Did you know...
Do giant tomatoes
exist?
In 2016, a Canadian farmer
named Dan Sutherland
grew a giant tomato that weighed 3.61 kg.
It took two hands to hold it.
Do you think purple
ttomatoes exist?
Aunque estamos acostumbrados a ver tomates de
color rojo, también existen tomates de color morado.
Se les conoce como “tomates morados” y son una
variedad rara y poco común originarios de Perú.
Did you know...
Tomatoes were
originally known
as "love apples".
Perhaps based on the Italian tradition of pomo d’oro, or “golden apple”.
Aphrodisiac and magical properties were also attributed to it.
Did you know that
tomatoes can be
frozen?
Tomatoes can be frozen, but washing and drying
them first is recommended. However, once defrosted,
they lose their texture and some of their flavour. For
this reason, they are not appropriate in dishes such as
salads, but they can be used in stews or sauces.
Do you know
what the heaviest
tomato is?
The Guinness Book of World Records registered
the world’s heaviest tomato at 3,906 kilograms
in 2016. It was grown by Dan Sutherland in the
United States, dethroning McCoy who had occupied
the top spot since 1986 with a tomato weighing
3.51 kilograms. At the other end of the spectrum
is the “gota” tomato, named for its small dimensions
of approximately 1 cm in diameter, which is equivalent
to 2 or 3 grams in weight.
What do potatoes,
aubergines and tobacco
have in common with
tomatoes?
Does the tomato
plant have a
sex? What about its fruit?
All plants have a sex, but depending on the type
of plant, it will reproduce through
asexual or sexual means. The tomato plant
reproduces sexually. Its reproductive organs
are the flowers, which are hermaphrodite.
This means that the male sexual structures
(stamens) and the female sexual structures
(pistil) are present in the same flower. In most
cases, fruit is produced as a result of
self-pollination, although cross-pollination
can also occur. The tomato is a fruit and
therefore has no sex.
Do square tomatoes
exist?
Although the process would be complicated by the presence
of certain genes in the tomato genome, we could probably
create a square transgenic tomato. But there is
an easier way to do it. To create a tomato in
the desired shape, we just need to put it in a
square box at an early stage of ripening. Then, as it
grows, it will take on the shape of the box. Square
tomatoes are grown in Asia, although this approach
is more common with other fruits such as watermelons.
How much storage space would we save if tomatoes were square?
Do all tomatoes
have seeds?
For many years, research has been concentrated
on the cultivation of seedless tomatoes. Through
a process known as parthenocarpy, the ovary of
the flower is transformed into fruit without the
need for fertilisation. This means that the sterile
plant is not dependent on environmental conditions,
has a longer shelf life and enables the production of
processed tomatoes. This type of tomato is typically
quite a bit smaller (approximately 40%) and weighs much l
ess (around 80%) than a “traditional” seeded tomato.
Does a ripe tomato have
to be red?
It depends on the variety of tomato. There are tomatoes that
are still green even when ripe, meaning that they already have
the chemical composition of the mature stage despite their colour. They can be identified, for example, because they
have softer skin than unripe tomatoes and usually have other variations in colour.
Is a tomato still
alive after
harvesting?
The tomato plant is a living organism, and so are its organs, leaves, roots, stems and fruits. When a tomato is
harvested and picked from the plant, its cells are
still metabolically active, which means that the tomato
is still alive. This is confirmed by the ripening process
that occurs in the tomato once it has been detached
from the plant, as well as the seeds’ ability to produce
a new plant. These processes could not take place if the
cells of the produce were dead. As a climacteric fruit,
the tomato continues ripening for a few days until
it reaches full maturity and then begins to age.