The tomato plant, Solanum lycopersicum, bears
edible red fruit used worldwide in a diversity of
cuisines. Originally from South America, the
tomato is now spread across the globe and its
many varieties are even grown in greenhouses
where the climate is cool. Botanically it is
classified as a fruit, but it used as a vegetable for
culinary purposes.
Red fleshy fruit of tomatoes is consumed in many different ways. The raw fruit is
delicious as it is, but tomatoes are also used as an ingredient in many dishes, sauces, and
drinks. Although popularly eaten fresh in salads, there is a mound of uses for tomatoes.
Unripe green tomatoes can be used to make pickles, salsa as well as being breaded and
fried. Tomato juice is a popular drink, and is used in cocktails such as the Bloody Mary.
At home, fully ripe tomatoes can be stored in the fridge but will have their best flavour
when kept at room temperature. Tomatoes stored cold will still be edible, but tend to
lose flavour. Because of their acidity, tomatoes are easy to preserve in canning, tomato
sauce or paste. The fruit is also preserved by drying, often in the sun, and kept in bags or
in jars with oil.
Tomato plants can grow to three metres, with both perennial and annual varieties on the
market. They have a weak stem that often sprawls over the ground and vines over other
plants. Although commonly red, some tomato cultivars produce yellow, orange, pink,
purple, green, black, or even white fruit.
For optimum taste and sugar levels, tomatoes have been bred to ripen uniformly red.
Today there are thousands of tomato cultivars bred for different growing condition,
varying fruit types and optimal growth.
Cultivated tomatoes vary in size from tomberries (5mm in diameter), to cherry tomatoes
(2cm in diameter), to beefsteak tomatoes (10cm in diameter). Some are grown for the
restaurant industry, the perfectly large tomato sliced for a burger. Others are grown for
use in salads or for a longer shelf-life. Elongated plum tomatoes are grown for canning
purposes and sauces as they have lower water content.
Tomatoes have beneficial health effects and are especially good for the heart and other
organs. The fruit is rich in lycopene, one of the most powerful natural antioxidants.
Among other benefits, lycopene has been shown to improve the skin's ability to protect
against harmful UV rays. Today, tomato varieties are available with double the amounts
of vitamin C, 40 times the normal amount of vitamin A and high levels of lycopene.
Tomatoes make a good companion plant. One of the best pairing is the tomato plant and
carrots. Other popular combinations in the veggie garden are tomato plants grown with
tomatoes are parsley and dill.
Plants with strong scents, like onions, chives, garlic, mint, basil, oregano and spearmint
mask the scent of the tomato plant, making it harder for pests to locate it and thereby
reducing the odds of the pests from attacking the correct plant. These plants may also
subtly impact the flavour of tomato fruit.
Tomato plants also benefit other plants. Because they contain solanum, tomatoes
protect asparagus from the asparagus beetle. The friendship works both ways though as
the asparagus plants (as well as marigolds) contain a chemical that repels root
nematodes known to attack tomato plants.
Pop in to Starke Ayres Garden Centre to stock up on healthy tomatoes!
21 Liesbeek Parkway, Rosebank
AND
West Coast Village Shopping Centre, Sandown Road, Sunningdale
www.starkeayresgc.co.za