Tomato Facts

Tomato facts and general information about tomatoes.

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Tomatoes are Available:

When planted in late spring tomato blossoms will grow into green fruit and will ripen red by mid summer through September or the first frost.

**Depending on where you live tomatoes are available year round but lack in taste during the off season.**

How do Tomatoes Grow:

Tomatoes grow from a seed. They need lots of warm weather, water and sunshine.

What to Look for When Buying a Tomato:

Bright red color, no bruises, or spots

You can also buy them light red color and let them ripen after buying.

Tomato Facts- Storage Tips:

Store at room temperature not in the fridge. Remember tomatoes originate from warm southern temperatures and they like to stay warm.

How to Cook with Tomatoes:

Chopped or pureed in sauces or soups or diced in salads, salsas, dips. Eat as is.

Tomato Nutrition Facts:

Tomatoes are a source of Vitamin C and Vitamin A. They are also high in Lycopene which helps fight heart disease and some cancers.

Tomato Recipes: 

Stuffed Tomatoes

• 1 large tomato
• 1 can tuna, drained and flaked
• 4 teaspoon mayonnaise
• 1 Tablespoon chopped celery

Make tuna salad by mixing tuna, mayonnaise and chopped celery in a bowl. Cut tomato in half on top lengthwise by the stem. Scoop out pulp, leaving a ½ inch shell. Spoon tuna mixture into tomato shells place on a baking sheet and broil 3-4 inches from the heat for 4-5 minutes until heated through.
**You can try chicken salad instead of tuna, if desired.

Mom's Fresh Salsa

• Tomatoes cut up and diced
• Onions, however much you want
• Small can of mild green chilies
• Garlic cloves
• Salt to taste

This recipe is very much a taste as you go method. Start with the number of tomatoes you'd like to use, then add one onion, 1 can of green chilies, 2 garlic cloves and ¼ teaspoon salt and then taste to see if you'd like more flavor. This is a good way to let kids experiment and create their own version.

Cottage Cheese and Tomatoes

This makes a great side dish or snack.

• Cherry tomatoes or 1 tomato, cut into quarters
• 1 Cup cottage cheese
• Salt and pepper to taste

In bowl, add cottage cheese and tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper. Serve. Easy, simple and delicious.

Pico de Gallo

Pico de Gallo Recipe

Green Tomato Pie

by Terry (Utah) Dice 4 cups very green tomatoes. Try to take out all the seeds so you just have the meat. Do not add water but slowly bring to a boil stirring often because it can scorch easily.
Add:

• 1 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 Tbs vinegar

Stir well and allow to come to a boil. Remove from heat.
Mix:

• 4 Tbs corn starch
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp allspice
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• 1 1/3 cup sugar

Add this mixture to the tomatoes and stir until sugar is dissolved. Cool mixture while preparing pie crust.
Place mixture into pie crust bottom. Dot top of mixture with 3 dots of butter.

Top with crust and cut breathing slits into the top crust. Sprinkle top of pie with cinnamon sugar. Bake 450 degrees for 30 minutes.

Before baking, cover the pie edges with a strip of aluminum foil to keep the edges from over baking. Remove foil the last 5 minutes of baking. Serve hot with vanilla ice cream or cold.

My friend says this is to die for and toward the end of the summer I still have a lot of green tomatoes.

Homemade Tomato Sauce Recipes

Tomato Sauce Recipes

Tomato Soup

Homemade Tomato Soup Recipes

Baked Tomato and Mozzarella

Share your Tomato Facts and Recipes

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Related Food Facts Pages:
~Apple, ~Apricot, ~Avocado, ~Banana, ~Berry, ~Cherry, ~Coconut, ~Cranberry, ~Dates, ~Figs, ~Grapefruit, ~Grapes, ~Kiwi, ~Lemon and Limes, ~Mango, ~Melon, ~Orange, ~Papaya, ~Peach, ~Pear, ~Pineapple, ~Plums, ~Tomato, ~Artichoke, ~Asparagus, ~Beets, ~Broccoli, ~ Brussels Sprouts, ~Cabbage, ~Carrot, ~Cauliflower, ~Celery, ~Corn, ~Cucumber, ~Eggplant, ~Garlic, ~Green Beans, ~Kale, ~Lettuce/Salad Greens, ~Mushrooms, ~Okra, ~Onion, ~Parsnip, ~Peas,green, ~Peppers, ~Potato, ~Radish, ~Rhubarb, ~Spinach, ~Summer Squash and Zucchini, ~Sweet Potato, ~ Turnip, ~ Winter Squash, including Pumpkins, ~Beans, ~Eggs, ~Nuts, ~Seeds, ~ Meat, ~ Dairy, ~ Grains

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