Tomato

Tomatoes are one of the most widely used ingredients in Australian kitchens. Technically a fruit but treated as a vegetable in almost every culinary context, they range from tiny cherry varieties to large, meaty beefsteaks, and from deep red to yellow, orange, and even green when ripe.

Raw tomatoes are essential in salads, sandwiches, and salsas. Cooked, they form the base of pasta sauces, soups, curries, and braises across virtually every cuisine. Their balance of sweetness, acidity, and umami makes them one of the most versatile ingredients available. In-season tomatoes from Australian growers — particularly during summer — are dramatically more flavourful than those picked for long shelf life.

Australia produces tomatoes commercially in Queensland, Victoria, and South Australia, with both field-grown and glasshouse varieties available throughout the year.

Farmed
photograph to come — from twenty years of markets, farms and kitchens

How it's made

Tomatoes are grown on vines in fields, greenhouses, or home gardens. The plants are typically staked or trellised for support. Fruit develops from pollinated flowers and ripens over several weeks, changing from green to its mature colour. They are picked by hand at various stages of ripeness depending on their intended use — vine-ripened for fresh eating, or slightly earlier for transport and longer shelf life.

Nutrition (per 100g)

Energy 17kcal
Protein 0.6g
Carbs 3g
Fat 0g
Fibre 1.1g Sugar 2.5g
Mass Distribution

What it costs the planet (per kilo)

Carbon 2.1kg
Freshwater 370L
Land 0.8m²

Where it comes from

Made from
Tomato, fruit

In the kitchen

Used as

all-purpose culinary fruit

Classic dishes
  • Caprese salad
  • Bruschetta
  • BLT sandwich
  • Shakshuka

Keeping it

Keep it: on the counter away from sunlight.

In the freezer: about 60 days (from date of purchase).

Advice from Cubud’s own keeping notes — how to keep it, not a measured number.

Keeping one at home? Track yours in your cubud →

Where this data comes from

Nutrition data from

FSANZ

How it was calculated

Analysed

Full credits, licences, and methods: the sources page →

Where to next

made fromTomato, fruit goes well withbasil goes well withmozzarella goes well withgarlic goes well witholive oil goes well withonion shares a sourceCanned & Concentrated Tomato shares a sourceCulinary Bases shares a sourceTomato Sauce & Ketchup
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