Taste and TeachSeptember - Tomatoes
Five Fun Facts About Tomatoes!• Processing tomatoes (used to make sauces, soups and more!)
have thicker skins than fresh market tomatoes. For best flavor, fresh tomatoes should be eaten at room temperature.
• 96% of all processed tomato products eaten in the US come from California.
• Scientifically, tomatoes are considered a fruit. However, the Supreme Court declared them a vegetable because of the way in which people commonly eat them.
• The first tomatoes were the size of cherries!
Three Fun Teaching Ideas! • Brainstorm common meals that have tomatoes in them. Who can name
the most?• Have students complete a tomato-themed page from the What’s
Growin’ On? student newspaper. • Draw a tomato! Tomatoes come in many shapes,colors and sizes.
Have students research and draw a tomato variety. Then, students can discuss and compare their drawings with a partner.
Explore all the great tomato resources in this section!
04/17
This is one in a series of fact sheets composed by the California Foundation for Agriculture in the Classroom (CFAITC). For additional educational materials: CFAITC, 2300 River Plaza Drive, Sacramento, CA 95833-3293 (916) 561-5625 (800) 700-AITC Fax: (916) 561-5697Email: [email protected] Website: LearnAboutAg.org ©2017 California Foundation for Agriculture in the Classroom. All rights reserved.
How Produced – Tomato plants are planted in the field as seeds or as young plants, called seedlings. If sowing seeds directly into the ground, the producer sows seeds in late January or early February. If planting by seedling, plants are grown in greenhouses until they are hardy enough to be planted outside in the spring.
Tomatoes are ready for harvest between early July and mid-October. To avoid the daytime heat, tomato growers often harvest the crop after sunset. Mechanical harvesters move through the fields picking the entire tomato plant and shaking the tomatoes off the vine. Specially designed electronic sensors on the harvesters sort the ripe, red tomatoes from the vine and transfer them into a gondola pulled by a tractor following alongside. The tomatoes are immediately transported from the fields by trucks, which can hold approximately 50,000 pounds of tomatoes. Trucks haul the crop to a nearby state-controlled grading station to be graded, then on to a tomato processing plant where they are peeled, sliced, diced, or sauced into the familiar canned tomato products seen on store shelves.
History – The first tomatoes can be traced to the South American Andes Mountains where they grew wild as cherry-sized berries. Padres following the Spanish conquistadors most likely sent the first seeds to Spain in the early 1500s. The fruit gained little attention in Spain, but soon traveled to Italy—a country that embraced tomatoes with great passion and developed numerous recipes which are still popular today. By the mid-sixteenth century, tomatoes made their return to America via English colonists. They did not become an important part of the American diet, however, until after World War I. Today, tomatoes are grown in every state except Alaska.
Varieties – There are more than 2,750 genetic varieties of fresh market and processing tomatoes at the Tomato Genetics Stock Center at the University of California, Davis. These varieties have been developed to suit the various growing conditions around the state, taking into account soil type, climate, and disease. Processing tomatoes have been selectively bred for more than 50 years to differ from fresh market tomatoes. The varieties designated for processing have a thicker skin and firmer consistency than fresh market
tomatoes. These qualities enable the mechanical harvester to pick the fruit when it is ripe without damaging the fruit and ensure tomatoes can survive transportation. The processors
prefer the “meatier” character of the processing tomatoes because it provides consumers with more of the tomatoes’ essence.
Commodity Value – California is the nation’s leading producer of processing tomatoes. In 2015, California’s processing tomato growers grew approximately 14 million tons on 296,000 acres throughout the state. The state’s crop value reached $1.38 billion in 2015.
Top Producing Counties – As of 2015, Fresno County leads production followed by Yolo, San Joaquin, Kings, and Merced counties. However, nearly the entire state is involved in producing processing tomatoes, with some being grown as far south as Kern County and
as far north as Colusa County.
Nutritional Value – Processing tomatoes are are a nutrient dense food. One, four-ounce tomato supplies about one-third of the recommended daily allowance for vitamin C, plus contains beta-carotene, potassium, folic acid, and other B vitamins, iron, and fiber. Tomatoes are a naturally low-calorie food.
Studies show processing tomatoes are the leading source of lycopene in the American diet. Lycopene, the ingredient that makes tomatoes red, is an antioxidant that blocks cellular damage and is highly effective in preventing cancers. Tomatoes do not lose their health benefits as they are processed and cooked. In fact, lycopene in cooked and processed tomatoes (sauce, paste, salsa, canned tomatoes) is more easily absorbed than fresh tomatoes. This fact, along with their popularity, makes tomatoes a leading nutritional source in the American diet.
