Tomatoes. Ben Franklin.

[Walden]

Tomatoes have the following characteristics:
They contain seeds
They are berries
They are involved in the reproduction, rather than sustainment, of their parent plant

My (non)expert opinion? They're most certainly fruits.

They are vegetables in that they are edible plant matter. A number of vegetables are botanically fruit... squash, eggplant, cucumbers, peppers... Culinarily they are treated as vegetables in that they are not considered a dessert item.

[Daniel_Bingamon]

Several years back, Congress decided to declare the Tomato a vegetable because it fell into a tax bracket that made more money.

They spend a lot of time making important decisions like this. Oops, wrong forum!

I voted that it is a Fruit because it comes from the flower and it has seeds inside.

[Innocent Bystander]

Picture this: You open your bag
lunch to find a peanut butter & jelly sandwich, a bag of chips, a cookie, and a....tomato?
Nope. When viewed from this pov, it's a veg.

I actually have one child that would prefer a tomato over any other fruit. But then he's a bit odd like that.

According to Wiki:

This argument has had legal implications in the United States. In 1887, U.S. tariff laws that imposed a duty on vegetables but not on fruits caused the tomato's status to become a matter of legal importance. The U.S. Supreme Court settled the controversy in 1893 by declaring that the tomato is a vegetable, based on the popular definition that classifies vegetables by use, that they are generally served with dinner and not dessert (Nix v. Hedden (149 U.S. 304)).[17] The holding of the case applies only to the interpretation of the Tariff Act of March 3, 1883, and the court did not purport to reclassify the tomato for botanical or other purposes other than paying a tax under a tariff act.

So apparently, if a tomato is here in the US, legally it is a vegetable, but once someone takes it over the border into Canada, it again becomes a fruit. Unless, of course, you've already paid taxes on it, then it will vegetable forever, the poor thing.

Don't you believe it. It's only playing comatose. When you turn your back, it will attack.

[mutepointe]

Hey, polls now mark your vote with an "x"

[Denny]

gotta love those aids for the memory challenged!

[CHasR]

Dolly Madison (whose house I've been almost forcibly removed from , btw) introduced the concept of ICE CREAM to the [then] colonies....


what flavour was it???


yes, you guessed !


TOMATO flavoured Ice-Cream


it was a huge hit.
Ben doubtless had 2nds.

[Innocent Bystander]

Don’t turn your back on the tomato!
I’m warning you, don’t dare to turn your back!
For surely if you do
It will be the end of you!
When you’re off-guard it’s going to attack!

Don’t turn your back on the tomato!
I’m warning you before it is too late!
The fact that it is red
Should ring alarm-bells in your head!
Don’t you dare to set that object on my plate!

Don’t turn your back on the tomato!
Don’t you think about its weird uncanny taste!
It is clear, for all it’s worth
It plans to overtake the Earth
And dominate the entire human race!

[djm]

For the life of me, I cannot understand why my post on tomato jam was deleted.

djm

[I.D.10-t]

So apparently, if a tomato is here in the US, legally it is a vegetable, but once someone takes it over the border into Canada, it again becomes a fruit. Unless, of course, you've already paid taxes on it, then it will vegetable forever, the poor thing.

I really wouldn't use the government as a method of defining foods.

All about Katsup

In the 1980's ketchup was declared a vegetable by the government for school lunch menus. Suddenly Del Monte's Catsup, because of its spelling, was not on the approved list. Shortly afterward Del Monte changed the product's name to Del Monte Ketchup. So ketchup it is.

When the spelling of something defines what it is, something is wrong with the system.

Due to labeling restrictions "creme" is often not allowed to be used if cream is not one of the ingredients, yet it seems that some how you can milk rice, almonds, and soybeans. The government's definition of "organic" food was only made to fall under what many people considered organic after the Harvey lawsuit.

The term "vegetable" seems to be problematic because it doesn't have a real defined meaning. Under what heading what would mushrooms fall under? Really, terms like tuber, leaf, stalk or simply the all encompassing term "produce" would be less prone to abuse. I mean, should strawberries be taxed as a fruit when they obviously are not a fruit or berry, and tomatoes, eggplant, and the bell pepper taxed like it is not a fruit? What will we tell the children that learn one thing in science class and the government tells them something different? Think of the children! Is it any wonder that little johnny doesn't understand science? For the sake of civilization as we know it, tomatoes are a fruit! Just like peaches are fruits whether they are in a curry, stir fry, or on ice cream.

[Denny]

it seems that some how you can milk rice, almonds, and soybeans

ya have to be careful with the soybeans

bucket kickers, everyone of 'em

[CHasR]

Ben loved pumpkin, beer and turkey.

[fyffer]

Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.