Why are tomatoes, cucumbers, and squash botanically classified as fruits?

They develop from the flower's mature, ripened ovary and contain seeds.

Botanical classification hinges on developmental origin rather than flavor profile. A fruit, in strict botanical terms, is defined as the mature, ripened ovary of a flowering plant, and its defining characteristic is that it contains the seeds intended for propagation. This definition naturally includes items frequently treated as vegetables in the kitchen, such as tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, and squash, all of which originate from the ovary after successful pollination. The culinary distinction is based on flavor: items tending towards savory uses (like eggplant and tomato) are called vegetables, while those generally sweeter and eaten as desserts or snacks (like apples and berries) are called fruits. This difference highlights the disconnect between agricultural/culinary usage and precise biological morphology.