World Tomato Day: Interesting Facts About Tomatoes You Should Know

As World Tomato Day nears, here are some facts about tomatoes that you should know. From an interesting history to a highly sensitive storing condition, the tomato remains one of the most fascinating fruits in the world. Keep reading to know more!

Unknown Facts about Tomatoes

• Water makes up 94.5 percent of the weight of a tomato.

• Tomatoes are members of the Nightshade plant family (potato, tobacco, and chili peppers), which originated in Central America. It was domesticated by the Aztecs circa 500 BC and was used as a meal as well as a powerful (and hazardous) hallucinogenic.

• If you store tomatoes with the stem down, they will last longer.

• During the conquest of the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan, Spanish conqueror Hernán Cortés came into touch with tomato for the first time. He brought the seeds back to Spain, where they were immediately included in the soldiers' and sailors' daily meals.

• It's estimated that there are around 25,000 tomato varieties.

• Many European countries were keen on not adopting tomatoes and other new world vegetables into their menus. They were dreaded because they were not mentioned in the Bible, their untrained use resulted in poor farm yields, and their inedible parts brought sickness and death.

• Tomatoes provide more vitamins to Americans than any other vegetable.

• Every year, the average American consumes about 24 pounds of tomatoes.

• Tomato fruits were frequently used as table decorations in Italy during the 17th and 18th centuries. During this time, Italian botanists used selective breeding to create a plethora of tomato varieties.

• Botanist Alexander W. Livingston invented several cultivars of tomato that were ideal for mass industrial production and processing, which led to modern-day tomato production in the United States.

• Tomatoes are grown in 93 percent of American gardens! It is the most widely consumed vegetable in the United States.

• California produces 96 percent of all processed tomatoes in the United States. Fresh market tomatoes are grown and sold in abundance in Florida.

• The heaviest tomato weighed 3.51 kilograms, the tallest tomato plant measured 19.8 meters, and the greatest tomato tree produced 32 thousand tomatoes weighing 522 kilograms.

• Tomatoes lose their Vitamin C quickly if they are exposed to sunlight while being stored.

• On their way to the supermarket, tomatoes are sometimes picked green and dosed with ethylene gas. This ensures that they are fully ripe when they arrive.

• In French and Spanish, tomatoes are referred to as "tomate," "tomaat" in Dutch, and "pomodoro" in Italian.

• If you store green tomatoes near apples, they will ripen. The ethylene gas that has been released will create optimal conditions for the fruit to mature faster. If you don't have any apples, wrap them loosely in newspapers and store them for a week or two.

• The tomato was dubbed "The Apple of Love" in France and "The Apple of Paradise" in Germany in the nineteenth century. It was thought to be poisonous in England.

• Over the previous 20 years, Americans have boosted their tomato consumption by 30%. Salsa, on the other hand, has just surpassed ketchup as the most popular condiment in the United States.

• The leaves of the tomato plant are poisonous.

• Processed tomatoes account for 34% of tomato consumption in the United States.

• Tomatoes have a wide range of medicinal qualities. It can reduce cancer risk, prevent cardiovascular disease, purify cigarette smoke toxins, lower hypertension, regulate blood levels, dissolve gallstones, reduce the severity of blood clots, treat inflammation, and more.

• Tomatoes lose their flavor and quality when they are refrigerated.

• Tomato juice is Ohio's official state beverage and New Jersey's official vegetable.

• Tomato production reached 145.7 million tons worldwide in 2010. China leads the world in production and exports, with 41.8 million tons.