The role of tomatoes, tomato storage and cooking knowledge

When tomatoes are ripe, they are red, just like the color of people's hearts, so they are called delicious "love fruits".

tomato

Also known as tomato, it is a perennial herb of the Solanaceae family Solanum subgenus Solanum. It is rich in nutrients, rich in carotene, vitamin C and B vitamins, especially vitamin P, which is the highest among vegetables.

The tomato's native place is Peru and Mexico. It was originally a wild berry that grew in the forest. The locals regarded it as a poisonous fruit and called it "wolf peach". It was only used for viewing and no one dared to eat it. It was not until the 18th century that a French painter saw that tomatoes were so tempting and had the idea of ​​trying what they tasted like. So he bravely ate one, risking death by poisoning, and dressed and lay in bed waiting for the arrival of "death". However, after a long time, he did not feel any discomfort in his body, so he simply continued to eat it. He only felt a sweet and sour taste, and his body was still safe and sound. From then on, tomatoes became a delicacy on people's tables.

According to records, a British duke named Oralari traveled to America and was attracted by the bright colors of tomatoes when he first saw them. He brought them back to England and presented them to his lover, Queen Elizabeth, as a rare treasure to show his loyalty to love. Since then, tomatoes have been known as the "fruit of love".

Tomatoes were introduced to China during the Ming Dynasty. For a long time, they were used as ornamental plants. The book "Qunfangpu" written in 1621 states: "The tomato, also known as the June persimmon, has a stem like mugwort, is four or five feet high, has leaves like mugwort, and flowers like pomegranates. One branch bears five or three or four fruits, and a few are twenty or thirty. They are tied into a rack, which is the most spectacular. It comes from the Western Fan, hence the name." It was not until the end of the Qing Dynasty that people began to eat tomatoes.

effect

1. The organic acids such as malic acid and citric acid contained in tomatoes can promote the secretion of gastric juice, increase gastric acid concentration, adjust gastrointestinal function, and help the recovery of gastrointestinal diseases.

2. Tomatoes are cool in nature, sweet and sour in taste, and have the effects of clearing away heat, promoting body fluid, nourishing yin and cooling blood. They have therapeutic effects on fever, thirst, dry mouth, bleeding gums, stomach heat and bitter mouth, and rising internal fire.

3. The vitamin C, rutin, lycopene and fruit acid contained in tomatoes can lower blood cholesterol, prevent atherosclerosis and coronary heart disease, and have a good auxiliary therapeutic effect on hypertension.

4. The vitamins A and C contained in tomatoes can prevent cataracts and also have a certain preventive and therapeutic effect on night blindness.

5. Tomatoes contain carotene and vitamins A and C, which have the effects of removing freckles, beautifying, anti-aging, and skin care. They have certain effects on fungal and infectious skin diseases.

6. Lycopene has a unique antioxidant capacity, which can remove free radicals, protect cells, prevent DNA and genes from being damaged, and prevent the progression of cancer. After absorption, it accumulates in the prostate, adrenal glands, etc., promoting the secretion of prostatic fluid and maintaining ejaculation function.

Tomato storage tips

1. Place tomatoes with intact skin and 70% to 80% ripeness in a refrigerator at 0°C and they can be stored for a period of time.

2. Put 50-60% ripe tomatoes with intact skin into a plastic bag, tie the bag tightly, and place it in a cool and ventilated place. Open the bag for 5 minutes every day, wipe off the moisture adhering to the inner wall of the bag, and then tie the bag tightly. When all the tomatoes are red and ripe, there is no need to tie the bag. Tomatoes can be stored for more than 1 month.

3. Select tomatoes with intact skin and stems, wash them and put them in a jar, cover them with a bamboo stick in a rice shape, and press them with heavy objects to prevent the tomatoes from floating up. Pour light salt water into the jar, and make sure the salt water covers the tomatoes.

Tomato cooking knowledge

1. Don’t cook tomatoes for too long.

2. Adding a little vinegar when cooking can destroy the harmful substance tomatine.

Dietary precautions

1. Suitable for people with fever due to febrile disease, thirst, loss of appetite, habitual gum bleeding, anemia, dizziness, palpitations, hypertension, acute and chronic hepatitis, acute and chronic nephritis, night blindness and myopia.

2. Patients with acute enteritis, bacillary dysentery and active ulcers should not eat it.

3. Unripe green tomatoes should not be eaten.

4. Tomatoes should not be eaten together with pomegranates.

Delicious food

Tomato Beef Stew

Ingredients: eggs, tomatoes, cucumbers.

Method: 1. Wash and cut tomatoes into pieces, wash and slice cucumbers, and beat eggs.

2. Add water to the pot and put in 2 slices of ginger and cook together.

3. After the water boils, add tomatoes, then turn the heat down to low, pour in the eggs, add cucumbers, add a little salt, and turn off the heat. (You can add a few drops of sesame oil before turning off the heat).

Home remedies for curing diseases

1. Treat skin diseases: Peel and deseed fresh ripe tomatoes, then mash them and apply to the affected area 2 to 3 times a day to treat fungal and infectious skin diseases.

2. Treatment of high blood pressure: Choose 1 to 2 fresh ripe tomatoes every morning and dip them in white sugar on an empty stomach. It has a significant effect in lowering blood pressure.

3. Treatment of anemia: Eat one tomato and one apple and 15 grams of sesame seeds at one time, 1 to 2 times a day. Long-term consumption can cure anemia.

4. Treatment of ulcers: Patients with mild peptic ulcers can mix half of the squeezed tomato juice and half of the potato juice and drink it once in the morning and evening every day for 10 times in a row, and the ulcers can be cured.

Nutrients contained (per 100g)

Water content: 95 g

Protein grams

Fat Grams

Carbohydrate grams

Crude fiber mg

Calcium 23 mg

Phosphorus 26 mg

Iron mg

Carotene mg

Vitamin B10 mg

Vitamin B2 mg

Niacin mg

Vitamin C 17 mg

Calories 17 kcal