Don’t feel bad. Most people don’t know that the difference is based on the original part of the plant from which a fruit or vegetable develops. Let’s start by examining a flower. Flowers of all types are for the purpose of reproducing the plant of that flower. Many flowers have male and female parts on the same flower. Other flowers produce seeds, but no actual fruit that is edible. Previously this blog has shown you that both watermelon and pumpkins have male and female flowers. So it’s easier to explain the difference between fruit and vegetables using pumpkins and watermelon flowers. The first three pictures below are female pumpkin flowers and the second three pictures are female watermelon flowers. Notice the BULB or circular portion below the flower. This is called ovules (egg cells are here).
BELOW: Pictures 1-3 are watermelon male flowers and 4-6 are pumpkin male flowers. Notice there is NO bulb below any of these flower. These male flowers produce pollen that will pollinate or fertilize the eggs. (Sounds like a birds and bees discussion, but bare with me!)
IF the flower is pollinated and the ovary or ovules become an edible form containing one or more seeds, it is a FRUIT. It may be dry or have pulp (fleshy). If it consists of the ripened Ovary alone (Watermelons, Pumpkins, Berries, apples, tomatoes, squash, peppers, and even pea pods) it is called a TRUE FRUIT. Below, you can still see the top part of the flower still attached to the bulb and the bulb is the developing fruit.
However, we tend to believe that Fruits are sweet and everything else is a vegetable. The sweetness, or taste of the item does not determine the category into which it falls. Just remember, if it develops from the EGG portion of the flower, and has a seed or seeds, it is a FRUIT. Everything else from the plant is a vegetable. Oh- remember sunflower seeds—THEY are technically FRUIT.
The sunflower seeds that developed from the ovules can be found with the petals of the flower still surrounding them. Sunflowers have both sexes in one flower (like roses and many other flowering plants), but the seeds still originated from the pollinated ovules and thus fall into the fruit category.
ALL other eatable parts of the plant or growths resulting from other parts of the plants are called VEGETABLES. Lettuce and spinach are the leaves of a plant, a carrot is a root, celery is the stalks of a plant, and garlic is from the bulb. All of these are technically vegetables.
NOW you know the real difference between a fruit and a vegetable is in its origin.