Lots Of Tomatoes

Tomatoes are a staple in our house. We eat a lot of tomatoes, all the time. And I love all kinds. I always have a bunch of different kinds on hand, and I use them for just about everything. Currently, this is what I have in stock, ready to use and enjoy.

I have some tiny drop tomatoes that are about the size of a pea. These are super sweet and you can eat them by the handfuls. Taken by ship to North America and Europe in the 15th and 16th centuries, this tiny fruit gave rise to all the many tomato varieties we enjoy today. The plant is the wild ancestor of all the tomatoes we eat today, and still grows wild in northern Peru and southern Ecuador. If it wasn’t for the genes of these wild species, you wouldn’t be able to grow tomatoes in a lot of areas,” according to Roger Chetelat, a renowned tomato expert at the University of California, Davis.

I have Campari tomatoes. Campari tomatoes are hybrid tomatoes noted for their juiciness, high sugar level, low acidity, and lack of mealiness. Camparis are deep red and larger than a pear or cherry tomato, but smaller and rounder than common plum tomatoes. These are known as the “happiness tomatoes”.

I have a variety of small tomatoes, in different colors and sizes. This bunch has some cherry tomatoes, grape tomatoes, komata or black cherry tomatoes, tear drop tomatoes and orange and yellow sunburst tomatoes. All have their own distinct flavor characteristics and differences. And all are very good too. Again, you can just pop these in your mouth by the handful.

And I have some of my favorites, heirloom tomatoes. An heirloom tomato (also called heritage tomato in the UK) is an open-pollinated, non-hybrid heirloom cultivar of tomato. They are classified as family heirlooms, commercial heirlooms, mystery heirlooms, or created heirlooms. They usually have a shorter shelf life and are less disease resistant than hybrids. They are grown for various reasons: for food, historical interest, access to wider varieties, and by people who wish to save seeds from year to year, as well as for their taste. They come in many different colors, shapes and sizes. These varieties are living history. The hand that created a variety stretches right through the centuries to deliver that tomato to our own gardens today.

These are just the tomato varieties I currently have in stock, but there are so many more varieties available too. Tomato seeds were brought from Mexico to Spain by the early explorers. From there the plant spread to Italy by the mid-1500s where it began to be incorporated into regional cuisine. Our word “tomato” is but a slight modification of tomati, the word used by the Indians of Mexico, who have grown the plant for food since prehistoric times. Other names reported by early European explorers were tomatl, tumatle, and tomatas, probably variants of Indian words.

5 fun facts about tomatoes

• Tomatoes originated in South America. Researchers have recently discovered a tomato plant that originated 80,000 years ago. …
• Tomatoes are technically a fruit. …
• There are more than 10,000 varieties of tomatoes. …
• Tomatoes aren’t always red. …
• Tomatoes have been to space.

So if you love tomatoes like I do, be adventurous. There are so many tomatoes and too little time. But, try as many different varieties as you can and enjoy them all. Each one is a gift with its own truly unique personality and flavor characteristics. Plus they are very versatile and plentiful, and very healthy too.

Add some tomatoes to your day. Make it colorful and fruitful. Have a great day and make everyday great. Stay safe and stay well. ‘Til next time.