My Rotten Tomato and Why I Wish It Wasn't

I have a rotten tomato sitting on my counter. Why? I was always told not to store my tomatoes in the fridge. So I didn't. It's on my counter....rotting.

I should do something with this tomato, but I am going through all of the responses I was having to seeing it before I act. Then I thought I'd show it off. Ta daa!!

How does a tomato rot this way? I have never seen my produce, veggie or otherwise rot like it has come down with some bad case of the....creeps? I don't know - what is that stuff on there??

It looks almost as though something was sprayed on it - why isn't the entire skin area rotting?

I'm also wondering what to do with it - is this safe to eat? I mean, I barely got the thing home before this started to happen. How far has this tomato traveled to get to me?

I ask a lot of questions....and this is just a tomato. 'Just' a tomato....really? Let's explore!

One cup of tomatoes gives us Vitamin A, K, C, potassium, beta-carotene (for skin), lycopene and something called folate. They contain very little sodium, but have a high water content making them a positively filling whole food!

There is also a connection between tomatoes and our bones - there is, I wouldn't kid you. That's where the Vitamin K and lycopene come in. Lycopene is also a major cancer fighter, that's where the Vitamin A and C come in.

This beautiful food is high in bioflavanoids and carotenoids, known to help reduce inflammation in chronic pain sufferers. Arthritis pain was alleviated when sufferers upped their intake of tomatoes.

Looking for some thiamin, copper, niacin, magnesium, phosphorus or fiber? Tomatoes have it all!

Blood sugar is regulated thanks to a healthy diet that includes tomatoes - they have chromium. I've even heard that they can help prevent kidney stones. Fat free and good for you in the sense that it helps prevent heart disease and blood pressure issues too.

My family really enjoys fresh, delicious tomatoes - but I enjoy them much more knowing they are also nourishing our bodies.

Beautiful, savory and stuffed with all of the great things we need anyway.

I'm so excited for spring so we can start planting tomatoes again. There's absolutely nothing like it.