Whether you’re growing them in the garden or slicing them into salads, tomatoes are one of summer’s juiciest stars. Beyond their delicious flavour and vibrant colour, tomatoes have a few fun surprises up their sleeves. Here are three sun-ripened facts to make you smile this summer:
- Tomatoes Love the Heat (But Not Too Much!) 🔥🍅
Tomatoes thrive in warm, sunny conditions – which is why they’re so popular in Mediterranean cuisines. In the UK, summer gives just the right balance of warmth and daylight to help them ripen beautifully.
Did you know tomatoes can stop turning red if it gets too hot? Temperatures consistently above 29°C (yes, we do get them occasionally!) can halt the production of lycopene, the natural red pigment. So, even your tomatoes appreciate some afternoon shade during heatwaves!
- They’re Technically a Fruit – But Legally a Vegetable! 🧺🍅
We all call tomatoes a vegetable (because they go in savoury dishes), but botanically, they’re a fruit, specifically a berry!
In 1893, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that tomatoes are legally a vegetable for trade purposes. So when you’re chopping them for your summer salad, you’re technically eating a fruit that’s pretending to be a veg!
- UK Tomatoes Are Fresher Than You Think 🌿
Around 20% of tomatoes sold in UK supermarkets are now grown here – and that number is growing each year. Thanks to innovations in greenhouse farming and eco-friendly growing methods, more British tomatoes are making their way to our plates, often within 24 hours of being picked.
That means sweeter, juicier, more sustainable summer snacking, win-win!