For additional information:California Tomato Growers Association, Inc.(209) 478-1761 Website: www.ctga.org
Processing TomatoesInformation compiled by the California Tomato Growers Association, Inc.
Commodity Fact Sheet
04/17This Fact and Activity Sheet was developed by California Foundation for Agriculture in the Classroom in conjunction with California educators and meets the required education standards of the California Department of Education.
Lesson Plan: pH Perfection
Fantastic Facts1. California leads the nation in processing tomato production.2. Processing tomatoes are harvested by machines.3. Processing tomatoes have thicker skins than fresh market
tomatoes so they can be mechanically harvested and successfully transported.
4. There are 2,750 different varieties of tomatoes.5. Tomatoes were once thought to be poisonous.6. Processing tomatoes are rich in vitamin A, vitamin C,
potassium, folic acid, beta-carotene, iron, B vitamins, and fiber.7. The first tomatoes originated in the South American Andes and
were berries the size of cherries.
Lesson Ideas• Label and color the top seven counties in California for
processing tomato production.• Make a collage from labels of various processed tomato
products.• Make a Venn diagram which compares processing tomatoes
to fresh market tomatoes.• Find out why a tomato is scientifically a fruit but is also known
as a vegetable.• Create a class cookbook which includes favorite student
recipes using a tomato product.• Research the Spanish exploration movement of the 1500s.
What other “treasures” came from the New World?• Locate your nearest tomato processor. Where do the
tomatoes they process come from?
Introduction: When food is preserved, the microorganisms causing food spoilage are destroyed or slowed down. This is done by using extreme temperatures, changing the moisture level, or altering the acidity of the foods. The temperature of canning is extremely important for safety reasons. Foods with a pH higher than 4.6 must be canned at 240ºF or greater. Foods that are more acidic, having pH measurements less than 4.6, may be preserved at 212ºF. This difference in temperature can affect food taste and cost.
Objective: Students will conduct an experiment to determine the ideal temperature for canning tomatoes.
California Standards: NGSS: 5-PS1-3, MS-PS1-4
Materials: Lemon, pear, carrot and tomato juice, litmus paper which shows varying pHs, six paper cups or test tubes, forceps.
Procedure: 1. Discuss reasons and ways people preserve food. Talk
about the importance of acidity and heat in canning.
2. Explain what pH is and how scientists determine the pH of a substance. Talk about the indicator litmus and how it will be used.
3. Pour an equal amount of each substance to be tested into a cup or test tube.
4. Using the forceps, have the students dip one piece of litmus into one substance and record its pH. Repeat this procedure for each juice.
5. Discuss which foods could be preserved at the lower temperature and which need to be canned at the higher temperature. Where do tomatoes fall in this test?
6. What could be done to the foods to change their pHs? When do you think scientists should check the pH of the item to be canned?
The Tomato’s Journey to North America
Processing Tomato Activity Sheet
Wh
ere
in t
he
US?
Wh
eth
er y
ou a
re
eati
ng
a ta
co i
n S
edon
a,
gum
bo i
n N
ew O
rlea
ns,
B
BQ
in
Kan
sas
Cit
y,
pizz
a in
Ch
icag
o, s
pagh
etti
in
B
rook
lyn
or
a h
ambu
rger
an
d fr
ies
in B
oise
, th
e to
mat
oes
in y
our
mea
l mos
t li
kely
cam
e fr
om C
alif
orn
ia.
On
th
e m
ap, f
ind
and
mar
k th
e st
ate
wh
ere
you
wou
ld b
e ea
tin
g th
ese
mea
ls.
of
all
pro
cess
ed
tom
ato
p
rod
uct
s ea
ten
in
th
e U
S
com
e fr
om C
alif
orn
ia.
Cal
ifor
nia
als
o le
ads
the
wor
ld i
n t
he
prod
uct
ion
of
pro
cess
ing
tom
atoe
s!
Tom
atoe
s H
ere,
Tom
atoe
s T
here
,TTToooToTToT
mee,
TTToooToTToTmmm
aatttTo
mat
oes
Ever
ywhe
re!
STEM
AC
TIVI
TY:
Tra
nsp
orta
tion
Mat
h
Pro
cess
ed t
omat
oes
hav
e to
get
fro
m C
alif
orn
ia t
o st
ates
all
ove
r th
e co
un
try.
