Once called the “Apple of Paradise” by Germany and “Apple of Love” by France, tomatoes are classified botanically as a fruit. While admiring the brilliant red color, Europe and the United States believed the fruit to be poisonous as recently as the 19th century, although it had been cultivated and utilized by Aztec and Inca civilizations as early as 700 A.D.

Tomatoes are yellow, green, and red in color with many varieties affecting sizes and tastes. Fresh tomatoes are typically harvested by hand at vine ripe and mature green stages for capturing flavor, symmetry, and color related criteria. Whether aware of the high vitamin A and vitamin C content or not, today's consumers around the world make tomatoes number one on the produce shopping list.