Tomato

Possible cut/calibration:
dices
10*10*10 mm
20*20*20 mm

The tomato originates in America. Its names: French: pomne d’amour and Italian: pommodoro mean “an apple of love” as tomatoes were considered to be an aphrodisiac. The Indians had known them long before the New World was discovered by Christopher Columbus. Spanish seafarers brought the tomatoes to Europe in the 16th century, but these were small and their taste differed from present-day varieties. Therefore they were regarded with an extraordinary contempt as food of paupers. For many years the tomatoes were cultivated in Europe as ornamental plants: in Germany – as the indoor plants, in France – as a favourite decoration of arbours, in Britain and Russia – among rare flowers in greenhouses. Tomato fruits were considered to be poisonous. The tomatoes were recognised for an edible plant only in the 19th century – first in North America and in Europe afterwards. The tomatoes were initially processed into juices and concentrates, but only over the time they were enjoyed and eaten raw. First tomatoes in Poland were planted by Warsaw gardeners in 1880, who regarded them as a delicacy for connoisseurs, “a novelty from the great world”. These apples of love have become popular vegetables in Poland only after the First World War.

The tomatoes are a source of vitamins and nutrients. They are rich in: carotene, vitamins: C, K, E, B1, B2, PP, B6, folic acid, biotin and minerals: potassium, sodium, phosphorus, magnesium, calcium, iron, copper, zinc, manganese. The tomatoes above all are extremely rich in lycopene – very valuable antioxidant causing a red colour of the tomatoes. They provide very few calories and are base-forming as well as have a calming effect due to a bromine salts content.

Raw tomatoes are the most beneficial for health. The longer they are treated with high temperature the less vitamin C they contain. Freezing is a good way of the tomatoes preservation – they keep a nutritive value of fresh tomatoes but only if they are frozen whole and are not defrosted before cooking or braising. Lycopene is much better assimilated from: concentrates, sauces, purée.
Different shapes and colours give numerous culinary possibilities. Fleshy varieties are the best choice to be processed as they contain much dry matter. Most tomatoes have the best taste as raw and are suitable for delicious products.