Are tomatoes fruits or vegetables? This debate is a never-ending chain. But, whatever it is, be it fruit or vegetable, we love having it in our meals, don’t we?
Tomatoes have a fresh, tangy taste, and they are usually red. However, they come in many other colors, such as yellow, green, and purple.
Why do we eat tomatoes? Because they are rich in vitamin C, which is good for blood and skin. Additionally, tomatoes contain antioxidants such as beta-carotene and lycopene, which help detoxify the skin and immunize our bodies.
Now that we know that tomatoes have rich beneficial qualities, shouldn’t we get to learn more about this magic fruit or vegetable?
Let’s first clarify whether it is a vegetable or fruit. So the clear-cut definition is that tomatoes are fruits of the plant Solanum Lycopersicum, so in that way, it is fruit. But when we use it with other cooking ingredients, it is a vegetable.
We hope now you have a good idea about it.
10 Different Types of Tomatoes
So, we have various varieties of tomatoes, and each has different beneficial values for our health. Thus, we have come up with this article to inform you about ten different types of tomatoes and their benefits. Let’s go and get some earnest information.
1. Cherry Tomatoes
The best of the kind of tomatoes are cherry tomatoes. As the name suggests, these tomatoes have tiny cherry-like shapes and are red and juicy.
They are so pulpy that they might burst with juice when you bite them. Though most of them are red, you can also get them in shades of orange, yellow, purple, and green.
The primary distinction between cherry tomatoes and other tomatoes is their size; they can range from a penny’s width to a golf ball’s width.
Prominently known for their nutritional values, cherry tomatoes are cultivated more in South and Central America.
Nutrient Benefits: One cherry tomato, weighing 17 grams, has three calories and a rich amount of vitamins and minerals.
Also Read:- How To Pollinate Tomatoes? [Step-by-Step Guide]
2. Grape Tomatoes
Grape tomatoes are half the size of a healthy cherry tomato. They are hybrid tomatoes that are cultivated initially in Southeast Asia. They are comparatively less juicy than cherry tomatoes.
Since the demand amongst customers was increasing, the beefsteak tomatoes were cross-bred with Italian tomatoes to produce grape tomatoes.
Grape tomatoes will be a great choice if you do not have a preference for the juiciness of cherry tomatoes.
Nutrient Benefits: One healthy grape tomato of 8 grams contains one calorie.
Also Read:- 15 Easiest Vegetables to Grow for Beginners
3. Roma Tomatoes
Roma tomatoes are much larger in shape and size than both cherry and grape tomatoes.
Roma tomatoes are plum tomatoes that are prominently used for canning and producing tomato paste because they are strong and delicate.
Roma tomatoes are also known as Italian tomatoes or Italian plum tomatoes. They are significantly cultivated in the United States, Mexico, Australia, and Great Britain.
Nutrient Benefits: One healthy Roma tomato of approx 62 grams contains 11 calories and 1 gram of fiber.
4. Beefsteak Tomatoes
It is large, robust, sturdy, and firm enough to retain its shape even when you cut thin slices.
That is the best possible recognition for the beefsteak tomatoes. Most of them are red or pink. They require massive space and care to grow and stand tall and robust.
These tomatoes are prominent for their unique shape, robustness, meaty texture, and classic tomato flavor.
Nutrient Benefits: One large and healthy beefsteak tomato of weight 182 grams contains 33 calories, 2 grams of fiber, and 28% of the recommended daily intake (DV) of vitamin C, an antioxidant that strengthens the immune system.
5. Heirloom Tomatoes
Heirloom tomatoes are a particular type of tomato for their color. It varies from pale yellow to deep bright green to deep purplish-red.
They are not hybrid plants. Their seeds are kept safe and passed down without cross-pollination with any other type.
This is why people prioritize heirloom tomatoes over any other hybrid one. Heirloom varieties sometimes have a richer, sweeter flavor than store-bought alternatives. Similar to regular tomatoes, heirloom tomatoes have identical amounts of nutrients.
Nutrient Benefits: A medium but healthy heirloom tomato of around 123-gram weight has 22 calories and 552 mcg of beta carotene. It is a proven antioxidant that’s a precursor to vitamin A, which is significant for good vision.
6. Tomatoes on the Vine
Quirky name, right? But there is a reason behind naming it like that. These tomatoes are called tomatoes on the vine because when you buy them, you will get them attached to their vines.
Yes, that’s right. Why is this so? Because the vines increase their shelf life.
