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TOMATOESOne of the most debated fruits/vegetables of all time is the tomato. Many that cook with tomatoes consider it a vegetable because of its versatility in cooking and its ability to mix with other vegetables. However scientists insist that it is a fruit. Whether a fruit or vegetable, tomatoes are popular to grow, especially in the home garden. The canning factories annually processed large volumes of tomatoes to meet the needs of the consumer at home and for the overseas market. During the 20th century, Ontario consumers made up the largest part of the market and much of what was produced in Grimsby was not exported but sold to Ontario consumers.
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Tomatoes grow on plants rather than trees and usually need to be supported with a stake. Tomatoes have a variety of shapes, sizes and colours. They range from small tomatoes, called cherry tomatoes as they are the size of a cherry (1-2 cm), up to the largest tomato, the beefsteak tomato, which can be up to ten centimeters in diameter. The most popular size of fresh tomatoes sold has a diameter of approximately five centimeters. Most tomatoes are red, but there are varieties with yellow, orange, purple or green flesh.Tomato plants can be divided into two types. Those that bear fruit throughout the season and ripen at different times are preferred by home gardeners. Those that bear ripe fruit at one point in the season are preferred by commercial growers because they are easier to harvest. Commercial tomatoes are often grown in greenhouses.
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