Tomato Potted Red Pear

The Red Pear Tomato is an old variety of cherry tomato that was first discovered in Italy in the early 19th century. The plants form very compact bushes that bear long clusters of about ten scarlet-red fruits weighing 10 to 15g each. Shaped like a pear, they measure no more than 5cm (2in) in length and 2 to 3cm (1in) in diameter. Their firm, sweet flesh with just the right amount of acidity is ideal for appetisers, picnics, or preserves. Red Pear Tomatoes are very popular with children as part of a taste-learning experience. With their unusual shape, they make the garden a little magical. Plan to train them as they grow to make the plant a decorative element in its own right in the vegetable garden. It is an indeterminate variety that can reach 1.20 to 2m (4 to 7ft) in height. Very rewarding and high-yielding, plug plants should be planted from April to June after the last frost when the plants have reached about 15cm. Tomatoes can be harvested from late June until September.

The 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 "Tomato" comes from the Inca word "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 significantly longer to reach our taste buds. And for good reason: 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 member of the Solanaceae family. It only became a regular part of our tables from the early 20th century onwards.

The Tomato is a perennial herbaceous plant in tropical climates, but it is grown as an annual in European latitudes. It becomes woody over time and produces small, inconspicuous yellow flowers that are grouped in cymes and 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 small varieties.

It is a fruit vegetable that has many nutritional benefits. Low in calories like most vegetables, it is rich in water and also contains a very 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 eaten raw or cooked in many ways: in salads or as appetisers, grilled, stuffed, marinated, preserved, in ratatouilles, as a sauce... There are tomatoes of all colours, shapes, and sizes. Take advantage of this and grow several varieties in the vegetable garden to vary the pleasures!

Harvesting: The harvesting periods vary 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. Harvesting should be done when the Tomato has reached its final colour and when its texture, while remaining firm, shows a slight softening. For better storage, be sure to pick the fruit with its calyx. 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 it alters the taste qualities of the fruits. For longer storage, Tomatoes can be preserved, dried, frozen, canned, or made into jam. To preserve them, cut your tomatoes in half and collect the juice. Place your half tomatoes facing upwards on the baking sheet of your oven. Season with salt, pepper, and sugar, then bake at a very low temperature for at least one hour. Remove your tomatoes, place them in a glass jar, and cover with olive oil.

Gardener's 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 reduces weed growth.