Pre
ten
d yo
u a
re a
tru
ck d
rive
r,
star
tin
g ou
t in
Sac
ram
ento
, Cal
ifor
nia
, an
d h
ave
six
citi
es t
hro
ugh
out
the
cou
ntr
y to
del
iver
to.
Usi
ng
info
rmat
ion
fr
om t
he
tabl
e, c
alcu
late
th
e fo
llow
ing:
• H
ow m
any
mil
es i
s it
rou
nd
trip
to
deli
ver
you
r lo
ad?
Plea
se f
ill i
n t
he
tabl
e.•
How
lon
g w
ill
it t
ake
you
to
get
to e
ach
ci
ty a
lon
g th
e ro
ute
if y
ou a
re t
rave
lin
g at
60
mph
? R
oun
d to
th
e n
eare
st h
our,
fil
l in
th
e ta
ble.
• I
f yo
ur
tru
ck g
ets
5 m
pg i
n d
iese
l, h
ow
man
y ga
llon
s of
die
sel w
ill y
ou u
se?
Rou
nd
to t
he
nea
rest
ten
ths
plac
e, f
ill i
n t
he
tabl
e.•
Usi
ng
an a
vera
ge d
iese
l co
st o
f $3
.25
per
gall
on,
how
mu
ch w
ill
you
spe
nd
on y
our
trip
in
die
sel?
Fil
l in
th
e ta
ble.
• T
otal
all
of
you
r co
lum
ns:
mil
eage
, h
ours
d
rive
n, g
allo
ns
use
d, a
nd
$ sp
ent
on d
iese
l•
CH
ALL
EN
GE
: H
ow m
any
days
wil
l it
tak
e yo
u t
o go
rou
nd
trip
(re
turn
to
Sacr
amen
to)?
You
can
on
ly d
rive
11
hou
rs p
er d
ay a
nd
only
60
hou
rs p
er w
eek.
Des
tin
atio
n:
city
to
city
Mil
eage
(i
n m
iles
)H
ours
Dri
ven
(n
eare
st h
our)
Gal
lon
s u
sed
(r
oun
d t
o te
nth
s)$
spen
t on
die
sel
(rou
nd
to
hu
nd
red
ths)
Sac
ram
ento
-B
oise
555
Boi
se-
Sed
ona
878
Sed
ona-
Kan
sas
Cit
y1,
138
Kan
sas
Cit
y-N
ew O
rlea
ns
845
New
Orl
ean
s-C
hic
ago
926
Ch
icag
o-B
rook
lyn
799
Bro
okly
n-
Sac
ram
ento
2,83
3
Tot
als
The
tom
ato
is th
e w
orld
’s
mos
t po
pula
r fr
uit
. W
hy
is a
tom
ato
a fr
uit
? To
a s
cien
-ti
st,
tom
atoe
s ar
e fr
uit
s be
cau
se
they
hav
e se
eds
in t
hem
. So
cu
cum
bers
, pu
mpk
ins,
an
d be
ans
are
also
con
side
red
fru
its.
V
eget
able
s ar
e an
y pa
rt o
f th
e pl
ant
that
is
not
a f
ruit
: ro
ots
(car
rots
, be
ets)
, st
ems
(asp
arag
us,
bam
boo
shoo
ts),
le
aves
(le
ttu
ce,
spin
ach)
, an
d fl
ower
s (b
rocc
oli,
cau
lifl
ower
). T
o a
groc
er o
r a
chef
, a t
omat
o w
ould
be
con
side
red
a ve
geta
ble
beca
use
of
how
it is
use
d in
coo
kin
g.
(Answers: 1. 7,974 m
iles, 2. 9 hrs., 15 hrs., 19 hrs., 14 hrs., 15 hrs., 13 hrs., 47 hrs. 3. 1,594.8 gallons, 4. $5,183.10, 5. Mileage: 7974 m
iles, Hours: 132 hours, G
allons: 1,594.8 gallons, $ on diesel: $5183.10, 6. It takes 132 hours of driving tim
e. Since you can only drive 60 hours per week, it w
ill take you two w
eeks plus 2 days or 16 total days.
Tom
atoe
s Ev
eryw
her
eC
reat
e a
new
spap
er
adve
rtis
emen
t pr
o-m
otin
g to
mat
oes
that
in
clud
es r
easo
ns
wh
y pe
ople
sh
ould
bu
y th
em.
