Tomato, Fruit or Vegetable?

Posted by
Sally Odum
Apr 26, 2006

According to Science Bob (and many other scientists, as well as dictionaries, encyclopedias and universities...), tomato is a fruit, not a vegetable! Most of our participants answered correctly.

But do you know WHY tomato is actually a fruit? The answer is because it has seeds. Now, here is what a lot of people are amazed to find out. If a tomato has seeds and is --technically or botanically speaking -- a fruit, not a vegetable, then what about other seed producing plants? Here is what Science Bob had to say:

"To really figure out if a tomato is a fruit or vegetable, you need to know what makes a fruit a fruit, and a vegetable a vegetable. The big question to ask is, DOES IT HAVE SEEDS?

If the answer is yes, then technically, you have a FRUIT. This, of course, makes your tomato a fruit. It also makes cucumbers, squash, green beans and walnuts all fruits as well. VEGETABLES such as, radishes, celery, carrots, and lettuce do NOT have seeds (that are part of what we eat) and so they are grouped as vegetables."

But don't worry! For our purposes at Vegetable Gardens, and for the purposes of most families, the fruits commonly considered part of the vegetable family will continue to be included!

Whether you call tomato a fruit or vegetable, when it is fresh from the "vegetable garden" and dripping with flavor, it is just plain GOOD FOOD.

Check out Science Bob's website for other fun scientific facts.

What do you think about this blog?

20 Comments

Comments

Sep 2, 2008 8:54 PM

Guest :

tomatoes are vegetebles good vegetables they taste good like vegetables!!!!

Sep 24, 2008 6:45 AM

Guest :

tomatos are fruits end

Sep 25, 2008 1:35 PM

Guest :

i did not know that you could cook tomtota

Oct 7, 2008 7:46 AM

Guest :

Tomatoes are VEGETABLES! Not fruits. I saw the ingredients for V8 Vegetable Juice and tometoes are in the ingredients. Tomato is a vegetable. Case Closed.

Oct 17, 2008 3:43 PM

Guest :

i object- i maybe 7 but i think tomato is a vegetable

Oct 21, 2008 4:06 PM

Guest :

tomatos are a fruit.shure some vegetables have seeds but can you see them

Oct 23, 2008 5:28 PM

Guest :

hahahahahhaahahahaahaha just because a tomato is in the v8 ingredients doesnt mean it's a veggie! a tomato is technically a fruit because it has seeds. but....In 1893 John Nix vs. Edward Hedden in the supreme court to see if the tomato was a fruit or a vegetable. John Nix won against Edward Hedden to prove that the tomato is to be known as a vegetable. and it's also served as a vegetable! a tomato is both! case closed!!!!!!

Nov 11, 2008 3:48 PM

Guest :

tamato is none look at diconary look every where it is nor a vegtabl nor a fruit guess what it is its a herb! and this person it isent a fruit it is 50 percent vegtable and 50 percent herb and also the tamto is most highly a veggie for fruit who cares if it has a seed many thing have seeds now if you say its a fruit cuz it has a seed you are a complete oder dumbass to the max it is veggie and it says on my paper readings its is 50 percent veggie and herb and no herb is not a fruit it is a healing kind of object that can heal many thngs and herb is not consedred a fruit nor a vggie but it is half veggie case closed !!

Nov 19, 2008 5:58 PM

Guest :

i really dont know and care, i am only finding this out because it is a homework assignment. But my answer is this- if you think a tomato is a veggie you do , if you think it is a fruit you do. So we need to stop this whole problem about this. (i think it is a fruit) CASE CLOSED!!!!!:)

Dec 4, 2008 10:54 AM

Guest :

Cucumber is a vegetable and Peas are as well and they have seeds in them so therefor the reasoning behind why a tomatoe is a fruit is WRONG

Feb 17, 2009 6:56 PM

Guest :

Nice reference to Nix v. Hedden althgouh you got the winner wrong. Nix was an importer who wanted the the tomato to be classified as a fruit as to avoid taxation. The court ruled in favor of Hedden a tax collector. The court went with the definition from common language and not that of a botonist

Feb 23, 2009 1:05 PM

Guest :

tomatoes are a fruit!!!

Mar 11, 2009 2:51 PM

Guest :

Yes but what about the really question?....the real question is...cucumbers are vegetables so why arent they fruits?

Apr 30, 2009 9:12 PM

Guest :

It's a fruit but I still consider it a vegetable because we use it as a vegetable! So shut up with the fruit, and accept that a tomato can be the only exception :D

Jul 14, 2009 11:45 AM

Guest :

Most of you are utter morons. Learn to spell, read a book, and learn that when the edible part contains seeds, it is absolutely 100% considered by botanists to be fruit. Tomatoes, cucumbers, avocado and squash are all examples of non-sweet fruit. It's not that hard

Aug 19, 2009 7:48 PM

Guest :

anything that growns on trees are fruits. anything that growns under 3ft or you can cook are vegetables. what categories are pineapples banana grapes are vegetables too it has seeds. but then again anything that growns with fertilizers under on animals shit we all eat and cook it. only people who want to be anal about every little thing analyzing to make them think that they got the answers to it and put it on there books to make money for their scientifical search. it is just a common senses how you can define questions you want to know.

Aug 25, 2009 1:48 PM

Guest :

Wow, there are so many grammatical errors on this page. Please, learn how to spell, punctuate, and write a coherent sentence.
--[ Most of you are utter morons. Learn to spell, read a book, and learn that when the edible part contains seeds, it is absolutely 100% considered by botanists to be fruit. Tomatoes, cucumbers, avocado and squash are all examples of non-sweet fruit. It's not that hard ]--
This is the only informed post on this page. This person is correct, a fruit contains seeds, a vegetable is a root, leaf, or non-seed bearing part of the plant.
If it has seeds in the portion you eat, it is, by definition, a fruit.

Sep 10, 2009 5:14 PM

Guest :

i honestly just really hope that it's a herb because i wrote a project using a tomato metaphorically about how things are not what they seem to be and shocked everyone when i said HERB at school. I had to make a recipe about the odyssey and made Odysseus Tomato Cobbler. Yeah.

-Number 18

Sep 17, 2009 1:39 AM

Guest :

Tomatoes are really delicious........Yummy and so nutritious!!!!

Nov 11, 2009 9:25 AM

Guest :

i think tomato is a veg but dad thinks it is a fruit and a cucumber is it a frut or veg

20 Comments