Tomato Apéro F1 TGRAFTED ORGANIC - Cherry Tomato

The Tomato Tomande F1 combines the qualities of heirloom tomatoes, in terms of flavor and disease resistance, with the productivity of modern varieties. It is a mid-season Marmande type variety that produces numerous large red fruits measuring 6.7 to 8.5 cm (3in) in diameter and weighing 150 to 180 g each. The tomatoes are very flattened, irregularly ribbed, strongly depressed at the stem attachment. Their flesh is firm, yet juicy and flavorful. They are perfect for stuffing, juicing, and sauces, as well as for preparing summer salads where they reveal their full flavor. It is an indeterminate variety, reaching a height of 1 m (3ft) to 1.20 m (4ft). It is resistant to fusarium wilt, verticillium wilt, and mosaic virus, and moderately resistant to powdery mildew and blight. Mini-plug plants are planted from April to June after the last frost, and harvested from July to October.

Tomato is native to South America and Central America. Several varieties were already cultivated by the Incas long before the arrival of the Conquistadors. The term "Tomate" comes from the Inca "Tomatl" and refers to both the plant and the fruit it produces. It is one of the many foods that came to us from the New World, along with beans, corn, squash, potatoes, and chili peppers. The Tomato took longer to reach our taste buds. For a long time, it was cultivated for its aesthetic and medicinal qualities, but it was considered toxic because of its resemblance to the fruit of the Mandrake, another Solanaceae plant. It only became a regular part of our diet from the beginning of the 20th century.

Tomato is a perennial herbaceous plant in tropical climates, but it is grown as an annual in our latitudes. It becomes woody over time and produces small, insignificant yellow flowers clustered in cymes that will turn into fruits. Tomatoes can be grown in open ground, but can also be grown in containers on a balcony, with a preference for compact varieties.

It is a fruit vegetable that has many nutritional benefits. Low in calories like most vegetables, rich in water, it contains a particularly interesting molecule: lycopene, a powerful antioxidant. It is also rich in vitamin C, provitamin A, and trace elements.

In terms of cooking, Tomatoes can be consumed raw or cooked in various ways: in salads or as appetizers, grilled, stuffed, marinated, preserved, in ratatouille, or as a sauce. There are tomatoes of all colors, shapes, and sizes. Take advantage of this and grow several varieties in your vegetable garden to vary your enjoyment!

Harvesting: Harvest times vary depending on the maturity: early varieties are harvested from 55 to 70 days after planting, mid-season varieties from 70 to 85 days, and late varieties beyond 85 days. Harvesting should be done when the Tomato has reached its final color and when its texture, while remaining firm, shows a slight softening. For better storage, it is advisable to harvest the fruit with its stem. Be careful, immature fruits, stems, and leaves contain solanine and should not be consumed.

Storage: The optimal storage temperature for tomatoes is between 10 and 15°C (50 and 59°F). Refrigeration is possible but alters the taste qualities of the fruits. For longer storage, tomatoes can be preserved, dried, frozen, canned, or cooked into jam. To preserve them, cut your tomatoes in half and collect the juice. Place your halved tomatoes face up on the baking sheet of your oven. Season with salt, pepper, and sugar, then bake at a very low temperature for at least an hour. Remove your tomatoes, store them in a glass jar, and cover with olive oil.

Gardening tip: To reduce watering, we recommend mulching the soil with thin successive layers of grass clippings, if possible mixed with dead leaves. This protection, which keeps the soil moist, also limits weed growth.