Page 125 - NT 2022 Almanac

Is the tomato a fruit or a vegetable? People have been arguing about this for hundreds of years: in America in 1887 the argument went all the way to the US Supreme Court! This sounds silly, but it was quite important because if it was decided that tomatoes were vegetables, they would be more expensive.
In actual fact, the tomato is a fruit because it contains seeds and grows on a vine. The same is true of cucumbers, squashes, beans and peas. But, of course, everyone thinks of them as vegetables because they are served in savoury dishes and not as desserts!
We can get tomatoes all year round, but when growing your own, the best time to pick them is often in late August or early September. While the days are still golden and warm, it’s lovely to throw your own tomatoes into a salad. As the month wears on, you might be left with a few that are not so nice to eat raw, but they are great for soups, chutneys, stews and this delicious tomato sauce.
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