I've always been confused by certain fruits and veggies out there and which ones fall into what category. Is a tomato really a fruit? Why does it fall into the "fruit" family? I decided to do some research and
I'll start with the easiest, the Tomato. Is it a fruit or a vegetable?
Tomatoes are fruits, specifically berries. This is because the tomato is the ovary, and with its seeds, it is a flowering plant. So many people consider it a vegetable because the US government calls it a vegetable under certain tax laws.
Next up, the Olive. Is it a fruit or a vegetable?
Olives are fruits. They have one seed in the middle, making it a fruit. What may puzzle you even more is that when you drink olive oil (not that many of us do) you are actually drinking olive juice!
The Green Bean. Is it a fruit or vegetable?
A green bean is actually fruit! The little "beans" inside of a green bean are actually seeds. Fruits, not vegetables, have seeds in them.
What about the Mushroom. Is it a fruit or a vegetable?
Neither! Mushrooms fall into the fungi category since they do not have leaves, roots or seeds.
Bonus points: How many fruits wear their seeds on the outside?
One - the Strawberry.
So, clearly my list is skewed a bit to the fruit side. Are there any fruits that are actually vegetables?
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Comments (32)
I'm unsure if there are fruits that are veggies... but I'm hungry. And it's lunch time over here! I'll go do some research
Your list is skewed because "vegetable" is a purely culinary/cultural term, not a scientific one.
@just_the_average_jane@xanga - This.
Technically all fruits are vegetable matter, being from plants and all. In culinary use, to be a fruit it ought to be treated as a sweet item, which the things you mentioned generally are not.
I dind't know olives were fruits.. My whole life is a lie now -.-
...whaats a pumpkin then ? a fruit ?
should be a fruit...a pum[kin I mean !
This is biologically. If you ask a nutritionist they'll say that green beans and tomatos qualify as vegetables when we're talking along dietary lines
i call them whatever i like anyways =/
@just_the_average_jane@xanga - second.
what are eggplants then? fruit, I guess...
That is actually seriously exciting to find out that olives are a fruit. It kind of makes me smile. I will admit that I always thought of green beans as a vegetable. I already knew that tomatoes are a fruit.
As far as mushrooms. I love them. My friend can't eat them because of the fact that she knows they're a fungus, so any time I can, I will refer to them as fungus when I'm eating them just to watch her face.
And according to the definition of fruit: Pumpkin, squash, and various forms of peppers are fruit as well.
what about cucumbers, pickles, and zucchini? they are fruits? lol.
...peppers? avocado? does anything actually even qualify as a vegetable?
No way, the tomato is totally a vegetable. If you're going to mention that they have seeds inside, so do cucumbers, but they're considered a vegetable. D:
@supaflychikn@xanga - Pickles are cucumbers marinated in vinegar.
@PervyPenguin@xanga - i am aware of this.
cucumbers have seeds, doesn't that make it a berry? also, eggplants are berries too, and are related to blue berries
Way to stereotype. I don't label my food, thank you.
Just kidding......
ok, so im not that great at science but from what i get, if it had seeds its a fruit. well dont all plants come from seeds.(i learned that one in elementary school.) hmm.. how about green peppers? i thought peppers were vegetable, they have seeds, could they be the spiciest of the fruits? let me know.
If you want to get botanical, they're all fruit. The word vegetable is pretty much a creation of the horiculture and nutrition industry. Think of it as describing a taste, not the biology. A fruit is a mature ovary bearing seeds.
Mushrooms aren't even plants, you got that one right.
Uhm, actually the "seeds" on the strawberries are the ovules. A strawberry is what we call an "accessory" part of the fruit. We call them false fruits So techincally, all the "seeds" on the starwberry are the fruit and the sweet juicy goodness we describe being the fruit is actually just extra tissue.
I'm a horticulture major. :D
@queenofheartsxxx@xanga - Pumpkin is a squash, and most squashes are considered to be a fruit.
@elvinwei@xanga - Cucumbers are part of the squash family too I believe.
@Delia712@xanga - All peppers are berries. Yummy delicious berries.
@mypandabear@xanga - I've NEVER been told by a nutritionist that those things are vegetables. Vegetables are generally classified as green things, like spinach, romaine, arugula, bok choy, broccoli, kale, etc.
I heard that if it comes from the flowering body of a plant then it's a fruit and if it comes from the stem or leaves or roots or whatever then it's a vegetable so er ah taters are still vegetables
@queenofheartsxxx@xanga - Pumpkins are part of the squash family, and all squash are considered fruits.
@cutesycharm@xanga - fair enough, but I'm just repeating what my nutritionist told me *shrug*
@elvinwei@xanga - Eggplants are in the genus Solanum, along with potatoes and tomatoes. Some of their other close relatives are petunias, peppers, and tobacco, but not blueberries.
EASY. Fruits have seeds, and vegetables don't!
I thought we all learn this back in grade school?
Nuff said!