Few of the studies show that tomatoes on vine agave relatively more amount of nutrients and antioxidants than those which are plugged even before ripening.
Nutrient Benefits: One healthy tomato on the vine of around 123 grams has 22 calories and 3,160 mcg of lycopene, a necessary antioxidant with heart-shield effects.
7. Green Tomatoes
Green tomatoes are of two types: heirlooms that are green when wholly ripe and unripened ones that have not yet turned red.
It might surprise you, but only green tomatoes are used in cooking in some places.
For example, in the Southern United States, people eat fried green tomatoes sliced thin, battered with charmed, and then fried and consumed.
Nutritional Benefits: One medium green tomato of good health and weight 123-gram has 28 calories, making them like other types of tomatoes firm, simple to slice, and low in calories.
8. Better Boy Tomatoes
Better boy tomatoes have been in existence for the last 50 years now. The lesser-known fact is that this tomato is the Guinness book record holder for the number of fruits it’s one plant produces.
Famous amongst customers for its unbeatable taste, this fruit grows from an intermediate plant. It takes only 72 days of excellent and efficient care.
Because its yield is so good, Better Boy cultivars should be firmly rooted in the garden.
Nutritional Values: A healthy, better-boy tomato consists of heart-protecting nutrients, Vitamin C and Calcium.
9. Black Krim Tomatoes
Black Krim, also known as black crimia, is a species of heirloom tomato. It is cultivated mainly at the Isle of Krim in the Black Sea off the coast of the Crimean Peninsula. So, the name is black crimia.
The plants are open-pollinated, intermediate, and produce fruit of tomatoes of weight up to 226 grams. The color of these tomatoes ranges from dark reddish-purple to black with green/brown shoulders.
Nutritional Values: A healthy fruit of black Krim tomato of weight 226 gram contains a rich amount of antioxidant named anthocyanins, which is very beneficial for health. Along with that, it carries 18 calories, protein, fat, and carbohydrate.
10. Campari Tomatoes
This one variety of tomatoes, known as Campari, is prominent for its juiciness, high sugar content, moderate acidity, and absence of mealiness.
Campari tomatoes are smaller and rounder than plum tomatoes but deeper red and bigger than cherry tomatoes.
Nutritional Benefits: A healthy fruit of Campari tomato contains vitamins A, B, & C, minerals, antioxidants, lycopene, and potassium.
Recommendations
Best use of each type of tomato:
- Cherry Tomatoes: Best suited when eaten as a salad, as snacks, or even with kababs.
- Grape Tomatoes: They can be eaten alone as a snack or mixed with other ingredients in a salad bowl.
- Roma Tomatoes: Not good enough for slicing, so better to eat as a snack.
- Beefsteak Tomatoes: Perfect to be used as a slice of tomatoes in hamburgers and sandwiches.
- Heirloom Tomatoes: Perfect for canning, making sauces, and eating alone with some salt by the side.
- Tomatoes on the vine: Firm and large enough for slicing and thus best to use in sandwiches. Though one can use it for canning and paste also.
- Green Tomatoes: Excellent for canning and making sauces. It goes perfectly for making relish, a condiment for sandwiches and meats.
- Better Boy Tomatoes: Best for canning and sauces.
- Black Krim Tomatoes: Great to use in salad slices, sandwich tomato, sauce, salsa.
- Campari Tomatoes: Popular for cooking, canning, and eating raw.
Bonus Read: 10 Golden Watering Tips for Your Vegetable Garden
FAQ’s
Tomatoes are believed to be the powerhouse of antioxidants. They are also suitable for vitamins A, B, and C. They also have lycopene which is good for fighting cancer.
When it comes to fruit and veggies, it is better to eat them raw. Because when we cook it, the fruits and veggies lose their nutritional value.
Since every other person has a different taste bud and thus it will taste different to everyone. Although, we can say that cherry tomatoes are the sweetest.
One of the best ways to keep tomatoes fresh is to store the raw tomatoes at room temperature. Also, avoid them having direct contact with the sun.
Different types of tomatoes take different times to produce depending upon the environmental conditions and care provided.
Conclusion
Provided that thousands of different kinds of tomatoes are out there, they are still divided into ten basic categories. We have mentioned it all in this article for your knowledge.
The best thing is that all the different types of tomatoes contain different nutritional values.
They are low in calories and thus do not negatively impact health. You can consume it fresh from the farm. You must rinse, wash, slice, make the salad, and consume it. Or, you can also eat it directly.