene than fresh tomatoes. However, remember that processed tomato products may have added sugar and salt, so consuming fresh, unpeeled tomatoes is still preferred whenever possible. The carotenoids (orange and yellow pigment), Vitamin A, lutein, and zeaxanthin in tomatoes also improve eye health and reduce the risk of age-related macular degeneration. In addition, indigo-colored tomatoes are rich in anthocyanin, which has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Furthermore, Vitamin C helps fend off infections, and potassium can benefit cardiovascular health by reducing heart rate and blood pressure by lowering sodium levels. 

GFL Tips

So, below are GFL’s guide for buying, storing, and ripening tomatoes with satisfaction guaranteed. In addition, I’ve included gardening tips in case you are thinking about growing your own.

Buying

• Look for ripeness. Tomatoes from grocery stores are usually picked before they are fully ripe to extend their shelf life. A ripe tomato color is vibrant, and it should be firm with a slight give when pressed.
• Check the stem. The stem should be green and intact. A brown stem may be a sign that the tomato is overripe.
• Smell the tomato. Tomatoes have a sweet, slightly earthy smell. Avoid tomatoes that smell musty.
• Avoid wrinkly, blemished tomatoes.
• Buy local or in-season tomatoes or try to buy from the local farmer’s markets during warm months.

Favorite Tomatoes Off-season

Cherry and grape tomatoes grown in greenhouses have the best flavor during the winter months. Below are my go-to reliable brands for flavor and freshness:

• Sunset Lolli Bombs if you are into a serious candy sweet taste.
• Sunset Honey Bombs have a fragrant aroma and honey sweetness.
• Del Cabo Cherry tomatoes are bursting with a good balance of sweet-tart taste.
• Sunset Zima Golden Grape tomatoes are sweet and have very low acidity which are perfect for snacks or salads.
• Sunset Mini Kumato tomatoes are meatier with thick skin but have a wonderful sweet-acid balance.

Tips for Storing and Ripening

• Store at room temperature, away from direct sunlight. Storing tomatoes in the refrigerator may cause them to lose flavor and become mealy.
• Separate ripe and unripe tomatoes. Ripe tomatoes give off ethylene gas that may cause unripe tomatoes to ripen faster.
• When you have unripe tomatoes, put them in a paper bag with a ripe apple or banana at room temperature for a few days. The ethylene gas will speed up the ripening process.
• Alternatively, place the unripe tomatoes in a tray and leave them in the sun, turning them occasionally for even ripening.

Tips for Growing

• Gurney’s  and Burpee are reliable seed companies.
• To skip the seed-to-sprout process, purchase a small tomato plant from your local farmer’s market or Home Depot.
• Read this article for tomato support ideas like cages, trellises, wire mesh panels, hanging baskets, and more.
• Learn differences about how different varieties grow and fruit. Consider your space and how the tomato grows; some are tall, dwarf, compact, or sprawler. Tomato plants have different fruiting times, too, like all at once with a large harvest or at various intervals throughout the summer.
• Control aphids and mealy bugs that can attack your tomato plant. Read natural ways to rid of these pests.

GFL Bonus Ketchup Recipes

For me, using ketchup in pasta, stir-fry, and fried rice is not a culinary low-brow. On the contrary, in my Asian upbringing, ketchup spaghetti is a special treat. Over the years, I have also made ketchup. The recipes below were found online and have been kitchen tested. I challenge you to venture and give these a try.

• Ketchup Spaghetti
• Ketchup Shrimp Stir-fry
• Ketchup Fried Rice
• Homemade Ketchup

Takeaways

Tomatoes are delicious and nutritious fruits packed with antioxidants and essential nutrients. They are highly versatile and can be used as a key ingredient in countless dishes or enjoyed as a snack. With so many varieties available, each with its distinct flavor profile, there’s a tomato for every taste preference. When purchasing tomatoes from the grocery store or farmer’s market, there are several factors to consider, including the type, ripeness, stem, color, smell, and place of origin. Following these guidelines will help ensure that you select the best tomatoes for your needs. If you’re feeling ambitious and want to grow your own tomatoes, you can start with seeds or purchase a sprouted plant to transplant into a larger container, either indoors or outdoors. You’ll soon be enjoying your delicious homegrown tomatoes for your kitchen needs.