TYPES OF FOOD
Vegetable fruits
Vegetable
fruits
Although they are fruits in the botanical
sense of the word, in a culinary sense,
these plant products are definitely
vegetables, lending themselves to a
huge range of culinary applications and
loaded with macro- and micronutrients.
Fruit or vegetable?
Botanically speaking, a fruit is the seed-bearing
structure that develops from the ovary at the base
of a flower. Many are sweet and fit the culinary
definition of fruit (see pp.122–23), but a few are
comparatively low in sugar, richer in non-sweet
flavors, and generally require cooking. These fall
under the culinary heading of “vegetable.”
They include vegetables with high levels of
phytochemicals, such as pumpkin and squash,
whose orange color comes from beta-carotene,
capsaicin-filled chilies and peppers (see pp.128–29),
and lycopene-rich tomatoes.
Types of vegetable fruits
Vegetable fruits belong mainly to three
families: the nightshade family (including
tomatoes, eggplants, and peppers) which
tends to grow upward on a vine, the squash
and cucumber family (including marrow,
zucchini, and melons) which grows along
vines on the ground, and the legume,
or bean, family (see pp.100–01).
A
V
O
C
A
D
O
T
O
M
A
T
O
E
G
G
P
L
A
N
T
P
U
M
P
K
I
N
S
Q
U
A
S
H
C
U
C
U
M
B
E
R
P
R
E
P
A
R
I
N
G
A
N
D
P
U
L
P
I
N
G
High in
dietary fiber
Originally known
for bitterness
Only ripen
once picked
Largest fruit in
the world
Related to
watermelons
US_120-121_Vegetable_Fruits.indd 120 18/01/2017 09:44
120
TYPES OF FOOD
Vegetable fruits
121
Vegetable
fruits
How ketchup is made
Based on Chinese fish brine sauces brought back to the West by seamen
and merchants, and combined with tomatoes native to America by New
Englanders, ketchup is made by cooking and pureeing tomatoes and
blending the puree with vinegar, herbs, spices, and sweeteners.
Though often very high in salt, sugar, and calories, it can also contain
higher levels of the powerful antioxidant lycopene than raw tomatoes.
Unusual avocado
Avocados are extraordinarily
oily, containing 15–30 percent
oil and with very low levels of
sugar and starch. The name
comes from the Nahuatl
(Aztec) word ahuacatl,
meaning “testicle.” Avocados
can easily be pureed to make
guacamole and other dishes.
Fatty fruit
Avocados are high in calories (up
to 400 per avocado), but their rich
cargo of oils is mostly healthy
monounsaturated fats. They are
also high in potassium.
Zucchini can contain toxins
called cucurbitacins. Cultivated
varieties are bred to have low toxin
levels, but ornamental varieties can
have high levels. The toxin is not
destroyed by cooking, and poisoning
can sometimes be fatal.
KILLER FRUITS
Avocado flesh is
about 15% fat
S
Q
U
A
S
H
Z
U
C
C
H
I
N
I
M
A
R
R
O
W
15%
TOMATO
PRESS
BOILING
VAT
MARROW
ZUCCHINI
P
R
E
P
A
R
I
N
G
A
N
D
P
U
L
P
I
N
G
F
I
L
T
E
R
I
N
G
A
N
D
C
O
O
K
I
N
G
A
I
R
R
E
M
O
V
A
L
A
N
D
B
O
T
T
L
I
N
G
Fresh
tomatoes
are washed and
chopped, then
precooked to
destroy microbes.
They are pulped to
separate seeds, skin,
and stems from the
juice and pulp.
1
The juice
and pulp
are filtered to
remove remaining
large particles,
then cooked by
boiling. Additives
(sweeteners,
vinegar, salt, and
spices) are added.
2
The cooked
ketchup is
filtered to make the
consistency smoother.
Then air is removed
to prevent spoilage,
and the ketchup is
then bottled.
3
AIR
REMOVAL
BOTTLING
Delicate,
spongy flesh
Sweetest
when picked
young
Water 73%
Protein 2%
Carbohydrate 9% Other 1%
US_120-121_Vegetable_Fruits.indd 121 18/01/2017 09:44
120
TYPES OF FOOD
Vegetable fruits
121
Vegetable
fruits
How ketchup is made
Based on Chinese fish brine sauces brought back to the West by seamen
and merchants, and combined with tomatoes native to America by New
Englanders, ketchup is made by cooking and pureeing tomatoes and
blending the puree with vinegar, herbs, spices, and sweeteners.
Though often very high in salt, sugar, and calories, it can also contain
higher levels of the powerful antioxidant lycopene than raw tomatoes.
Unusual avocado
Avocados are extraordinarily
oily, containing 15–30 percent
oil and with very low levels of
sugar and starch. The name
comes from the Nahuatl
(Aztec) word ahuacatl,
meaning “testicle.” Avocados
can easily be pureed to make
guacamole and other dishes.
Fatty fruit
Avocados are high in calories (up
to 400 per avocado), but their rich
cargo of oils is mostly healthy
monounsaturated fats. They are
also high in potassium.
Zucchini can contain toxins
called cucurbitacins. Cultivated
varieties are bred to have low toxin
levels, but ornamental varieties can
have high levels. The toxin is not
destroyed by cooking, and poisoning
can sometimes be fatal.
KILLER FRUITS
Avocado flesh is
about 15% fat
S
Q
U
A
S
H
Z
U
C
C
H
I
N
I
M
A
R
R
O
W
15%
TOMATO
PRESS
BOILING
VAT
MARROW
ZUCCHINI
P
R
E
P
A
R
I
N
G
A
N
D
P
U
L
P
I
N
G
F
I
L
T
E
R
I
N
G
A
N
D
C
O
O
K
I
N
G
A
I
R
R
E
M
O
V
A
L
A
N
D
B
O
T
T
L
I
N
G
Fresh
tomatoes
are washed and
chopped, then
precooked to
destroy microbes.
They are pulped to
separate seeds, skin,
and stems from the
juice and pulp.
1
The juice
and pulp
are filtered to
remove remaining
large particles,
then cooked by
boiling. Additives
(sweeteners,
vinegar, salt, and
spices) are added.
2
The cooked
ketchup is
filtered to make the
consistency smoother.
Then air is removed
to prevent spoilage,
and the ketchup is
then bottled.
3
AIR
REMOVAL
BOTTLING
Delicate,
spongy flesh
Sweetest
when picked
young
Water 73%
Protein 2%
Carbohydrate 9% Other 1%
US_120-121_Vegetable_Fruits.indd 121 18/01/2017 09:44
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