Tomato Cherry Tomato Gusta Mini Red Plant

The Gusta Mini Red F1 Tomato is an organic variety of Cherry type tomato that is interesting for its earliness, productivity, and the deliciously sweet flavor of its small tomatoes. It is also a robust variety that is naturally resistant to diseases and easy to grow without treatments. On the plant, each cluster contains 30 to 50 small round and red tomatoes that will brighten up aperitifs with friends or picnics. Consider this variety if you want to introduce the taste of tomatoes to your children. They love the tiny fruits with vibrant colors that can be eaten straight from the garden. Young plants should be planted from April to June after the last frost, when they have reached about 15 cm (6in). The Gusta Mini Red Tomato can be harvested from July to October.

NB: This variety is designated as F1 for "F1 hybrid" because it is a variety resulting from the cross-breeding of carefully selected parents to combine their qualities. This results in a variety that can be particularly flavorful and/or early while also being resistant to certain diseases. Sometimes criticized or incorrectly associated with GMOs, F1 hybrid plants are interesting for their uniformity and resistance, but unfortunately their qualities do not pass on to the next generations: therefore, it will not be possible to collect the seeds for future sowing.

Tomatoes originate from 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. Tomatoes took much longer to become part of our diets. For a long time, they were grown for their aesthetic and medicinal qualities, but they were considered toxic due to their resemblance to the fruit of the Mandrake, another member of the Solanaceae family. It only became a regular feature on our tables from the beginning of the 20th century.

Tomatoes are herbaceous perennial plants in tropical climates, but they are grown as annuals in our latitudes. They lignify over time and produce small, insignificant yellow flowers that cluster together and transform into fruits. Tomatoes can be grown in open ground, but they can also be grown in containers on a balcony, with a preference for varieties that stay small.

Tomatoes are a fruit with many nutritional benefits. Low in calories like most vegetables, they are rich in water and contain a molecule of great interest: lycopene, a powerful antioxidant. They are also rich in vitamin C, provitamin A, and trace elements.

In terms of cooking, tomatoes can be eaten raw or cooked in many different ways: in salads or as appetizers, grilled, stuffed, marinated, preserved, or in sauces... They come in all colors, shapes, and sizes. Take advantage of this and grow several varieties in your garden to enjoy a variety of flavors!

Harvesting: The harvesting period varies depending on the earliness: 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. Tomatoes should be picked when they have reached their final color and when their texture, while remaining firm, shows a slight softening. For better preservation, make sure to pick the fruit with its peduncle. 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). They can be stored in the refrigerator, but this alters the taste qualities of the fruits. For longer preservation, 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 half tomatoes face up on a baking sheet. Add salt, pepper, and sugar, then bake at a very low temperature for at least one hour. Remove your tomatoes, store them in a glass jar, and cover with olive oil.

Gardening tip: To limit watering, we recommend mulching the soil with thin successive layers of grass clippings, if possible mixed with dead leaves. This protective layer helps the soil retain moisture and also reduces the need for weeding.