Good quality tomatoes should have bright, shiny skins and firm flesh. Tomatoes should NOT be refrigerated. They do continue to ripen after harvest. Botanically speaking, tomatoes are a fruit. Horticulturally speaking, tomatoes are a vegetable plant. In the late 1800's, a suit was brought by a consortium of growers who wanted it declared a vegetable to protect US crop development and prices. The tomato was then declared a "vegetable" by the US Supreme Court, and therefore subject to import taxes. Fruits, at the time where not subject to import taxes. Tomatoes are high in lycopene which is being studied for its health benefits. In addition to giving tomatoes their vibrant color, lycopene may help protect against diseases such as cancer and heart disease. Lycopene is an antioxidant.