Truly Amazing
Sun-Dried Tomato Facts:
- It takes twenty pounds of fresh tomatoes to make one pound of sun-dried tomatoes
- Tomatoes were brought to America by Thomas Jefferson in the 1700's
- Tomatoes are rich in lycopene, which may help protect against diseases such as cancer and heart disease.
- The lycopene in cooked tomatoes is easier to absorb than in fresh tomatoes.
- One medium sun-dried tomato can provide 40% of your daily requirement of Vitamin C.
- A diet rich in tomato-based foods has been linked to a decreased risk of prostate cancer.
- Sun-dried tomatoes are: low in fat, calories & sodium, and free from saturated fat & cholesterol.
- They are also: high in vitamin A & C, and a good source of potassium.
- Fresh tomatoes are 93% water.
- One cup of raw sun-dried tomatoes has 8 grams of carbs.
- Scientists at Cornell University have identified two cancer-fighting substances in tomatoes.
- Historically, Asians have used tomatoes to remedy ailments from asthma to cancer.
- Sun-dried tomatoes are lipophilic, which means their nutritional value is increased by being cooked with some fat, like olive oil.
- Sun-dried tomatoes are rich in vitamins and fiber.
- Using canned ingredients provides comparable nutritional value to using fresh and frozen ingredients. According to the study, a spaghetti sauce recipe using
canned tomatoes provides more fiber, potassium, vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium and iron than the same recipe using fresh tomatoes.
- For many years tomatoes were considered poisonous and were grown solely for their ornamental value.
- Red tomatoes originated in Mexico, were then introduced into Europe, and eventually made their way back to North America and the United States.
- Before the early 1800s, tomatoes were actually feared. As a member of the deadly nightshade family, they were thought to have caused many different diseases, including "brain fever". But in the
early 1800s, Colonel Robert Gibbon Johnson brought them back from a trip overseas and proceeded to eat an entire basket full, in front of a crowd of worried spectators. When he didn't immediately
grab his stomach and fall over, the history of the tomato in the U.S. began.
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