Tomatoes are available year round but there is a difference in summer tomatoes—and tomatoes in general. Tomatoes are one of summer’s simplest pleasures—-we’ve all enjoyed a vine ripe tomato, warm from the summer’s heat right in the garden. Right!?! If you haven’t get busy finding the nearest summer garden. Salt optional. Don’t worry about washing the tomato—just wipe it clean with your hands!?! It is that good—-so, so sweet!
Tomatoes are summer all-stars packing in your daily requirement for immunity-helping vitamin C and about 10 percent of your daily vitamin A, a vision assisting powerhouse. Tomatoes straight from the vine offer many of these benefits but some processed varieties can help your heart too.
If the colors have you wondering which variety to choose, here’s a little decoding information for you.
Red tomatoes are the most common type and contain the antioxidant lycopene, linked to a reduced risk of prostate cancer. Most large red tomatoes are acidic making them the perfect variety to add to salads.
Yellow tomatoes are high in niacin, a cholesterol-helping B vitamin, and beta-carotene, which can protect skin from the sun’s damage. Many of these varieties are sweet tomatoes that pair well with cheeses like Gorgonzola.
Green, unripe tomatoes have a firmer skin. These are perfect tomatoes that get the ‘fried’ award but try baking them instead. Recipe for fried green tomatoes and how to ripen green tomatoes are useful posts.
Purple tomatoes are rarer to find but these varieties are rich in two types of antioxidants: anthocyanins & carotendoids. Sprinkled with sea salt these heirloom tomatoes are perfect alone or with fresh mozzarella cheese & olive oil.
Campari tomatoes are a favorite when summer’s tomatoes are not on the vine or laid out on backyard summer tables ready for kitchens in the south. However, every tomato has its own powerhouse of antioxidants. Cherry tomatoes pack in nutrients too because the outer layer offers the most antioxidants to our bodies.
No matter what color tomatoes you eat this season, savor their versatile nature—their colors and the variety of dishes that you can add them to this season & throughout the year.
Check out our recipe index for decadent salsa dishes that call for vine ripe summer tomatoes.
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