Tomato Ananas Grafted Pineapple plants

The Pineapple Tomato is an old, late selection that produces very large fleshy tomatoes (240 to 400 g), with yellow and red skin and flesh. It is an indeterminate variety, with fruits that have few seeds and dense, juicy, and very sweet flesh, making it ideal for salads. The Tomato is a plant that is grown as an annual, requiring warmth and a rich soil. Grafted young plants are planted from April to June, after the last frost, for a harvest from August to October.

The grafting technique consists of giving a desired variety (here 'Ananas') the root system of another specially selected variety, called the rootstock. This rootstock has excellent resistance to soil parasites and diseases, which provides the plant with extra vigor: it is then more resistant to difficult external conditions (such as cold climates) and will yield significantly more than a non-grafted plant. The fruiting of grafted plants starts earlier and lower on the main stem. Thanks to the use of the 'Protector' rootstock, our grafted tomato plants also produce fewer leaves, making ripening and harvesting easier.

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, which 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 much longer to reach our taste buds. For a long time, it was cultivated for its aesthetic and medicinal qualities but was considered toxic due to its resemblance to the fruit of the Mandrake, another member of the Solanaceae family. It only became a regular part of our meals in the early 20th century.

The Tomato is a perennial herbaceous plant in tropical climates, but it is grown as an annual in our latitudes. It becomes lignified over time and produces small, insignificant yellow flowers clustered in cymes that will transform into fruits. Tomatoes can be grown in open ground but can also be grown in containers on a balcony, with a preference for varieties with compact growth.

It is a fruit vegetable that has many nutritional benefits. Low in calories like most vegetables, rich in water, it 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 multiple ways: in salads or as appetizers, grilled, stuffed, marinated, preserved, or used in ratatouille or sauces. They come in all colors, shapes, and sizes. Take advantage of this and grow several varieties in your vegetable garden to enjoy a variety of flavors!

Harvesting: The harvesting periods vary depending on the earlyness: early varieties are harvested 55 to 70 days after planting, mid-season varieties from 70 to 85 days, and late varieties beyond 85 days. The tomatoes should be picked when they have reached their final color and their texture, while remaining firm, shows slight softening. For better storage, be sure to pick the fruit with its calyx. Note that 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 alters the taste qualities of the fruits. For longer storage, tomatoes can be preserved, dried, frozen, canned, or cooked into jam. To preserve them, cut your tomatoes in half and collect the juice. Place your half tomatoes face up 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 limit 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 limits weed growth.