Cherry tomato facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Cherry Tomato |
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| Cherry tomatoes on the vine | |
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Solanum
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S. lycopersicum
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| Solanum lycopersicum var. cerasiforme |
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A cherry tomato is a small, round type of tomato. It's thought to be a mix between tiny wild tomatoes and the bigger garden tomatoes we usually see. Cherry tomatoes can be as small as your fingertip or as big as a golf ball. They are usually round, but some can be a bit oval.
Most cherry tomatoes are red. But you can also find them in other colors like yellow, green, and even black! The oval-shaped ones are often called grape tomatoes because they look a bit like grapes.
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A Look at Cherry Tomato History
People believe cherry tomatoes were first grown in Mexico by the Aztecs. This was at least as far back as the 1400s. You can learn more about the general history of tomatoes in the Tomato article.
When tomatoes first came to Europe in the 1500s, the first ones grown were yellow cherry tomatoes. This shows how long these small, tasty fruits have been around!
Cherry tomatoes became very popular in the United States by the early 1900s. Recipes using them started appearing in articles around the 1960s.
Different Kinds of Cherry Tomatoes
There are many different types, or cultivars, of cherry tomatoes. Each kind has its own special features.
The Tomaccio Tomato
The Tomaccio tomato was created by scientists in Israel. Professors Nahum Keidar and Chaim Rabinovitch from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem led this work. It took them 12 years to develop!
They used wild tomato plants from Peru to make the Tomaccio. Their goal was to create a sweet snack tomato. They also wanted it to ripen faster and stay fresh longer on the shelf.
Super Sweet 100
The Super Sweet 100 is a very popular type of cherry tomato in the United States. It's a hybrid cultivar, which means it was created by crossing two different kinds of tomatoes.
One great thing about the Super Sweet 100 is that it can fight off certain plant diseases. It is resistant to both Fusarium wilt and Verticillium wilt. This makes it easier for gardeners to grow.
Selke Biodynamic Cherry Tomato
Another type is the Selke Biodynamic cherry tomato. This one is named after a person called Margrit Selke.
Images for kids
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Yellow cherry tomatoes
