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Wild relatives of the tomato originated in the coastal highlands of western
South America, leading to their domestication by Mesoamericans such as the
Aztec and Mayan. Herman Cortes first encountered organic tomatoes during his
conquest of Mexico in 1519.
Sun-dried tomatoes as a foodstuff originated in southern Italy, where
tomatoes are split in half, lightly salted, put out in the sun in the
morning each day for a few days, and then taken inside every night.
Many of what are now called heirloom tomatoes (Green Zebra, Marvel Stripe,
Yellow Pear, etcetera) were not, in fact, varieties available before 1900.
However, these heirloom tomatoes have all been bred for cultivation by
family farmers and home gardeners --- and not for the grace and favor of
agribusiness (i.e. ease of handling, canning, and long-distance travel).
Cooked tomatoes are about the best source on the planet of the caretenoid
lycopene, an anti-cancer compound (watermelons rank in distant second-place
for lycopenes).
Tomatoes should -never- be refrigerated, as refrigeration dehydrates flavor
out of what were once called love apples. Commercially-grown, as opposed to
locally-grown, tomatoes will always suffer from this mistreatment.
Tomato plants respond fabulously to horse manure, and under certain
conditions, do not need to be watered in the final stages of growth ("dry
farmed"). This concentrates their flavor wonderfully well. Marigolds grown
with tomatoes help keep horned tomato caterpillars away.
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