Tomato Ailsa Craig

The Ailsa Craig tomato is an heirloom tomato, originating from Scotland in the early 20th century. This variety produces clusters of 5 to 7 small fruits, round and bright red, weighing 60 to 100g (4 to 6 cm (2in) in diameter).

It owes its name to a small island off the West coast of Northern Scotland, where it was adapted. Needless to say, this variety is perfectly suited to the climatic conditions of regions with short and cool summers. Its flavour and ease of cultivation will delight tomato-loving gardeners. This indeterminate variety reaches 2m (7ft) in height and offers a promising yield. It requires staking from the moment of planting in the ground.

Sow your seeds from March to April, then harvest from July to October.

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. We are still amazed by the wide variety of this solanaceous plant. The term 'tomato' comes from the Incas' Tomatl and refers to both the plant and the fruit it produces. There are fruits of all colours, except perhaps blue, in all shapes and sizes. Ancient varieties are indeterminate plants and can live for two years. More recent varieties are determinate, meaning they stop growing at the bush stage, so there is no need to stake or trellis them.

The tomato is one of the many foods that came to us from the New World, along with beans, corn, squash, potatoes, and chili peppers. It took much longer for the tomato to reach our taste buds. For a long time it was cultivated for its aesthetic and medicinal qualities. It was believed to be toxic due to its resemblance to the fruit of the Mandrake, another nightshade plant. It only became a regular part of our diet in the early 20th century.

The tomato plant is a perennial in tropical climates but is cultivated as an annual in European latitudes. It lignifies over time and produces small, insignificant yellow flowers clustered in cymes that will transform into fruits.

It must be admitted that its fruit is very beautiful and adds a pleasant colour to the vegetable garden. It also has many nutritional benefits. Low in calories like most vegetables, rich in water, it contains a molecule of great interest: lycopene, a powerful antioxidant. And the longer the tomato is cooked, the more lycopene becomes available. It is also rich in vitamin C, pro-vitamin A, and trace elements.

Today, its taste and nutritional qualities are well established. For gardeners, tomatoes are an essential summer vegetable. They simply need to consider how they want to use them when choosing from the many existing varieties. Are they for salads, sauces, consumption directly from the garden, or cooked? They should also consider when they want to harvest them. The answer will, of course, depend on the average summer sunshine in the region where their garden is located. Rest assured, the choice is vast, and there is a tomato for every situation! And although tomatoes need plenty of sun and heat, they do not necessarily require a lot of space. That's why you should not hesitate to grow them in containers on your balcony, where you can prefer varieties with small fruits. Be careful as immature fruits, stems, and leaves contain solanine and should not be consumed.

Harvesting: depending on the variety, it can take 50 to 100 days between transplanting and harvesting. There is no foolproof way to determine when a tomato has fully ripened. Harvesting should be done when, at a minimum, it has completely taken on its ripe colour and when its texture, while remaining firm, shows slight softening. For better storage, be sure to pick the fruit with its peduncle.

Storage: tomatoes do not keep as long when they have a high water content. They can be kept for a few days in the vegetable compartment of your refrigerator or spread out in the open air. To keep them longer, consider culinary methods such as tomato confit, sun-dried tomatoes, sauces, frozen fruits, preserves, jams, or juices. We love to confit them because it's simple and so flavoursome: cut your tomatoes in half and collect the juice. Place your tomato halves face up on the baking tray of your oven. Season with salt, pepper, and sugar, then bake at a very low temperature for at least an hour. Remove your tomatoes and consume immediately, or store them in a glass jar covered in olive oil.

Gardener's tip: it is recommended to cultivate several varieties of tomatoes each year to minimise the risk of a complete loss of harvest due to a climatic event or specific disease. To prevent the phenomenon of 'blossom-end rot' - not a disease but a calcium deficiency - spray a calcium-rich comfrey maceration on your plants. When transplanting, do not hesitate to bury the stem up to the first leaves. This will stimulate the root system, ensuring a bountiful fruit harvest. Successful garden associations are often the same in the kitchen - which is a good mnemonic to remember that tomatoes and basil go well together.