Potatoes are nutrient-dense, adaptable and a good source of fiber. Fiber can help prevent heart disease by keeping cholesterol and blood sugar levels in check. Potatoes are also full of antioxidants that work to prevent diseases and vitamins that help your body function properly.
They're simple to cultivate & delicious to eat, but what are they exactly? We use the phrase “fruits & vegetables” a lot as gardeners, but what’s the difference between these two categories? What's more, which group do potatoes belong in, and why does it matter? In this article, we'll explain what makes a fruit- a fruit, a vegetable- a vegetable, and a potato- a potato.
What is a Fruit?
Fruits are a type of plant that is developed to help protect and disperse the plant's seeds. Fruit is not produced by all plants. Some flowers, for example, produce seed heads that help in seed dispersal. Dandelions & sunflowers are wonderful examples of this. Fruits aren't all edible, either. There are numerous poisonous berries, such as yew and holly, those are consumed by birds yet hazardous to humans.
When a plant is pollinated, the fruit develops. Pollination causes seeds to form, and the ovum of the flower begins to develop into a fruit. The fruit matures, and the remainder of the flower fades away. The fruit can subsequently be eaten by an animal, which disperses the seeds, or it can fall off the plant, roll a short distance, and perish, dispersing the seeds that way. Even if the bloom isn't pollinated, some plants will produce fruit, which is how most seedless fruit kinds are developed.
What is a Vegetable?
Vegetables, on the other hand, are not a component of the plant in the traditional sense. This is due to the fact that "vegetable" is a culinary term rather than a botanical term. The way we eat something determines whether or not it is a vegetable. This also implies that all veggies are edible and that there are no vegetables that are toxic. Any edible portion of a plant that is normally consumed as part of a savoury meal or dish or that is served alongside a protein, is referred to as a vegetable. However, a component of a plant does not have to be edible for it to be labeled a vegetable.
Fruits can be veggies because vegetables can be any component of the plant. Tomatoes, for example, are the tomato plant's fruits. In fact, depending on how you prepare it, every edible fruit might be considered a vegetable. When pineapples are used to make pizza, they are considered a vegetable. If you like apple-braised pork chops, apples can also be used as a vegetable. Not all veggies, however, are fruit. Lettuce, artichokes, and carrots, for example, are different plants' leaves, flower buds, and roots.
What are Potatoes?
Potatoes are a type of vegetable. Potatoes are tubers, which are a sort of root vegetable. They aren’t the potato plant's roots themselves, but rather the roots that they grow from. Potatoes are absolutely edible, and they're virtually always used in savoury meals, whether with or without meat.
Potatoes, on the other hand, are not fruits. Potato plants do produce fruit that resembles cherry tomatoes in appearance. The potato plant's fruits, on the other hand, are poisonous. The roots, not the blooms, are where potatoes grow. They don't contain seeds and will grow regardless of whether or not the potato plant is pollinated.
Why does it matter?
Knowing which category potatoes belong to can help you better grasp how they're farmed and used. Because potatoes aren't fruits, you already know that the potato plant's flowers aren't necessary for growing potatoes and that the fruit those blooms generate isn't the part you should eat.
Knowing that potatoes are vegetables, and specifically tubers, on the other hand, informs you that potatoes are a savoury, starchy food growing underground. Potatoes are cultivated in hills, with earth being piled over the majority of the stem 2 or 3 times during the growing season.
For fruit or even a vegetable that wasn't a tuber, this way of growing wouldn't make sense. The section of the stem that is underground, on the other hand, will send out roots, and tubers will sprout from those roots. Even if you've never grown potatoes before, understanding that they're tubers can help you understand how they're grown and which portion of the plant to concentrate on.
Knowing that potatoes are vegetables, not fruits, is useful information whether you're cultivating potatoes in your garden or simply eating them. You can go about your business now that your curiosity has been fulfilled, feeling a little more confident in your knowledge of fruits, vegetables, and potatoes.
