Tomato Black Crimea Tomato BIO - Heirloom tomato plants

The Black Krim Tomato is a variety with dark skin and flesh. Its large fruits - 250 to 500 g - are recognizable thanks to their dark brown-red to almost black skin. Appreciated for its very sweet flavor, it has absolutely no acidity. This is why it is highly appreciated by parents who want to introduce their young children to the taste of tomatoes. It is enjoyed with other colorful tomatoes and basil in salads rich in colors. It needs warm and sunny summers for the fruits to develop the beautiful color that has made its reputation. With indeterminate growth, the Black Krim towers over the vegetable garden at 2 m (7ft) tall. Remember to stake it quickly. The plug plants are planted from May to June after the last frost when the plants have reached about fifteen cm. 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. The term "Tomate" comes from the Inca "Tomatl" and 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, just like beans, corn, squash, potatoes, and chili peppers. The Tomato took much longer to reach our taste buds. And for good reason: for a long time, it was cultivated for its aesthetic and medicinal qualities, but it was considered toxic because of its resemblance to the fruit of the Mandrake, another Solanaceae plant. It only became a regular part of our tables from the beginning of the 20th century.

The Tomato is a perennial herbaceous plant in tropical climates, but it is grown as an annual in our latitudes. It lignifies over time and produces small insignificant yellow flowers grouped 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, in ratatouilles, as a sauce... There are tomatoes of all colors, shapes, and sizes. Take advantage of this and grow several varieties in your vegetable garden to vary the pleasures!

Harvesting: Harvest periods vary depending on the maturity: early varieties are harvested from 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 when their texture, while remaining firm, shows a slight softening. For better conservation, it is advisable to pick the fruit with its stem. Be careful, 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. Salt, pepper, and sugar them, then bake at a very low temperature for at least an hour. Remove your tomatoes, store them in a glass jar, and cover with olive oil.

Gardening tip: In order 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 weeding.

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