Use
in
form
atio
n
from
th
is p
age.
Ext
ensi
on:
Wh
y do
you
th
ink
tom
atoe
s ar
e so
pop
ula
r? W
rite
a p
ersu
asiv
e es
say
abou
t to
mat
oes
expl
ain
ing
wh
y yo
u t
hin
k th
ey a
re
so p
opu
lar.
Use
evi
den
ce f
rom
th
is p
age
and
do s
ome
of y
our
own
res
earc
h.
Car
eer
Spo
tlig
ht
Car
eer:
Tru
ck D
rive
r
Chris
Eck
, Cor
e-M
ark,
Wes
t Sac
ram
ento
, CA
Wh
at i
s th
e tr
ain
ing
for
tru
ck d
rivi
ng?
Tr
ain
ing
requ
ires
cl
asse
s th
roug
h
the
Dep
artm
ent
of
Tran
spor
tati
on
or
a pr
ivat
e co
mpa
ny t
o ge
t yo
ur p
erm
it. T
hen
you
have
to
pass
a D
MV
test
to g
et y
our
Cla
ss A
lice
nse.
Wh
at d
o yo
u h
aul?
I h
aul
man
y pr
oduc
ts.
Som
e ex
ampl
es a
re t
omat
oes,
mil
k, c
andy
, an
d le
mon
s.
Wh
at a
re s
ome
fact
s ab
out
tru
ck d
rivi
ng?
M
y tr
uck
gets
bet
wee
n 4
-6 m
iles
per
gallo
n
depe
nd
ing
on t
he
wei
ght
of t
he
frei
ght.
I
can
dri
ve 1
1 h
ours
per
day
but
nee
d 10
h
ours
of
dow
ntim
e be
twee
n s
hif
ts.
I ca
n
dri
ve 6
0 h
ours
per
wee
k. I
f yo
u s
ee a
tru
ck
pulle
d of
f th
e fr
eew
ay, t
hey
may
be
tak
ing
a re
quir
ed b
reak
.
Wh
at i
s a
tip
you
hav
e fo
r u
s ab
out
tru
ck
dri
vers
? A
lway
s gi
ve t
ruck
dri
vers
tim
e, w
e ca
n’t
alw
ays
see
you
an
d do
n’t
stop
fas
t!
CA
Sta
nd
ard
s: E
LA C
CSS
: RI.3
-5.1
, 7, W
.3-5
.2, R
I.6-8
.1, R
I.6.7
, W.6
-8.2
, W.6
-8.9
, RH
.6-8
.7; M
ath
CC
SS; 5
.NBT
.5, 6
.NS.
3, 7
.NS.
2S
ou
rces
: http
://le
arna
bout
ag.o
rg/re
sour
ces/
fact
/tom
atoe
s.pd
f; w
ww.
trans
porta
tion.
gov
©20
16 C
alifo
rnia
Fou
ndat
ion
for A
gric
ultu
re in
the
Cla
ssro
om. A
ll R
ight
s R
eser
ved.
96%
Tom
ato
es
are
go
od
fo
r y
ou
!D
i d y
ou
kno
w?
For
bes
t fl
avo
r, t
om
ato
es
sho
uld
be
eate
n a
t ro
om
te
mp
erat
ure
.
13
© 2017 California Foundation for Agriculture in the Classroom. All rights reserved. This page is from the fourteenth edition of What’s Growin’ On? student newspaper, included in the back of this binder.
Request a free, classroom set of this edition while supplies last. Visit LearnAboutAg.org/wgo.
Tom
atoe
s on
Tri
alIn
189
3, t
he
U.S
. Su
prem
e C
ourt
h
eard
a c
ase
to d
eter
min
e w
het
her
th
e to
mat
o w
as a
fru
it o
r a
vege
tabl
e. I
n t
he
case
of
“Nix
v. H
edde
n,”
th
e to
mat
o w
as d
ecla
red
a ve
geta
ble,
alo
ng
wit
h c
ucu
mbe
rs, s
quas
h, b
ean
s, a
nd
peas
.
Use
th
e h
isto
rica
l re
port
fro
m t
he
tria
l (c
asela
w.lp
.find
law.c
om/c
gi-
bin/
getc
ase.
pl?c
ourt=
US&v
ol=1
49&i
nvol
=304
) to
reco
rd a
t le
ast
thre
e ar
gum
ents
as
to w
hy
tom
atoe
s sh
ould
be
clas
sifi
ed a
s a
fru
it o
r a
veg-
etab
le. U
se y
our
fin
din
gs t
o su
ppor
t yo
ur
stan
ce i
n a
n o
ral
deba
te.
