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Origin
The tomato originated in Peru as a small fruited cherry type variety. The Aztecs produced a diverse range of large fruit types during the 16th century.
Varieties
Beef, Plum, Cherry, Vine and loose tomato are the main types. They are grown in Holland, Italy, Spain, Canary Islands, Saudi Arabia, Sicily, Sardinia, Turkey, England and Ireland.
Growing Conditions Required
Tomatoes are a versatile crop and generally need warm growing conditions or in temperate countries they are usually cultivated under glass. Tomatoes are grown successfully under glass in Canada and Finland, which are dark and cold regions where light is at a minimum many months of the year. It is possible to supply tomatoes year round.
Handling Requirements
Store ripe tomatoes at 8ºC-10ºC.
Irish Season
Tomatoes are grown under glass and are allowed to ripen naturally during the summer months.
Eating Experience
Often eaten fresh in a salad or cooked as part of a sauce, tomatoes are highly versatile fruit that can be sweet and juicy when eaten ripe.
The Healthy Option
You can improve the iron content of tomatoes by cooking them in an iron pan or pot. The tomatoes leech iron from the pan which then becomes available as dietary iron. This is a great way of increasing your iron levels to fight off fatigue and anaemia.
Interesting Fact
For a long time the tomato was believed to be poisonous and it was not until the 18th and 19th centuries that it began to be widely appreciated.
The Italian name for the tomato is pomodoro, meaning "apple of love" or "golden apple," because the first to reach Europe were yellow varieties.
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