Tomatoes

History

Tomatoes originally grew wild in Peru and were first cultivated in Mexico. Spanish colonists introduced tomatoes to countries wolrd-wide. The French called tomatoes pomme d’amour, or love apples. It was not until the early 1900s that tomatoes became popular in the United States.

Source: Kids Cook Farm Fresh Food, California Department of Education

Fruit or Vegetable?

Botanically speaking, a tomato is the ovary, together with its seeds, of a flowering plant: a fruit or, more precisely, a berry. Tomatoes are not the only culinary vegetable that is a botanical fruit: eggplants, cucumbers, and squashes of all kinds (including zucchini and pumpkins) share the same ambiguity.

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Oceanside Produce

A true American success story, Harry Singh came to this country from India at the age of 16. With a urning entrepreneurial spirit and a deeply ingrained work ethic, Harry set out to make his mark. During the ’30s, he began a trucking business, hauling crops from California to other Southwestern states where produce was unavailable.

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Durst Organic Growers

Jim and Deborah Durst are committed to growing the best tasting and most nutritious produce

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Season

Tomato season runs from June through November.

Ripeness

Most tomatoes today are picked before fully ripe. They are bred to continue ripening, but the enzyme that ripens tomatoes stops working when it reaches temperatures below 54°F. Once an unripe tomato drops below that temperature, it will not continue to ripen.

Storage

Once fully ripe, tomatoes can be stored in the refrigerator but are best eaten at room temperature.