Commercially grown tomatoes are harvested and transported while still green and immature. To make them red before selling, food companies spray them with artificial ethylene gas. Make sure you thoroughly wash or cook raw tomatoes before consuming them. As with other fresh produce, raw tomatoes can have germs that cause foodborne illnesses like Listeria and Salmonella.
Mortgage Lifter Beefsteak Tomato
It is bright red and medium-sized globe tomatoes with a mild, slightly sweet flavor. Globe tomatoes can be used in about any way globe tomatoes are used, including salads, salsas, and cooking. Given their bright red color, we like these diced for use in a taco bar to show off their nice color. Pantano Romanesco tomatoes were developed in Italy, and are named after the town of Pantano Italy. They are now, however, widely grown around the Mediterranean and North America.
It was discovered growing by Jeff Dawson in his California fields in the 1990s. Red Currant tomatoes originated in South America and have become popular worldwide. They are small, often about the size of a currant or grape, and have a sweet and intense flavor, often described as bursting with tomato essence. Kellogg’s breakfast tomatoes originated in West Virginia in 1993, and were introduced to Darrell Kellogg by a friend.
- They’re perfect to use in appetizers and salads, or even just for snacking.
- Because of that, foods high in lycopene, like tomatoes, may make you less likely to have lung, stomach, or prostate cancer.
- Due to their small size and flavorful taste, Fourth of July tomatoes are often used in most common tomato uses including salads and salsas.
- They have a strong, sweet flavor, dense flesh, and fewer seeds than other tomato varieties.
It’s a good idea to wait at least 30 minutes before you brush. Lycopene is an antioxidant — it fights molecules called free radicals that can damage your cells and affect your immune system. Because of that, foods high in lycopene, like tomatoes, may make you less likely to have lung, stomach, or prostate cancer. Some research shows they might help prevent the disease in the pancreas, colon, throat, mouth, breast, and cervix as well.
Tips for Consuming Tomatoes
Gram for gram, the amount of lycopene in processed tomato products is often much higher than in fresh tomatoes (22, 23). Consuming tomatoes in other forms—including in juice, sauce, or paste—can change the nutrition compared to whole tomatoes. Check the nutrition labels to assess calories, sodium, added sugars, and more. Several studies have found that men with high intakes of tomatoes, particularly cooked ones, have a reduced prostate cancer risk. Antioxidants protect against cell damage that can lead to the development of cancer and cause cancer cells to die off.
They are known for their sweet, almost tropical-like flavor (again thus the name) with a hint of acidity. Jubilee tomatoes were developed in the United States in 1943, and are now 80 years later considered an heirloom variety. Jubilee are medium to large globe-shaped golden-orange tomatoes with very meaty, thick-walled interiors and mild flavor with a bit of tanginess. Hillbilly tomatoes are a variety developed in West Virginia in the 1800s, and are an example of how a hybrid tomato in time becomes an heirloom tomato.
Matt’s Wild Cherry Tomato
We aren’t sure where the Jersey name comes from as the seed work was done in PA. They have a distinctive deep purplish-brown color, often with green shoulders. They tend to average about 8-12 ounces, and are known for their complex, sweet, and slightly smoky flavor. They grow in clusters and are pretty easy to grow, being both disease and drought resistant. Throw them over a salad or roast them into flavorful perfection. Nutrients like lycopene may be easier for your body to take in and use from canned tomato products compared with fresh tomatoes.
- Also known as Roma, these oval-shaped tomatoes are best known for their meaty texture and tangy flavor.
- Like other cherry tomatoes, they are often eaten fresh as a snack, are a good option for veggie trays, in salads, or used as a garnish.
- The tomatoes, however, are deep red, small, and round, cherry tomatoes.
- Despite the name “Black,” these tomatoes are actually a deep purplish-red or mahogany color.
Tomatoes come in many types—including cherry, grape, and Roma. The pear tomato originated in Europe in the 18th century, and the English brought it to America not long after. These small, yellow fruits that have a tangy, almost citrus flavor, and as the name suggests are shaped like a pear with a thin neck and bulb at the bottom. Pruden’s Purple tomatoes are large and beefsteak-like, often weighing over a pound. They are known for a rich flavor that is both sweet and slightly tangy.
They are slightly bigger than grape tomatoes but smaller than roma, and have a nice deep red color. They have a sweet flavor similar to cherry tomatoes but have a more elongated shape than do cherry tomato varieties. This is another hybrid tomato developed in the USA in the 1980s.
Fresh vs. Canned
They have a strong, sweet flavor, dense flesh, and fewer seeds than other tomato varieties. We recommend these tomatoes for use in Italian-inspired cuisines like roasted asparagus with romesco sauce or to make your favorite pasta sauce. Mr. Stripey tomatoes are an heirloom tomato named for their distinct red stripes on a yellow tomato. They are typically a medium to large tomato ranging between ounces. There are also a wide range of appearances as the stripes seem to differ greatly from fruit to fruit. These are vibrant red tomatoes of medium to large size, averaging around 3-4 inches in diameter.
Determinate vs Indeterminate Tomatoes
They ripen to a deep red and are cherry style tomatoes at about 1.5 inches (3.8 cm) in diameter. Tomaccio are intensely sweet with a slightly tart undertone. In Israel they are often dried due to their high sugar content. This could be the result of growing in volcanic soil, which no doubt contributes to their distinct flavor. These tomatoes are typically used like other cherry tomatoes and are great in veggie trays, whole in salads, and our favorite uses bruschetta and pizza. Mortgage Lifter tomatoes were developed by a gardener named Radiator Charlie in the 1930s in Logan, West Virginia.
Pear or Teardrop Tomatoes
They are beefsteak tomatoes with a unique yellow and red marbled skin. Despite not being the sweetest bite-size tomatoes you can buy, they are a good option for veggie trays. They are an easy addition to salads as they are small and don’t need to be cut. Add them to your pasta dishes, or use them where you might cherry tomatoes, like in bruschetta or one of these four great toast toppings.
Yellow tomatoes are not as common as red, orange, or even purple tomatoes, and give you one more option for adding a splash of color. Consider having a bowl of diced tomatoes of each color for your home taco night, or for fajitas. Indigo Rose tomatoes were developed by a breeding program at the Oregon State University. The university created this variety to have high levels of antioxidants. The Hangover tomato is a variety developed by breeder Tom Wagner from Washington State who also developed other hybrids to include the green zebra. It was specifically bred to thrive in regions with shorter growing seasons and cooler climates like his native Washington.
Their firm texture means they can stand up well to frying, but it also makes them ideal for pickling or turning into a crunchy relish. They also have a sweet tangy flavor to go with their unique appearance. They are a great option for these stuffed tomatoes used as an appetizer. Tigerella tomatoes were developed in the United Kingdom, and have become popular among home gardeners worldwide. These medium-sized tomatoes have a distinct striped pattern as you can clearly see in the photo.
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So, naturally ,they are a great choice for sandwiches, burgers, and salads. Their classic tomato flavor, however, makes them suitable for just about any tomato application. The Brandywine tomato is believed to have originated in the 19th century in Pennsylvania. Like other varieties of beefsteak tomatoes, the brandywine are irregularly shaped and large. Actually, these can be huge, often weighing as much as 1 ½ lbs. It gives tomato coin them their bright red color and helps protect them from the ultraviolet rays of the sun.
