****GROWN ON OUR FARM HERE IN TENNESSEE **** Photo **** 5 MONSTER TOMATOES SEEDS **** Photo **** THESE GET REALLY BIG!!!!!***** According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Americans eat more than 22 pounds of tomatoes every year. More than half this amount is eaten in the form of ketchup and tomato sauce. Photo Technically a tomato is a fruit, since it is the ripened ovary of a plant. Tomatoes can be easily grown from seeds. Growing tomatoes is enjoyable and rewarding and doesn’t take a lot of space - they can even be grown in containers on patios or balconies. The main thing to remember about growing tomatoes is they need a lot of sunshine and a lot of water with good drainage. The tomato has a multitude of culinary uses and its’ high acidic content makes it very popular for canning. Joseph Campbell mass produced the first tomato soup in 1897, although the first recipe is credited to Maria Parloa for her tomato chowder in the 1872 book, The Appledore Cook Book. Today, tomato recipes number in the hundreds. You can find tomato recipes for everything from tomato marmalade to fried green tomatoes. With just a few basic tips and the proper steps, you can grow tomatoes that will produce luscious fruit that is both tasty and promotes good health. Photo #1155