Green Cherry Tomatoes
Estimated Inventory, 12 ct : 0
Description/Taste
Green Cherry tomatoes average two to four centimeters in diameter and are round in shape like their counterpart, the red cherry tomato. Their juicy interior flesh is bright green and offers a crunchy texture and a slightly tart flavor. Like all tomatoes, cherry tomatoes can be classified based on how they grow, as their plants produce in two different forms: determinate or indeterminate. Determinate varieties grow on bush-like plants with short vines and bear just one crop per season, while indeterminate varieties are long, sprawling vine plants that bear fruit continuously throughout the season.
Seasons/Availability
Green Cherry tomatoes are available in the summer months.
Current Facts
Cherry tomatoes are scientifically called Lycopersicon esculentum, originally Solanum lycopersicum, and are further categorized in subgroups that represent variations observed within the tomato species. Therefore cherry tomato varieties are more specifically called Lycopersicon esculentum var. cerasiforme. In addition to green, you can find cherry tomato varieties in a wide range of colors including red, pink, ivory, yellow, orange, and black.
Nutritional Value
Cherry tomatoes contain vitamin A and vitamin C, making them a good snack for maintaining eye health and boosting your immune system. They are also rich in fiber, iron, vitamin B-6, and have decent amounts of calcium and Vitamin K, both of which are essential in strengthening and performing minor repairs on bones and bone tissue.
Applications
Green Cherry tomatoes are a versatile ingredient, and can be used in both raw and cooked preparations. Pair with complimentary ingredients including fresh corn, shelling beans, young and soft cheeses, scallops, prawns, eggplant, cucumbers, fresh nuts, avocados, zucchini, and herbs such as mint, arugula and basil. Though green cherry tomatoes are delicious when eaten as-is fresh, cooking can enhance their sweetness and add depth to their flavor. Consider frying, roasting, or making a sauce with mature fruits. All varieties of cherry tomatoes should be stored away from direct sunlight at room temperature for approximately two to three days, or until ripe and ready to use, after which refrigeration can slow the process of decay and prevent them from ripening further.
Ethnic/Cultural Info
Cherry tomatoes are native to the Andes region of Chile, Colombia, Bolivia, and Peru, however they are believed to have been domesticated further north in Mexico. Tomatoes were, and still are, an inherent part of the indigenous diet of both South Americans and Central Americans.
Geography/History
Green Cherry tomatoes are descendants of the wild tomato, which traces back millions of years to coastal South America. Cherry tomatoes were actually the first tomato species to be domesticated, and the first fruits were the size of berries, and their flesh originally housed only two seed cavities. Mesoamerican farmers who began domesticating cherry tomatoes in northern Central America eventually selected mutated fruits for breeding, increasing the size, shape, and the number of seed cavities of the different cultivars. This evolution was essential in transforming the berry-sized, perfectly round wild tomatoes into the array of shapes and sizes of tomato varieties today.
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