Sout
h Am
eric
a
Nor
th
Amer
ica
Nor
th A
fric
a
Euro
peAs
ia
Aust
ralia
Th
e To
mat
o Tr
ek
Sour
ces:
Cal
iforn
ia T
omat
o G
row
ers
Asso
ciat
ion
(ww
w.c
tga.
org)
Dra
w a
rrow
s to
tr
ack
the
tom
ato’
s jo
urne
y fr
om it
s or
igin
to
C
alif
orni
a.
Th
e fi
rst
tom
atoe
s ca
n b
e tr
aced
to
th
e S
outh
Am
eric
an A
nde
s M
oun
tain
s w
her
e th
ey g
rew
wild
as
cher
ry-s
ized
ber
ries
. Pad
res
follo
win
g th
e S
pan
ish
con
quis
tado
rs l
ikel
y se
nt
the
firs
t se
eds
to S
pain
in
th
e ea
rly
1500
s. T
he
fru
it g
ain
ed l
ittl
e at
ten
tion
in
S
pain
, bu
t so
on t
rave
led
to I
taly
—a
cou
ntr
y th
at e
mbr
aced
tom
atoe
s w
ith
gre
at p
assi
on.
By
the
mid
-six
teen
th c
entu
ry, E
ngl
ish
col
onis
ts
brou
ght
tom
atoe
s ba
ck t
o th
e A
mer
icas
, set
tlin
g in
th
e n
orth
east
ern
par
t of
th
e co
un
try.
Tom
atoe
s lik
ely
reac
hed
C
alif
orn
ia b
y th
e la
te 1
700s
, as
Spa
nis
h m
issi
ons
wer
e es
tabl
ish
ed t
hro
ugh
out
the
stat
e.
Stan
dar
ds:
ELA
– G
rade
s 6-
8: R
eadi
ng
in H
isto
ry-S
ocia
l Sci
ence
3, 7
; His
tory
-Soc
ial
Scie
nce
– G
rade
s K-
5: C
hron
olog
ical
and
Sp
atia
l Thi
nkin
g 1,
4; G
rade
s 6-
8: 1
, 3
Th
e Jo
urn
ey
to C
alif
orn
ia
Use
th
e in
form
atio
n
on t
his
pag
e to
cre
ate
a
tim
elin
e fe
atu
rin
g si
gnif
ican
t ev
ents
in
to
mat
o h
isto
ry. I
ncl
ude
th
e da
te a
nd
desc
ript
ion
of
eac
h e
ven
t, i
n
chro
nol
ogic
al o
rder
.St
and
ard
s: E
LA –
Gra
des
3-5:
R
eadi
ng In
form
atio
nal T
ext 9
; Gra
des
6-8:
Rea
ding
Info
rmat
iona
l Tex
t 9;
His
tory
-Soc
ial S
cien
ce –
Gra
des
6-8:
Ch
rono
logi
cal a
nd S
patia
l Thi
nkin
g 2
Stan
dar
ds:
Sci
ence
– G
rade
3: 5
b; G
rade
7: 5
f; EL
A –
Gra
de 3
: Rea
ding
Info
rmat
iona
l Tex
t (R
IT) 2
, Writ
ing
1b,
Spea
king
and
Lis
teni
ng (
SL) 1
; Gra
de 4
: RIT
2, W
ritin
g 1b
, SL
1; G
rade
5: R
IT 2
, Writ
ing
1b, S
L 1;
Gra
de 6
: 1b,
SL
1; G
rade
7:
1b,
SL
1; G
rade
8: 1
b, S
L 1;
His
tory
-Soc
ial S
cien
ce –
Gra
des
6-8:
Res
earc
h, E
vide
nce,
and
Poi
nt o
f Vie
w 3
, 4; H
isto
rical
In
terp
reta
tion
2, 3
Tom
ato
V
ine
Tim
elin
e
Fr
uit
Vege
tabl
e
1. 2. 3.
1. 2. 3.
The
Gre
at D
ebat
e
The
mec
hani
cal
tom
ato
harv
este
r w
as d
evel
oped
in
Cal
ifor
nia
in t
he
1950
s.
6
© 2017 California Foundation for Agriculture in the Classroom. All rights reserved. This page is from the eleventh edition of What’s Growin’ On? student newspaper, included in the back of this binder.
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