Tomatoes are a romantic summer fruit, (yes, they are a fruit!) Find them in a slow-cooked sauce over pasta, or a tangy, spicy salsa enjoyed with chips and a beer. They add a gentle sweetness to sandwiches, and are a summer balm sliced on toast with a little pepper, salt and basil. Tomatoes are certainly beloved, and where you source them is likely more important than you realized.   

Tomatoes are part of the nightshade family, (Solanaceae). Also known as the potato family, relatives range from eggplant to peppers to tobacco, and, yup, potatoes. Of tomatoes' numerous beneficial nutrients, lycopene is the most abundant and can be found in the skin of the fruit. Unlike many of the vitamins found in plants we eat, lycopene holds up during processing. In the U.S., processed tomato products are the primary source of lycopene for most people. Why are we so crazy for lycopene? It is hypothesized that it can positively affect cancer and cardiovascular diseases. If you weren’t eating your summer tomato-a-day before, you might want to start.

Before beginning a new health habit, be sure to do your research. As tomatoes ripen, they produce a naturally occurring plant hormone called ethylene. That’s how you get those beautiful deep reds, yellows, purples, and even greens in ripe tomatoes. In commercial settings, tomatoes are harvested well before they are ripe to keep them firm for shipping. They are then sprayed with artificial ethylene before selling to speed up coloration. While artificial ethylene achieves eye-catching color, it doesn’t truly ripen the fruit, resulting in tasteless tomatoes. 

Here's the great news. Your local farmers travel to market from just a few hours outside of Seattle, bringing ripe tomatoes harvested within one or two days of landing in your tote. Local farmers market tomatoes are allowed to ripen on the vine the natural way, (no artificial ethylene in sight), giving you the most flavor for your buck. Find vine ripened tomatoes at your nearest farmers market, or pre-order for market pick-up on WhatsGood.