Stewed tomatoes facts for kids
Stewed tomatoes is a yummy dish from the United States. It's made with fresh tomatoes, garlic, and tasty herbs. People often eat it with bread or meat. A stew is a mix of vegetables and other foods cooked slowly in liquid. Stewed tomatoes are a special kind of stew. The tomatoes are cooked gently so they stay mostly whole. This slow cooking also brings out their delicious, tangy flavor. You can enjoy stewed tomatoes as a main meal or a side dish. They are very popular in the United States, especially for holidays like Thanksgiving. Even though it's an old recipe, many Americans still love to eat it. Plus, it's packed with good nutrition!
Contents
The Story of Stewed Tomatoes
Where the Words Come From
The word "tomato" comes from the Spanish word Tomate. It means "swelling fruit" because tomatoes are round and plump. The word "stewed" might come from an old French word, estuver. This word means "to plunge into a bath" or "to take a hot bath." It could also come from a Latin word, extufere, meaning "to evaporate."
Tomatoes in America
Tomatoes first grew in South America. British settlers brought them to North America around 1710. Stewed tomatoes became popular in the 1800s. This was when more and more tomatoes were grown in North America. Having lots of tomatoes meant people could make many new dishes, like stews and ketchup.
The first time tomatoes were mentioned in North America was in 1710. William Salmon wrote about them in his book, History of Plant. By the 1830s, people started making a lot of tomato juice. After that, stewed tomatoes became available to buy. It wasn't until the 1950s that people found new ways to store tomatoes, like freezing and canning them.
Stewed tomatoes became more popular as tomato farming grew in the United States. New ways to grow and harvest tomatoes helped local farms produce more. By the 1860s, these better farming methods helped stewed tomatoes become very popular in places like California. Food historian Andrew F. Smith said that stewed tomatoes were a big hit in the U.S. during the 1860s.
Since then, this dish has become a favorite side dish and main meal in American kitchens. Today, it's often made for special events like Thanksgiving. It's sometimes served with casseroles or puddings. A famous food historian, Betty Fussell, said that stewed tomatoes were a very common and loved dish for her grandfather's generation. She remembered heating tomatoes with butter, salt, and sugar. This simple dish was served with bread every day. Not just home kitchens, but restaurants also added stewed tomatoes to their menus because they were so popular. One of the first racing tracks in Kentucky even had stewed tomatoes on its menu way back in 1788!
How to Make Stewed Tomatoes
The oldest recipe for stewed tomatoes can be found in a book called The Frugal Housewife. Lydia Maria Child published it in 1829. She described a simple recipe like a catsup. It was made by boiling tomatoes in hot water and adding herbs and garlic. This could be served as a side dish with chowder and meat. Over the years, many different ways to make stewed tomatoes have appeared across the country.
Getting Ready
First, you should wash, check, chop, and peel the tomatoes. When cooking, make sure the temperature is higher than 190°F (88°C). The acidity of tomatoes is important. Stewed tomatoes can help make the acidity level safer for storage. It's recommended to cook them for a longer time. This helps keep them tasting good and safe for storing later. For example, at 210°F (99°C), you should cook them for about 35 to 45 minutes.
A Simple Recipe
You can find many recipes for stewed tomatoes in cookbooks and online today. A common and quick recipe used in many American homes mixes tomatoes with other vegetables. This makes a healthy and full meal.
Ingredients
- Tomatoes - 2
- Butter - 1 tablespoon
- Garlic - 2 cloves
- Bell peppers - 1
- Celery - 2 stalks
- Salt and pepper - to taste
- Basil - 1/4 tablespoon
To make the dish, cook all the ingredients in a large saucepan. Cook for about 7–10 minutes until the tomatoes become soft and juicy. To cool them quickly, you can put the cooked tomatoes into a sink of ice water. Then, pour the stewed tomatoes into a freezer container with a wide top. Leave about 1/2 inch of space at the top before covering. Seal, label, and freeze for up to 10 months.
Different Ways to Make It
Every American home might have a slightly different way of making stewed tomatoes. Some people might add more vegetables. Others might prefer the old-fashioned way with just tomatoes and herbs. Also, you can find similar tomato dishes all over the world. These include tomato stews, tomato chutneys, and tomato puddings.
Serving as a Side Dish
Stewed tomatoes are often served as a side dish. They go well with wines and red meat. For example, stewed tomatoes can make beef taste even better. They add enough acid, which mixes with sugars to create a strong flavor and smell for the beef. This also makes red wine taste richer. That's why many restaurants use stewed tomatoes as a side dish with beef. This helps make the beef taste fresh and can even help sell more beef and red wine.
Stewed tomatoes can also improve the flavor of stewed pork. You can even add canned stewed tomatoes directly to stewed pork to make it easier to prepare. They not only make the taste better but also add an attractive color.
Storing Stewed Tomatoes
One great thing about stewed tomatoes is how easy they are to store. After cooking, you can put them into jars. Leave about half an inch of space at the top. Then, seal them for long-term storage. You can use them later to make pasta sauces or soups. Stewed tomatoes also make great toppings for meats like baked chicken and steaks.
Fresh tomatoes only stay good for about 28 days. After that, their quality drops. Because of this, people found new ways to use tomatoes. Putting stewed tomatoes in cans became a common way to handle all the tomatoes being grown. This method helps keep whole tomatoes fresh and prevents them from going to waste.
Nutrition Powerhouse
Stewed tomatoes are packed with nutrients! They have lots of Vitamin A and Vitamin C. Vitamin A is full of antioxidants, which help keep your brain and nerves healthy. Vitamin C helps your body fight off sickness and keeps your skin healthy. When you add vegetables like celery, onions, mushrooms, and bell peppers, the dish becomes even more nutritious.
Stewed tomatoes contain four types of special plant compounds called carotenoids: lycopene, beta-carotene, lutein, and zeaxanthin. They have the most lycopene, which helps your body fight diseases like cancer. Stewed tomatoes are also a good source of iron and Vitamin B.
Just one cup of stewed tomatoes has about 80 calories and 7.5 grams of fiber. Fiber is really good for your digestion and gut health. It also contains 673 international units of Vitamin A and 18 milligrams of Vitamin C. They are also high in Vitamin E, potassium, and more fiber. These nutrients are good for your skin and help you get enough potassium and fiber each day. Eating stewed tomatoes regularly can help prevent heart problems and keep your blood pressure healthy.
The lycopene in stewed tomatoes is easily absorbed by your body when cooked. Stewed tomatoes also have Vitamin B2, which helps your body's metabolism and builds antibodies to fight off sickness. People who eat enough tomatoes in their diet often have better health and are less likely to get the flu.
Why They're So Popular
Stewed tomatoes have become a very popular dish in America. In some cities, like Dayton, Ohio, restaurants even have a whole section on their menus just for this dish! A local newspaper survey showed that stewed tomatoes have been a big part of many Americans' childhoods. Because of this, restaurants rarely take stewed tomatoes off their menus, even though the dish is almost 200 years old. Also, since you can eat it as a main dish or a side dish, it's even more popular. Some restaurants serve it as a side with almost every meal.
Stewed tomatoes are now popular around the world. They were introduced to Asian countries in the 1970s. People in Japan really like this food. Their fast-paced lives mean they need simple meals, and stewed tomatoes are seen as a key source of healthy vegetables in a typical Japanese diet. In China, stewed tomatoes are sometimes mixed with noodles, similar to how spaghetti is made.
Being rich in nutrients, easy to prepare, simple to store, and quick to eat all make stewed tomatoes a favorite dish!
