Tomato Green Zebra Tomato

The 'Green Zebra' tomato is unique in its kind. It is the only variety to ripen with an aniseed-green epidermis veined with orange-yellow and emerald green flesh. Its flavour is sweet, tangy, and very melt-in-the-mouth. It is ideal for salads and for jams, or any sweet-savoury combination. Created in 1985, this variety is commonly considered ancient. With indeterminate growth, each plant boasts an abundant yield, and sometimes reaches 2m (7ft). It is advisable to train the plants from the moment of transplanting in open ground. Sow your seeds in a warm place from February to April, transplant from mid-May, and harvest from July to October.

Tomatoes are 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, and they come in all shapes and sizes. Old varieties are indeterminate plants and can live for two years. More recent varieties have a determinate growth and stop growing at the bush stage, so there is no need to stake or trellis them.

Tomatoes are one of the many foods that came to us from the New World, along with beans, corn, squash, potatoes, and chili peppers. It took longer to reach our taste buds. For a long time, it was cultivated for its aesthetic and medicinal qualities. It was thought to be toxic because of its resemblance to the fruit of the mandrake, another solanaceous plant. It only became a regular part of our diet at the beginning of the 20th century.

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

It must be admitted that its fruit is very attractive and adds a pleasant touch of colour to vegetable gardens. It also has many nutritional benefits. It is low in calories, rich in water, and contains a very interesting molecule called lycopene, which is a powerful antioxidant. 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 taste and nutritional qualities are well-established. For gardeners, the tomato is an essential summer fruit. Gardeners just need to consider how they want to use it, to guide them among the many existing varieties. Is it for salads, sauces, immediate consumption, cooked, etc.? Gardeners also need to consider when they want to harvest the tomatoes. 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! While tomatoes do need a lot of sun and heat, they don't necessarily require a lot of space. Therefore, they can be grown in containers on balconies, choosing varieties with small fruits. Be careful, though, as immature fruits, stems, and leaves contain solanine and should not be consumed.

Harvesting: depending on the varieties, it can take 50 to 100 days between transplanting and harvesting. There is no foolproof trick to determine in advance when a tomato has reached its full ripeness. Harvesting should be done when, at the very least, the fruit is completely coloured and when its texture, while remaining firm, shows a slight softening. For better storage, pick the fruit with its calyx.

Storage: tomatoes do not keep very long as their water content is high. They can be kept well for a few days in the vegetable drawer 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 delicious: cut your tomatoes in half and collect the juice. Place the tomatoes facing up on a baking tray. Season with salt, pepper, and sugar, then bake at a very low temperature for at least one hour. Remove the tomatoes and consume immediately, or store them in a glass jar and cover with olive oil.

Gardener's tips: it is wise to grow several varieties of tomatoes each year to minimise the risk of complete crop loss due to a climatic event or a specific pathology. To prevent the phenomenon of 'blossom end rot' - not a disease but a calcium deficiency - spray a comfrey maceration rich in calcium on your plants. When transplanting, bury the stem up to the first leaves. This will stimulate the root system, ensuring a bountiful fruit harvest. Winning combinations in the garden are often the same on the plate. It's a good mnemonic to remember that tomato and basil go well together.