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 Pub date
2009-07-13

Tomato

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Tomato:
The tomato is a member of the nightshade family with thin skins and sweet juicy flesh inside, they come in all sizes, shapes, and colors. Ripened tomatoes are apt to bruising, which do need tender care. Tomatoes are used extensively in Mediterranean cuisine, especially Italian and Middle Eastern cuisines.
Tomato
Tomato
Season: 
Tomatoes are available year-round in any supermarkets, but locally grown tomatoes are in season from July to October each year.
Purchasing tips:
When choosing tomato, select firm, and plump tomatoes with fully colored.
Storage: 
Today most of the tomatoes are picked before fully ripened, but continue ripening over 12.5°C (54.5°F), which means the tomatoes you get from the markets are mostly ripened, ripened ones are prone to bruising and splitting, so please treat them tenderly, you can sit them stem-side down and kept at room temperature. Tomatoes are not recommended to be stored in the refrigerator as they tend to lose flavor in this way.
Preparation and Usage:
Gently rinse them under cold running water, then discard the stem and hard core before you wedging or dicing them.If you like tomato peeled, just put them in boiling water, then remove to cold water 2 minutes later, it is easier to peel through this way.
Nutritional and Health Benefits:
Tomatoes are believed to benefit the heart. As the lycopene they contain, which is one of the most powerful natural antioxidants, has been found to help prevent prostate cancer. It also has been shown to improve the skin's ability to protect against harmful UV rays. Tomatos are nutritious fruit, which are available with double the normal vitamin C, 40 times normal vitamin A, and two to four times the normal amount of lycopene.

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