Cherry tomatoes are small, sweet, and high in vitamins and minerals. They were genetically engineered in Israel in 1973 to be more robust and easier to harvest. They can be grown and stored indoors, and are used in a variety of dishes. They are usually red or yellow and are eaten raw or cooked. They should be stored at room temperature and can be preserved in oil or frozen.
The cherry tomato, introduced in the 1970s, is one of the smaller fruits in the tomato family and, as its name indicates, is generally about the size of a cherry. As with any other kind, a cherry tomato is low in sodium, fat and cholesterol, but high in vitamins and minerals. Their sweet taste and ease of use make cherry tomatoes a great complement to pastas, salads and other dishes, but they also work well as a main ingredient. Although available year-round, cherry tomatoes can be grown and stored indoors with relatively little effort.
Haim Rabinowitch and Nachum Kedar, two Israeli academic researchers, genetically engineered the cherry tomato in 1973. Their goal was to produce a more robust tomato variety that was easier to harvest, and their success paved the way for others Israeli scientists to introduce virus resistant and dripping tomatoes. As a result of their work, cherry tomatoes can be grown at home using just a few gardening tools and little maintenance. It’s best to plant cherry tomatoes in June or buy them between June and October, but many grocery stores sell them year-round.
Tomato varieties often have distinct flavors, sizes, and colors. The big red steak tomato is the most common, and compared to it, the cherry tomato is sweeter, making the acidic quality that tomatoes are known less apparent. Also, a cherry tomato is approximately one inch in diameter. Cherry tomatoes are usually red or yellow, red being the sweetest, but there are other colors. Therefore, they are often used not only to add flavor but also to make dishes aesthetically pleasing.
Their small size makes cherry tomatoes an easy ingredient or side dish to add, and their pungent flavor makes them great as a dish on their own. Tomatoes are fruits similar to vegetables, so cherry tomatoes work well in salads, on pasta, or mixed into a tomato sauce or stir-fry. When used as the sole ingredient or base of a dish, they can be drizzled with olive oil and flavored to taste, and some people consume them unripened like other berries. Cherry tomatoes are often eaten raw, but can be sauteed, grilled, or cooked in other ways. Like all tomatoes, cherry tomatoes have no fat or cholesterol and provide several nutrients, including vitamins A and C, potassium, and lycopene, an antioxidant that helps prevent cancer.
The selection and storage of cherry tomatoes is similar to the methods used for other varieties. Buyers or gardeners should harvest solid fruit that is free of bruising. Refrigeration and sunlight damage tomatoes, so they should be stored at room temperature unless they can be used within a week of ripening. Any plastic coatings on store-bought tomatoes should be removed. Cherry tomatoes can also be roasted, then frozen or preserved in oil.
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