Is a Tomato a fruit or a vegetable??

[Earthbabe]

Just looked up the definition of fruit, cos I was starting to doubt myself! "Ripened reproductive body of a plant"

Therefore, tomatoes, courgettes, cucumbers, peppers etc are fruit.

Peas, beans are classified as legumes which is something else.

And rhubarb, which everyone thinks is a fruit must actually be a vegetable.

Ok, I'm not going to think about it any more because I'll only get confused, and it doesn't take much.

[Mrs Dobby]

Talking of tomatoes, I followed a link from the adds on the 'vine yesterday, and found this http://www.joyfultomato.com/special_report.html

The guy on here talks of removing all the leaves from your tomato plants, except for 3?

I've heard of removing leaves if blight strikes, and to encourage ripening at the end of the season, but does he actually have a point? Is it something we should be doing? Or is he just out to make a fast buck?

Any ideas or advice anyone?

(sorry for hijacking the thread Snadger, but as I wasnt sure whether to post it in Fruit or Veg categories I thought it best to tack it on here!)

[rustylady]

Just looked up the definition of fruit, cos I was starting to doubt myself! "Ripened reproductive body of a plant"

Therefore, tomatoes, courgettes, cucumbers, peppers etc are fruit.

Peas, beans are classified as legumes which is something else.

And rhubarb, which everyone thinks is a fruit must actually be a vegetable.

[beefy]

You eat belly button fluff beefy?

Try anything once Ebabe - twice if I like it

[Earthbabe]

Best description I've heard is ... a fruiting vegetable ...

Well that solves that problem.

[johnty greentoes]

Best description I've heard is ... a fruiting vegetable ...

[Earthbabe]

You eat belly button fluff beefy?

[beefy]

As long as they grow and are tasty - who cares?

[Snadger]

It's like fluff in the bellybutton...one of lifes imponderables!

[Gryfon]

It's def a fruit, same as cucumber, pumpkins, cougettes, aubergines, peppers etc.

Peas and beans I think are strange as if you just eat the peas/beans then you're eatting the seeds of the fruit...whereas if you eat the peas/beans in the pod then it's a fruit!

Things like potatoes, celery, carrots, onions, lettuce, brocolli etc are vegetables.

However speaking non-botanically then they're classed as vegetables rather than fruit.

Make sense? Thought not

[Snadger]

Me too shirley.

Snadger are we getting all botanical here?

My memory must be failing me, I'm getting very botanical in my old age!

In fact my botanicallness has never beeen so botanicalised!

[Earthbabe]

Me too shirley.

Snadger are we getting all botanical here?

[shirlthegirl43]

Mmmmm...Carrot marmalade!!

so the answer is not 47....it's MARMALADE!!

DRAT - I thought the answer was 42!

[Snadger]

I'm sure I read somewhere that its a fruit, EEC says it is because someone makes tomato marmalade (I think its in spain), and you cant officially make marmalade with a veg! (Or am I getting mixed up with carrots here!) Lol!

Mmmmm...Carrot marmalade!!

so the answer is not 47....it's MARMALADE!!

[Snadger]

Snadger are you asking this question because I moved your post about tomatoes from Feeling Fruity to Vegging Out?

Tomatoes are a fruit but everyone thinks of them as a vegetable and rather than confuse beginners I moved your tomato post.

No problem Lesley it's just when I put the tomato thread on, I, myself wasn't sure where to put it!
I agree with you and after giving it some thought I now actually believe its a vegetable!
I suppose the real question is 'What makes a fruit a fruit'

Most plants set 'fruit' so are most plants fruit?

Interesting question without any definitive answer methinks?

Try googling it......it gets even more confusing then!