The tomato is the fruit of the tomato plant.
The tomato is the fruit of the plant known as tomato plant , a herbaceous species that belongs to the Solanaceae family and is native to the American continent. Tomatoes are reddish berries that are characterized by their multi-seeded pulp and juice.
Usually spherical in appearance, tomatoes usually have a diameter of about eight centimeters. Before ripening, they have green skin , which turns red over time.
Tomato characteristics
The tomato is highly valued in food. Its main component is water , followed by carbohydrates . Because it has few calories, it is a suggested food in diets aimed at losing weight. This fruit, on the other hand, contains vitamins C , B5 , B2 and B1 and several minerals .
The flavor of tomatoes is between sweet and acidic, a particularity given by the presence of organic acids and simple sugars. It is important to note that it can be consumed in multiple ways.
Forms of consumption
The simplest way to consume tomatoes is raw in salads: just by washing and seasoning the fruit, it can be eaten. Fresh tomato can also be processed to obtain juice and sauce . With the addition of certain preservatives, products such as tomato pulp , tomato puree and tomato jam are generated, which are sold vacuum packaged.
Another popular way to consume tomatoes is by dehydrating them beforehand. The seeds are removed from the dried tomatoes and the water is extracted with brine and some drying process (in the sun, in an oven, etc.). It is a recipe originally from Italy that is currently consumed in many parts of the world and can be ideal to accompany certain dishes, both cold and hot, or to eat with bread as an appetizer.
Sun-dried tomatoes can dehydrate in the sun.
dried tomatoes
Although the most common thing is to buy dried tomatoes in a store, since their price is relatively affordable, those who prepare them at home assure that the flavor is incomparable. Unlike other recipes , the dried tomato recipe is not difficult in terms of the skills necessary to make it, but rather the time it requires to prepare properly.
The original dehydration process uses the heat of the sun, and is the most extensive since it can last several days ; baked it is possible to achieve it in just one day, but the result is not the same. Experts advise using pear tomatoes, since they contain less water than other varieties. After drying it is necessary to let them cool; They are placed in a container with basil, garlic and pepper , trying to leave little space between them, and finally, olive oil is added until all the ingredients are covered. To get the best flavor, it is necessary to wait at least a week before consuming them.
A Jon Avnet movie
In 1991, a film titled " Fried green tomatoes " was released in the United States, directed by Jon Avnet and starring Kathy Bates, Mary-Louise Parker and Mary Stuart Masterson , among other well-known actors.
The screenplay, by Fannie Flagg and Carol Sobieski , is based on Flagg's novel of the same name. It is about the friendship between a woman who has lost her hope and an elderly woman whom she regularly visits in a nursing home. The latter tells her young friend a series of stories that will change her life forever.
tomato stand
In everyday speech, finally, the expression estar del tomato means being crazy , although it is used to talk about a person who does not seem to act sanely, and not necessarily to refer to a true mental illness.
Its use takes place mainly in Spain, although through the Internet and the export of film and television, the barriers that previously contained regionalisms are becoming less and less effective.