Tomato Brandywine - Ferme de Sainte Marthe seeds

The Brandywine Tomato is the typical variety of "Beefsteak". It produces large fruits, weighing from 150 to 200 g, often slightly ribbed and sometimes misshapen. However, its flavor ranks among the best tomatoes. Its dense and juicy flesh offers a highly aromatic taste with a slightly vinous aftertaste that appeals to enthusiasts. Its texture makes it suitable for juices and purees, cold soups like gazpacho with a hint of garlic, or grilled with herbs. Brandywine has a very smooth, slightly cut foliage resembling potato leaves. It is quite productive but does not tolerate humidity well. This indeterminate variety needs to be staked early as it can grow rapidly to a height of 1.20 to 2 m (4 to 7ft). Start sowing in March or April to harvest from July to 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 variety of tomatoes available is still astonishing. The term "tomato" comes from the Inca word Tomatl, which refers to both the plant and the fruit it produces. There are tomatoes of all colours (red, of course, but also green, yellow, and even some very rare blue varieties), in all shapes and sizes. Ancient varieties are indeterminate plants and can live for two years. More recent varieties have determinate growth and stop growing once they reach a bush-like shape, so they do not require staking or trellising.

The tomato, like many other foods, was brought to us from the New World, along with beans, corn, squash, potatoes, and chili peppers. It took much longer for tomatoes to become popular in our cuisine. For a long time, they were cultivated for their aesthetic and medicinal qualities. They were mistakenly believed to be toxic because of their resemblance to the fruit of the Mandrake, another member of the Solanaceae family. Tomatoes only became a regular part of our diet in the early 20th century.

The tomato plant is a perennial herbaceous plant in tropical climates, but it is cultivated as an annual in our latitudes. It becomes lignified over time and produces small, insignificant yellow flowers grouped in cymes, which will turn into fruits.

It must be admitted that the tomato fruit is very attractive 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 very interesting molecule: lycopene, a powerful antioxidant. And the longer the tomato is cooked, the more lycopene becomes available. It is also rich in vitamin C, provitamin A, and trace elements.

Today, its culinary and nutritional qualities are well established. For gardeners, tomatoes are an essential vegetable of the summer. They only need to consider how they want to use them to guide their choice among the many existing varieties. Will they be used for salads, sauces, consumed fresh, or cooked. They will also need to decide when to harvest them. The answer will, of course, depend on the average summer sunshine in the region where their garden is located. Rest assured, there are tomatoes for every situation! And while tomatoes do require a lot of sun and heat, they do not necessarily need a lot of space. Therefore, there is no reason not to grow them in containers on a balcony, where smaller fruit varieties are preferred. Be careful, though, 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 from transplanting to harvest. There is no foolproof way to determine when a tomato is fully ripe. It should be picked when it has fully developed the colour it was announced to have and when its texture, while remaining firm, shows a slight softening. For better storage, be sure to pick the fruit with its stem.

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. Tomato confit is particularly simple and delicious: cut your tomatoes in half and collect the juice. Place the tomato halves face up on a baking sheet. Season with salt, pepper, and sugar, then bake at a very low temperature for at least an hour. Remove the tomatoes and consume immediately or store them in a glass jar, covered with olive oil.

Gardener's tip: it is recommended to grow several varieties of tomatoes each year to minimize the risk of complete crop loss due to climatic conditions or specific diseases. To prevent the occurrence of "blossom-end rot" - not a disease but a calcium deficiency - spray a comfrey maceration rich in calcium 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 often translate to successful culinary combinations. It's a good mnemonic to remember that tomatoes and basil go well together.