Tomato Cherokee Purple

The 'Cherokee Purple' Tomato is an old variety with a blackish-purple skin, very productive and with very large fruits (averaging 300 grams but can reach up to a kilogram). It was cultivated in North America, in Tennessee, in the late 19th century and is said to have been passed down to us by the Native Americans. Renowned for being one of the most delicious, this exceptional tomato reveals a pink-purple, juicy, and highly flavorful flesh. The 'Cherokee Purple' Tomato is particularly well-suited to hot and dry climates. Plug plants are planted from April to June after the last frost, and harvested from July to October.

The Tomato originates from 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" and refers to both the plant and the fruit it bears. It is one of the many foods that came to us from the New World, along with beans, corn, squash, potatoes, and chili peppers. It was cultivated for its aesthetic and medicinal qualities, but was considered toxic because of its resemblance to the fruit of the Mandrake, another member of the Solanaceae family. It only became a regular part of our diets in the early 20th century.

The Tomato is a herbaceous perennial plant in tropical climates, but is cultivated as an annual in our latitudes. It lignifies over time and produces small, insignificant yellow flowers grouped in clusters that will turn into fruits. Tomatoes can be grown in open ground but can also be grown in containers on a balcony, with a preference for compact varieties. It is a fruit vegetable that offers numerous nutritional benefits. Low in calories like most vegetables, rich in water, it contains a particularly 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 consumed raw or cooked in a variety of ways: in salads or as appetizers, grilled, stuffed, marinated, preserved, in ratatouille, as a sauce... They come in all colors, shapes, and sizes. Take advantage of this and cultivate several varieties in your vegetable garden to vary your enjoyment!

Harvesting: Harvest times vary depending on the earliness of the variety: 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. Tomatoes should be picked when they have reached their final color and when their texture, while remaining firm, shows a slight softening. For better preservation, it is advisable to pick the fruit with its calyx. 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 cut side up on the baking sheet of your oven. Season with salt, pepper, and sugar, then bake at a very low temperature for at least an 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 reduces weed growth.