Tomatoes -at a glance Food family: We treat tomatoes like vegetables, but they are actually berries from the Nightshade family (aubergines and peppers are part of this family too!). Eatwell Guide group: Fruit and vegetables. Main nutrient: Vitamin C, and beta-carotene – keeping our skin, eyes and brain healthy. Origin: The wild tomato seems to have originated in Peru, Ecuador and Chile. Farmed varieties first appeared in Mexico. Season: Buy British tomatoes in the summer. Storage: Store out of the fridge for maximum flavour. Don’t freeze, unless you plan to make a sauce with them.
SIZE 1 - 15cm depending on the variety
TOP FACT! Every year people from around the world come together at La Tomatina festival in Spain to throw around 150,000 tomatoes at each other!
Skin
Flesh
Seeds
Calyx (leaves)
GROWING History
The Aztecs in Mexico were among the first people to farm tomatoes. They liked to make them into a salsa by grating them into a bowl with chilli peppers and salt. The Spanish, who invaded Mexico in the 16th century, brought tomatoes back to Europe. The Italians were the first Europeans to eat them a lot. They called them ‘pomo d’oro‘, which means ‘golden apples‘. In Britain, people thought they were bad for the health, so chose not to eat them. They only became popular here in the 19th century.
where ARE THEY PRODUCED today?
We harvest about 160 million tonnes of tomatoes around the world each year. That’s about the same weight as a million blue whales! China and India are the two biggest growers of tomatoes in the world.
At Borough Market trader The Tomato Stall sells beautiful British tomatoes, grown on the Isle of Wight. Look for tinned tomatoes at Italian trader Gastronomica too.
Say hello to the trader s when you visit the Marke t!
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The tomatoes should be ready to harvest 3 to 7 months after the seeds were sown.
A tomato grows out of the centre of each flower, usually turning from green to red as it ripens.
Tomato seeds are sown indoors in spring. After around 30 days, they grow into small plants called seedlings.
How are they
grown?
Each plant begins to flower and is pollinated.
GROW YOUR OWN 1. Remove the seeds from a good-quality ripe tomato.
2. Soak in a jar with tepid water for 2 to 5 days, shaking the jar every day.
The seedlings are planted outdoors in soil.
With lots of sunshine and water they grow into bushes or tall climbing vines.
3. The seeds will separate from the pulp and start fermenting. 4. Throw away the pulp and water. 5. Rinse the seeds in a sieve then pat them with paper towel and leave to fully dry for around a week before planting.
VARIETIES There are more than 10,000 varieties of tomato. Not all of them are red. Tomatoes can come in shades of yellow, orange, green, purple, black and white. You may even spot some striped ones at Borough Market!
Did you know? Most tomatoes are best in the summer but there are a few winter varieties, although you are unlikely to find them at the supermarket. These are firmer and more acidic.
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They come in different shapes and sizes too – from small and round cherry tomatoes, to oval plums, to large and ruffled beef hearts.
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Just like strawberries, farmers can mix different varieties of tomato together to create the ‘perfect’ one. The hybrid tomato you get from this crossbreeding usually grows faster (productive), is a more regular shape (consistent) and can fight disease (resistant).
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‘Heritage’ or ‘heirloom’ tomatoes are grown from seeds that have been passed through families and farmers for generations, without any crossbreeding. As well as linking us to history, they tend to have more interesting characteristics and flavour.
Next time you go food shopping, see if you can spot tinned tomatoes, tomato paste, passata, sun-dried tomatoes, tomato sauce and tomato juice.
COOKING & EATING! Even though they are 95% water, tomatoes are packed with goodness.
Show + share We’d love to see all your experiments with tomatoes so don’t forget to take some pictures to share! Tag #marketexplorers and tell us why you love tomatoes.
NUTRITION
COOKING
Cooking tomatoes reduces the vitamin C but can make them easier to digest. Tinned tomatoes are cooked after they are sealed in the can. This helps keep in all the nutrients and flavour.
Tomatoes play a big role in cuisines all around the world. Here are a few examples for you to try at home.
PREP Tomatoes don’t like the cold so it’s best to store them out of the fridge. Compare the flavour of a tomato straight from the fridge and one that is at room temperature to see the difference. Unripe green tomatoes make super chutneys, and over-ripe, soft tomatoes make good soups or sauces that can be frozen. Mouldy ones will have to go in the compost.
ITALIAN
Caprese salad is a taste of the summer.
1. Ask an adult to help you slice some ripe room-temperature heritage tomatoes with a small serrated knife. 2. Lay them out on a plate and season with a bit of salt and pepper. Rip a mozzarella ball with your hands and put the pieces over the tomatoes. 3. Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Shred up some basil leaves and sprinkle on top.
INDIAN
Tomato chutney, a great way to use under or over-ripe tomatoes.
1. To make a jar of chutney, put 500g freshly chopped tomatoes in a pan with 3 tbsps vinegar, 1 tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp ground coriander, 2 tbsps brown sugar and ½ tsp turmeric. If you like spicy food you can add a pinch of chilli powder here too.
a sandwich, Enjoy it in heese or hc as a dip, wit meat. d with cooke
TURKISH
2. Use a box grater to grate 1 garlic clove, a 3cm piece of peeled ginger and a small onion. Add to the pan. 3. Cook on the hob for 20-30 minutes until it’s reduced down and sticky. 4. Leave it chunky or ask a parent to help blend it with a hand blender or food processor.
Delicious with a bit of feta or a dollop of yoghurt on top
Menemen is traditionally a breakfast dish but lovely any time of day.
1. Cook 1 chopped bell pepper in a pan with a bit of olive oil, 1 tbsp cumin and 1 tsp sweet paprika until soft. 2. Add a can of chopped tomatoes and the leaves from 2 sprigs of thyme and let it simmer for 15 minutes until the sauce thickens. Stir it from time to time. 3. Whisk 2-4 eggs in a bowl with a fork and add them to the sauce. Stir everything together until the eggs have scrambled.
4. Season with salt and pepper, sprinkle over some coriander leaves and serve with bread or sausages. TIP: For poached eggs, use a spoon to make 2 holes in the sauce. Crack an egg in each one then put the lid on the pan. Cook for about 5 minutes (or a little longer if you like your yolks cooked too).
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© Borough Market 2020
This unit is part of Borough Market’s Market Explorers series, helping primary school children discover more about the produce sold in the Market. Each booklet looks at a specific ingredient from field to fork, and has been devised in collaboration with children’s cooking authors and TV consultants Sally Brown and Kate Morris – the duo behind CBeebies ‘i can cook’ and ‘My World Kitchen’.