Tomato Previa F1

The 'Previa' tomato is a vigorous and productive variety that produces beautiful bright red fruits weighing an average of 150g. They are arranged in panicles of 7 to 9 individuals. The flesh is of good quality and can be used in various culinary preparations, both raw and cooked. This variety is particularly suitable for canning. Sow the seeds from February to May for a harvest from June to October.

NB: This variety is labelled 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 flavourful and/or early, while being resistant to certain diseases. Sometimes criticised or wrongly associated with GMOs, F1 hybrid seeds are valued both for their homogeneity and their resistance. However, their qualities do not pass on to the next generations. Therefore, it is not possible to recover the seeds for future sowing.

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.