“Tomatoes are vegetables” and Other Tomato Myths

Artist extraordinaire James Grasdal is putting the finishing touches on the 13^th book in the Superman Duffy comic series—MYTHCONCEPTIONS. Which, you may have guessed has a little something to do with common “myths.” I love myths! So for this year’s A to Z Blogging Challenge, I’m going to “bust” as many of them as I can—every day (except Sundays) on the blog, throughout April.

Not familiar with the A to Z Challenge? Get the details here, and then hang on, because I’m about to blow your mind with my myth-inspired posts. P.S. Comment on the blogs throughout the month for a chance to WIN a complete set of the Superman Duffy comics, including lucky #13, MYTHCONCEPTIONS.

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MYTH: Tomatoes are vegetables.  

Ah, the tuh-MAY-to (or is it tuh-MAH-to?)—another food with an identity crisis. Is it a fruit, or a vegetable? Good question! And actually, I don’t think this is a myth I can bust. You see, there is evidence to support both arguments—and let me tell you, the issue has created some heated debates. Even at my house, though I think my dad is just trying to get a rise out of my mom.

The truth is, according to research, both claims are true. Botanically speaking, the tomato is a fruit—but horticulturally, it’s considered a vegetable. This debate went all the way to the US Supreme Court decades ago.

So maybe I can’t bust THAT myth, but there are others. We already established that adding sugar to the soil won’t “sweeten” your tomato crop, but here are some myths you may not know…

MYTH: Tomatoes stay fresher when chilled.

Nope. Chilled tomatoes lose flavour and their smell when chilled. Guess I should tell my mom to take ours out of the fridge!

MYTH: Tomatoes are poisonous.

Tomato plants belong to the same group as the deadly nightshade (Belladonna), so it would be easy to assume this myth is true. The fruit (or vegetable) itself is fine—obviously—but you probably shouldn’t eat the stem or leaves.

MYTH: Singing to your tomatoes will make them grow better.

Maybe? There isn’t any scientific advice behind this, and if you’ve got a great voice, give it a try. Me? I’ll save my singing for the shower—where NO ONE can hear me.

The #AtoZChallenge breaks tomorrow but I’ll be back Monday with my first post of the LAST week—I can hardly believe it’s almost over. I hope you’ve had fun busting myths with me. I know I’ve sure learned a lot. See you Monday with the letter “U.”

~ Chase Superman Duffy