Wednesday 11 September 2013

Tomatoe Harvest n Meidince


Greenhouse full of treats including delicious Organic Tomatoes -Lycopersicon esculentum.

I have been making Pasata from the perfectly ripe ones with all my garden mediteranean herbage including rosemary, thyme, oregano and lots of garlic...mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm



We call them fruit but botanically speaking, tomato is not only a fruit, but also a berry since it is formed from a single ovary


The word "tomato" may actually originate from the Nahautl (Aztecan) word "tomatl " meaning "the swelling fruit." It wasn't until the 1500's that Spanish explorers and colonizers brought tomato seeds from Mexico back to Spain and introduced this food to European populations.

Although the use of tomatoes spread throughout Europe over the course of the 1500's, tomatoes did not enjoy full popularity then and were seen by many people as unfit to eat. Part of this "food inappropriateness" was associated with the status of the tomato plant as a nightshade plant and its potential poisonousness in this regard.

Tomatoes are one of the best sources of lycopene, a powerful antioxidant that helps protect cellular structures and DNA. Lycopene is a carotenoid pigment that is associated with the deep red color of many tomatoes. 

Fresh tomatoes and tomato extracts have been shown to help lower total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and triglycerides. In addition, tomato extracts have been shown to help prevent unwanted clumping together (aggregation) of platelet cells in the blood - a factor that is especially important in lowering risk of heart problems like atherosclerosis.

These ones smell amazing and taste sublime...

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