There is an epidemic of misinformation sweeping across our nation today. As each generation drifts further away from agriculture and gardening, an important lesson is vanishing: how to accurately distinguish a fruit from a vegetable.
Many of the vegetables society holds dear, are not vegetables at all. Any botanist or master gardener will tell you, that “vegetables” like tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, zucchini, pumpkins, and gourds are in fact fruits!
In order to accurately categorize fruits from vegetables, all one must know is some simple plant structure. Any edible body that contains seeds and is the product of a plant’s flower is a fruit. Think about it: tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, and peppers all begin as flowers! They all contain seeds! They may not be as sweet as fruits like apples, pears, or oranges, but they are all identical in regard to their respective function on the plant.
Vegetables on the other hand are any part of a plant that is consumed, other than the seed-containing body. For example: carrots, potatoes, and lettuce do not contain seeds. They do not begin as a flower. Carrots and potatoes grow underground, and lettuce is the leaf of a lettuce plant. Vegetables perform different functions respectively for each plant.
Why is this important?
If a culture in the 21st century cannot properly identify something as simple as a fruit or vegetable - items that we ingest into our own bodies, how can we begin to accurately grasp large scheme environmental concepts like deforestation, organic farming, genetic engineering, or renewable resources?
Please share your thoughts in the comment section below.
Comments
Hey Will,
Great article!
To my shame I have to admit that I didn´t know that simple way to distinguish a fruit from a vegetable. Never thought about it.
I totally agree with you on the social criticism point.
Keep it up!
Thanks for the comment,
Yes, most people categorize fruits & vegetable by taste.
Sweet = fruit
Bland = vegetable
But this doesn't work.
It's all about the seeds !
Haha - fun article. In defense of ignorance, my wife makes sure I eat everything I need to survive, even if I don't know what half of the things going into me are. But I hope to (at least some day in the future) learn something of gardening. So this is a good place to start.
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