Tomatoes

The Paradeiser is the all-rounder in the kitchen with a particularly diverse range of uses. The term tomato is derived from the apple of paradise. The red berry impresses with its distinctive and unmistakable aroma. What would Italian cuisine be without “Pomodoro”? The plant family is characterized by its special variety, which is expressed in the wide range of aromas, shapes and colors. The variety of colors ranges from whitish, yellowish to orange, green, pink and through to purple and the typical red…

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Botany
ingredients
Use and preparation
storage

Botany

The tomato (Lycopersicon lycopersicum or Solanum lycopersicon) belongs to the nightshade family (Solanaceae) like the aubergine and the potato. The name Paradeiser is typical in the Austrian-speaking area and is derived from the paradise or love apple. However, the term tomato is being used more and more frequently in this country.

The annual plant likes it particularly warm and sunny. The plant cannot tolerate temperatures below one degree Celsius. From a botanical point of view, the fruit, consisting of pericarp and fruit chamber tissue, is a berry and is one of the fruit vegetables. Already at the end of the 15th century the Paradeiser came to Europe with Columbus from Peru and Ecuador via Mexico. Initially only used as an ornamental plant, the cultivation and useful potential of the plant was not recognized until the end of the 19th century.

The plant family is characterized by its special variety, which is expressed in the wide range of aromas, shapes and colors. There are egg, heart, cherry, pear and bottle-shaped as well as oval, flat-round, round to pointed tomatoes. The variety of colors ranges from whitish, yellowish to orange, green, pink and purple and the typical red. In addition to the particularly large beefsteak tomatoes, there are also the small cocktail and cherry tomatoes - in between a variety of different fruit sizes.

Tomatoes are available from local cultivation from June to October.

Note The Italian name for tomatoes, "pomodoro", means something like "golden apple".

ingredients

Tomatoes are rich in vitamins and minerals with a low calorie content of 17 kcal / 100 g. With their high water content of up to 94 percent, they are a particularly refreshing vegetable, especially in summer. Vitamins C, B1, B2, folic acid and precursors of vitamin A are found in tomatoes. Tomatoes contain many carotenoids, which also give the fruit its strong red color - lycopene is a representative. Carotenoids can, among other things, have an antioxidant effect in the body. You can find out more about carotenoids and other phytochemicals under How saponins & Co. work.

The skin of the fruit contains the flavonoid quercetin, which also has numerous health-promoting effects. Tomatoes should therefore preferably not be peeled. In addition, tomatoes have a high content of potassium. Green areas on tomatoes (e.g. stem base, unripe fruits) contain the plant toxin tomatin. Like the solanine contained in raw or green potatoes, it can cause burning in the throat, headaches, diarrhea, nausea, etc. Green areas should therefore be cut away and not eaten.

Note Tomatoes contain the biogenic amine histamine, to which some people may be overly sensitive. For more information, see Histamine Intolerance.

Tomato ingredients	per 100 g edible portion, raw	Tomato ingredients	per 100 g edible portion, raw
Energy (kcal)	17th	Vitamin A (µg)	114
Fat (g)	0.2	Vitamin B1 (mg)	0.06
Protein (g)	1.0	Vitamin B2 (mg)	0.04
Carbohydrates (g)	2.6	Niacin (mg)	0.5
Dietary fiber (g)	1.0	Vitamin B6 (mg)	0.1
Potassium (mg)	242	Vitamin C (mg)	25th
Calcium (mg)	9	Vitamin E (mg)	0.8
Magnesium (mg)	14th	Folic acid (µg)	22nd
Iron (mg)	0.3

Use and preparation

Tomatoes are used in a variety of ways in the kitchen. Whether in Mediterranean, Asian or down-to-earth home cooking - they are an indispensable part of the kitchen and are part of the most varied of kitchen trends. They are suitable for the preparation of salads, soups (e.g. gazpacho), various sauces and sugos, juices and much more.

The tomatoes should be washed well before preparation. Remove green spots. Due to the valuable ingredients, the bowl should be used when cooking and also eaten.

Note Tomatoes with mozzarella and basil is just one of the many classic dishes made with tomatoes.

storage

Tomatoes are vegetables that are sensitive to cold and are ideally not stored in the refrigerator. A compromise is the vegetable drawer, but shouldn't be kept in for more than a day or two. Under no circumstances should the storage temperature be below eight degrees Celsius. They stay fresh in a cool place (up to 15 degrees Celsius) for one to a maximum of two weeks. If they are stored too cool, they will lose their taste and texture.

Tomatoes also ripen well after harvest. Green to yellow fruits gain color, but the taste cannot develop optimally when it ripens. When they ripen, they give off the ripening gas ethylene and can spoil other fruits more quickly. It is therefore advisable to store them separately from other types of fruit and vegetables.

For more information, see Storage in the refrigerator.

When shopping, you can recognize fresh, well-ripened tomatoes by their strong red color and the plump fruit skin. The skin should be intact and the fruit should have a firm consistency. The sepals and the stem (panicle) should still be present and not dried out.

Note Tomatoes are very suitable for drying and freezing.