A fruit contains the seeds of a plant. It is the mature ovary, produced after a flower is pollinated. Looking at the botanical definition, a tomato is a fruit, as are peppers, eggplants and squash.
Tomatoes are botanically defined as fruits because they form from a flower and contain seeds. Still, they’re most often utilized like a vegetable in cooking. In fact, the US Supreme Court ruled in 1893 that the tomato should be classified as a vegetable on the basis of its culinary applications.
That’s because scientifically speaking tomatoes are fruits, not vegetables! Let’s bite into the explanation from National Geographic. When we’re talking about what a fruit is and what a vegetable is, we have to look at the scientific definition. In the science of plants, fruits grow from the fertilized ovary of a flower.
While we were reading we ran into the inquiry “Why is a tomato a fruit?”.
This is what our research found. with this definition in mind, tomatoes are classified as fruit because they contain seeds and grow from the flower of the tomato plant. Tomatoes are botanically fruits because they form from a flower and contain seeds. Much of the confusion about whether a tomato is a fruit or vegetable comes from the common culinary applications for tomatoes.
What makes a fruit a fruit?
To a botanist, a fruit is an entity that develops from the fertilized ovary of a flower. This means that tomatoes, squash, pumpkins, cucumbers, peppers, eggplants, corn kernels, and bean and pea pods are all fruits; so are apples, pears, peaches, apricots, melons and mangos.
The next thing we wanted the answer to was; what is the science of fruit?
I learned in the science of plants, fruits grow from the fertilized ovary of a flower. One reason plants make fruit is so they can disperse their seeds. When a person or animal eats fruit, those seeds are taken away and have a chance to get planted.
What are some other fruits that are considered vegetables?
Some other fruits that are used as vegetables include squash, pea pods and cucumber. Tomatoes are botanically defined as fruits because they form from a flower and contain seeds.
What is a tomato plant?
The actual tomato plant is a seed plant that grows the red, edible tomatoes people know and love. Although tomatoes aren’t known for being as sweet as other fruit (like peaches), they’re not as bitter as some vegetables (looking at you, Brussels sprouts).
One way to consider this is like other true fruits, tomatoes form from small yellow flowers on the vine and naturally contain a multitude of seeds. These seeds can later be harvested and used to produce more tomato plants.
Some believe that One adult portion of a tomato is a medium sized tomato or 7 cherry tomatoes, remember to eat a wide variety of fruit and vegetables so you can reach your daily 5-a-day. Portion size of tomatoes Summary – Tomatoes are both fruits and vegetables!