Fruits That People Think are Vegetables But are Not!

Check out this list of fruits that people think are vegetables. You’ll be surprised to find out how wrong many of us are about these fruits.

Telling out fruits from vegetables isn’t a tough thing to do, and many of us do it without giving it a second thought. But wait, maybe we should give it a second thought. We have brought up a list of fruits that most people think are vegetables. Now you might think that you are not among those people; after all, it’s pretty easy to tell. You might already know that tomato is a fruit. But did you know that okra is a fruit? Or pumpkin? We bet you didn’t! Continue reading to find out more fruits that we usually consider vegetable.

1. Tomato

It is one of the most commonly mistaken fruits that’s a vegetable. Tomatoes are fruits because it developed from the ovary at the base of the flower, and it contains the seed of the plant. Next time you hang out with your friends, do quiz them about it!

2. Eggplant (Brinjal)

If you cut open an eggplant, you will find several seeds embedded in it, which makes it fruit and not a vegetable. People often think of it as a vegetable because it’s used in savory dishes. But Brinjals are also fruits that people believe are vegetables!

3. Pumpkin

Pumpkins are another common fruits that people think are vegetables. It contains quite many seeds inside it, as you might have found out during Halloween.  So, technically they are considered as fruits from a botanist perspective.

4. Green Peas

Usually, people think that fruit is a vegetable due to the green color, and the same is the case with green peas. Pea is a small round seed encased in a pod fruit called the Pisum sativum that develops from the pea flower.

5. Cucumber

It’s a proven fact that cucumber also develops from the flower of the plant and contains the seeds, making it a fruit. Cucumber is usually considered a vegetable because of how it’s used in the culinary world. However, as it grows from flowers and contains seeds, it’s botanically a fruit.

6. Ladyfinger

This velvety green fruit, which is again people think, is a vegetable is a fruit. Okra is also known as the lady’s finger, is a flowering plant with edible seed pods.

7. Avocado

Avocado is always a hot topic and for all the right reasons, too, especially for people opting for a healthy lifestyle. Now, wait, you might think that what’s avocado doing in the list doesn’t have seeds. Well, you are right avocado doesn’t have seeds. But it does contain a big single seed, and that’s why its a single-seeded berry. It also has a fleshy pulp, which puts it into the botanical criteria of fruit.

8. Bell Pepper or Capsicum

Every kind of pepper, from the bell pepper to the jalapeno, fits the criteria of fruit and not a vegetable. Bell pepper, chili, or capsicum all belong to the same family.

Also Read: Is Jalapeno a Fruit?

9. Corn

Corn is treated like a grain in agriculture and vegetable in the kitchen, but scientifically both are wrong. Those kernels are the seeds that corn plants use to reproduce, so that puts them in the fruit category.

10. Olives

11. String Beans

Often served stir-fried alongside poached eggs or chicken string beans bring the much needed dietary fiber and vitamin and minerals to the table. Many people think that string beans are vegetables as they are used ass side servings in place of vegetables. But string beans come under fruits.

12. Zucchini

Zucchini or courgette is a summer squash that belongs to the gourd family, just like melons and cucumbers. Although in the culinary context it’s treated as vegetable botanically speaking, it’s a fruit. Well, technically a botanical berry!

13. Beans

Beans also belong to a group that is classified as legumes. As we mentioned earlier, peas come in pods, and they are fruits. Can’t change the rule for beans as they also come in pods. So, technically beans must be fruits. But there is an argument that legumes themselves form a unique group, and one must not put them under vegetable or fruits. We’ll leave this one up to you!

14. Chayote

Belonging to the gourd family, chayote is prepared like a vegetable and also goes by names mirliton and Choko. But it’s a fruit and which you can consume cooked or even raw in salads and salsas. Pro-tip; marinate chayote with lemon or lime juice to give your tastebuds a treat.

15. Butternut Squash

It’s an annual fruit that comes under the category of winter squashes. Whether its creamy soup, ravioli filling, or risotto flavor butter squash is becoming the new favorite. So, next time you go picking out new dishes, do give butter squash a try!