Healthy pantry - fascinating tomatoes

Tomatoes are fascinating!

They are a versatile cooking ingredient and a great source of essential nutrients. These beautiful red fruits are juicy, meaty, with delicious sweet taste. Tomatoes are actually great for adding flavour to all kinds of dishes! 

You can conveniently enjoy them inside cans as a healthy staple. Whether it's summer or winter, canned tomatoes are always at their finest. Buy large bulk cans of organic tomatoes online and keep them always at hand in your pantry or fridge (after opening). 

More interesting facts about tomatoes:

•  Tomatoes are technically a fruit.

From the botanical point of view, tomatoes are defined as fruits. That's because they form from a flower and contain seeds. 

In cooking, however, they're mostly used as a vegetable in almost all kinds of savoury recipes rather than in desserts. Also, nutritionists consider tomatoes as vegetables. 

• The word tomato comes from Spanish.

Tomato is an exotic plant native to South America. The English word for tomato comes from the Spanish word 'tomate'. The Spanish name comes from the ancient Aztec language Nahuatl. The word 'tomatl' used by the Aztecs literally means "Plump thing with a navel."

• Tomatoes are not always red.

Tomatoes can come in different colours, including pink, yellow, purple, white and black. People are used to red tomatoes, and that's what we usually see in the supermarkets. However, if you shop at a local farmers' market, you will find different shapes of tomatoes in a variety of colours. 

• The first tomatoes introduced to Europe were gold. 

Tomatoes were first introduced to Europe in the 16th Century. At the time, they were small, cherry size and had a golden colour. Because of that look, many European countries named them golden apples - in Germany, they were called 'goldapfel'. 

• There are over 10,000 varieties of tomatoes.

There are more than 10,000 varieties of tomatoes worldwide and 3,000 varieties of heritage tomato plants in active cultivation. 

• Tomatoes have travelled to space.

In 1984, 12.5 million tomato seeds were left in space onboard a special satellite. After six years, astronauts on the Space Shuttle Columbia brought the tomato seeds back to Earth. These experiments aimed to help understand the effect of outer space journeys on seed growth. 

• China  is the largest producer of tomatoes.

Historically, China is the world's largest producer of tomatoes. Approximately a quarter of the world's total production comes from this country, with the USA and India being second and third largest producers, respectively.

• Tomatoes are the most important staple in Italy.

Although tomato was brought to Europe by the Spanish, the country that made it a national staple is Italy. Over the centuries, the tomato has become the main ingredient and flavour of traditional Italian cuisine. It is used for soups, sauces, pasta, pizza and many other dishes. Many people say tomatoes taste better in Italy. That's because they are grown on mineral-rich soils in the south of the country, in Calabria, Sicilia. 

• Tomato Guinness world record

In May 2005, The Guinness World Record Book registered a new record for "most tomatoes harvested from a single plant over one year". Precisely, 32,194 tomatoes were harvested during one year. The plant itself weighed 522.464 kg!

• Tomatoes are a source of lycopene

Tomatoes are very rich in lycopene - a very powerful antioxidant which is vital for the health of the prostate gland in men.

• Tomatoes are great for human health.

Tomatoes prevent cardiovascular diseases. They support your heart health thanks to their anti-inflammatory properties. They are also a great source of potassium, which can help you lower blood pressure in the body. Consuming more organic tomatoes, in general, will be beneficial to your heart and brain well-being. 

• Tomatoes are aphrodisiacs.

In France, tomatoes were aphrodisiacs, and people named them 'les pomme de l'amour', which translated to English means love apples. The properties of tomatoes can improve blood circulation to the entire body, and it is linked with improving erections in men. 

Buy canned tomatoes in bulk

Our large cans of organic tomatoes from Biona will bring the true taste of Italy right into your kitchen. These amazing tomatoes are grown on organic sustainable farms, left to ripen under the Italian sun and harvested mature. They are then peeled, chopped and marinated in a rich tomato sauce. Biona Chopped Organic Tomatoes have a great discounted price of £4.19 for 2.5 kg. It's a great deal and an ideal product when you have to prepare a meal for a large family, hearty and healthy tomato soup, or a large pot of marinara sauce for winter preserves.

Browse our Tomatoes collection for more canned organic tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes and organic tomato passata products.