The contrast between fruits and vegetables for culinary reasons can be summed up as follows: Vegetables are typically savory, while fruits are typically sweet. Even without considering there are some vegetables that are actually fruit, getting enough vegetables in your diet can be challenging.
If you break down vegetables botanically, you end up debating whether a pumpkin is a fruit or a vegetable.
According to science, a fruit develops from a plant’s seed-bearing portion as a result of a fertilized flower. Fruits typically include seeds on the interior, which is another indicator.
You might be surprised by some of our favorite dishes’ botanical labels.
People often regard squash, tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, eggplant, and avocados as vegetables, but they are not.
Peas and beans pose a bit of a challenge since if you consume the pod’s contents, you consume the seed. If you also eat the pod, you consume fruit and seeds.
There may be more fruit than you realize in your salads, stir-fries, and other veggie-heavy foods. Here are ten “vegetables” that are fruits.
Tomatoes
You’ve probably heard this one before, but many people still confuse it despite its widespread use in pasta sauce and on salads. Tomatoes are a good indicator of fruits because they have seeds on the inside. And there is a saying that goes, “Knowledge is knowing tomatoes are a fruit. Wisdom is knowing not to put them in a fruit salad.”
But a cherry tomato still tastes good in a salad.
Cucumbers
This might come as a surprise to many, but these refreshing cucumbers are a fruit! Cucumbers are fruit found on plants in the Cucurbitaceae family, containing cantaloupe and watermelon (among others).
They don’t have a very sweet flavor due to their high water content. Nevertheless, cucumbers should be classified as a fruit. So, those dill pickles you love (or love to detest) are truly pickled fruit, according to botany.
Avocado – 10 Vegetables That Are Actually Fruit
Although avocado has never been more well-liked, most guacamole fans are likely unaware that it’s a fruit. It is regarded as a healthy single-seed berry.
Avocados are among the few fruits (yes, formally, they are a fruit, not a vegetable) that contain good unsaturated fats. As a replacement for saturated fat, these fats help lower LDL cholesterol.
Bell Peppers
If you don’t like spicy food or enjoy filled peppers, you should start with bell peppers. They taste wonderful in stir-fries or as hummus-dipped strips. No matter what you do with them, keep in mind that they are a fruit. The warning sign? You guessed it – seeds.
It often confuses most people. Even though bell peppers are frequently used in cooking as vegetables, they are considered fruits because they develop from flowers and have seeds.
Eggplant
This tasty purple ingredient is the hero of many of our favorite dishes, including eggplant parm, stir-fries, ratatouille, and roasted veggies. Although we know eggplant is delicious and should be included in our daily intake of five fruits and vegetables, there is some debate as to whether it belongs in the fruit or vegetable category.
So does it belong in the vegetable category because it is not sweet, and you would never juice it? It works best in savory meals? However, you can detect small seeds within if you look attentively. Hence proving that this ingredient that is so massively used in savory dishes is, in fact – a fruit! We wish.
Pumpkin – 10 Vegetables That Are Actually Fruit
Say it’s not true! Our famous autumnal vegetable is really a fruit! Squash and pumpkin are both considered fruits.
Pumpkin can be challenging since some people make pies, a dessert, while others use it to make soups or stews, which are meals. So, that can be unclear at times.
But you recall that pumpkins are fruits when you reflect on how many pumpkin pies you’ve consumed.
Okra
Occasionally known as “lady’s finger,” A flowering plant called okra is well-known for its nutritious seed pods. Did you know this?
Okra is typically used in cooking as a vegetable even though it is technically a fruit according to biology.
It’s a common ingredient in gumbo and is commonly used in Southern American cooking. However, some people find the texture slimy and unpleasant.
String Beans
Not everybody likes it. Since you can’t avoid them, you might as well amaze your family with this interesting fact about beans: green beans are a fruit rather than a vegetable.
The green bean is a “dry fruit,” which means that after it has reached maturity, the mature seed will be visible when the pod has dried out and cracked apart.
But what about the green beans we stir-fry and put in casseroles? Those immature fruits were plucked when the seed was still enclosed in the pod.
And you can argue against anyone who calls it a legume. In actuality, a legume is a form of dry fruit.
Olives – 10 Vegetables That Are Actually Fruit
Although you undoubtedly consider olives a vegetable, they are just another fruit on your charcuterie board. Olives are explicitly categorized as stone fruit, along with peaches, mangos, apricots, plums, and dates.
This is because they originate from the olive tree’s flower.
Olives enhance the flavor of practically anything, whether you eat them mostly with martinis or sprinkle them on your pizza. Although you would think of tapenade as a savory delight, these mouthwatering Mediterranean treats actually fall under the category of fruits. To demonstrate, simply place one unpitted olive in your mouth.
Corn
Whole corn that is consumed on the cob is regarded as a vegetable. The source of popcorn, the maize kernel, is regarded as a grain. This type of maize is a “whole” grain, to be exact.
Many grains, like popcorn, are regarded as fruits, adding additional complexity to the situation. This is because they originate from the plant’s seed or bloom.
Therefore, corn is a fruit, a whole grain, and a vegetable. However, corn is healthful and can be a component of a balanced diet regardless of its form or classification.
