The secret life of tomatoes
By Rakiyah Lenon | Co-editor in chief
Tomatoes have long been known for being more than just tomatoes. The fruit, which is commonly mistaken for a vegetable, has its part in various cultures stemming throughout multiple places.
From the ketchup on burgers and hotdogs, to the salsas, paellas, pizzas, marinara sauce and salads, there is almost no hiding this widely used fruit.
The question is, what are they before their bright red debut?
Tomatoes are botanically berries, from the plant Solanum lycopersicum, and come in a multitude of varieties each ranging in different shapes, sizes and even color, though red is common. Generally grown in moderately warm conditions—and Augusta provides plenty of warmth—tomatoes require proper watering and nutrients to feed the plant and produce healthy tomatoes. Because tomatoes can be prone to many issues, quite some effort is necessary to ensure efficient growth.
Once the plants grow, yellow flowers begin to appear and open. With successful pollination, small green tomatoes form. These tomatoes take a few weeks to grow into a mature green stage. At this point, they can actually be eaten, but will not hold a ripe flavor as they carry a tart taste. In fact, it is common in Southern cuisine to fry sliced green tomatoes and serves them alongside or in dishes. The best restaurants in Charleston and New Orleans often offer fried green tomatoes.
The ripening process in which tomatoes become the signature red they are known for is also a considerable observation. Mature green tomatoes can be picked and left to ripen in a cardboard box or paper bag. This quickens the process as ethylene gas (a natural plant hormone) ripens the fruit. Tomatoes also naturally ripen on the vine in the ideal weather conditions. Over the course of a few days, the green tomatoes become yellow, then orange and lastly red.
Although often convenient to purchase tomatoes in a grocery store, growing tomatoes in the right season can be rewarding as well. Many plant shops sell reasonably sized container tomato plants that are ideal for a beginner, or someone curious to observe nature at work. It is also quite easy to find them at local gardener and farmers markets during the summer months.
In shedding light on this well sought-after fruit, its journey from a yellow flower to a red tomato is no longer a secret.
Contact Rakiyah Lenon at RLENON@augusta.edu.
The yellow blossoms that appear on tomato plants bear fruit in adequate environments. At the top of the page, tomatoes of the “husky cherry red” variety are one of many fresh fruits grown this summer season. (photos by Rakiyah Lenon)
Tomatoes exhibit different qualities through each part of the ripening phase. (photos by Rakiyah Lenon)
