Tomatoes can burst or crack when the plants go through a dry spell and then receive excessive moisture. The water causes the fruit to expand faster than the outer skin can grow so it splits. These cracks often radiate or encircle the stem.

It's pretty easy to prevent your tomatoes from cracking. Just give them consistent moisture, especially when the fruits are forming. A layer of mulch will help keep the soil evenly moist.

You can also try varieties that are breed to be less prone to cracking. A few crack resistant tomatoes include Cherry's Delight, Creole FA, Mountain Pride VFF, Marglobe, Peron and Red Calabash.

Cracked tomatoes are edible. They don't keep very long and should be eaten quickly, but that's not much of a problem for a homegrown tomato, is it?