Is a PICKLE a fruit or a vegetable?

YES, to both. My grandson called 2 weeks with this question. I think his real motive was to be able to eat more pickles and not much else....

The part of the plant containing seeds on the inside, is the enlarged ovary of the plant, and is considered the 'fruit' of the plant. So technically, squash, pumpkins, apples, tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, melons, green beans, peas, cucumbers are all 'fruits' in the botanical world. Yes, even corn is technically a fruit, used as a veggie or grain.

In the culinary world is where 'fruits' can be considered morphing into vegetables. When foods are prepared in a 'savory' manner, using: butter-cooking-herb seasoning-vinegars etc., it is usually considered a vegetable.


Some things we eat from the garden, are considered vegetables in their harvest form: lettuce and greens, cabbages, carrots & other roots, celery, onions, broccoli & cauliflower. These plants also produce seed in seed pods, but we don't eat that part of these plants.


Fruits are fruits if they are by themselves naturally sweet and fleshy and eaten that way, like melon & apples. In the future I'll write a more complete break down on the 'part of the plant we are eating.' So go enjoy a slice of the flesh of the seed pod of the 'Cucumis melo.' (cantaloupe slice)

=)