Tomato Gigantomo F1

The Gigantomo Tomato is simply the largest of tomatoes! A Beefsteak type, it offers enormous, spectacular fruits, averaging 1.3 kilograms. They are very tasty. This vigorous, productive, and disease-resistant variety is sown from February to April for a 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. We are always amazed by the variety of this solanaceous plant. The term "tomate" comes from the Incas' "Tomatl" and refers to both the plant and the fruit it produces. There are fruits of all colors, except perhaps blue, of all shapes and sizes. Ancient varieties are plants with indeterminate growth and can live for two years. More recent varieties have what is called determinate growth and stop growing at the bush stage, so there is no need to stake or trellis them.

The tomato is one of many foods that came to us from the New World, along with beans, corn, squash, potatoes, and chili peppers. It took significantly longer for it 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 diets at the beginning of the 20th century.

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

It must be admitted that its fruit is very attractive and adds a pleasant color to the vegetable garden. It also has many nutritional advantages. Low in calories like most vegetables, rich in water, it contains a particularly interesting molecule: lycopene, a powerful antioxidant. And the longer the tomato is cooked, the more lycopene becomes available. It is also rich in vitamin C, pro-vitamin A, and trace elements.

Today, its taste and nutritional qualities are beyond doubt. For gardeners, the tomato is one of the essential vegetables of summer. They simply need to consider how they want to use it to guide them among all the existing varieties. Is it for salads, sauces, consuming directly on-site, cooked, etc.? They will also consider when they want to harvest it. 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! And while tomatoes do need a lot of sunlight and heat, they don't necessarily require a lot of space. That's why you shouldn't hesitate to grow them in containers on your balcony, where you can prioritize varieties with small fruits. Be careful, though, as immature fruits, stems, and leaves contain solanine and should not be consumed.

Harvest: Depending on the variety, it can take 50 to 100 days between transplanting and harvest. There is no foolproof trick to determine in advance when a tomato has reached its full ripeness. Harvesting should be done when, at a minimum, it is completely colored as it was announced, and when its texture, while remaining firm, shows slight softening. For better preservation, be sure to pick the fruit with its peduncle.

Storage: Tomatoes do not keep as long when they have a high water content. They can be kept well for a few days in the vegetable compartment of your refrigerator or spread out in the open air. To keep them longer, consider culinary methods such as tomato confits, 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 tomato halves face up on your oven's baking tray. Season with salt, pepper, and sugar, then bake at a very low temperature for at least an hour. Remove the tomatoes and consume immediately, or store them in a glass jar and cover with olive oil.

Gardener's tip: It is advisable to cultivate several varieties of tomatoes each year to minimize the risk of a complete loss of harvest due to climatic conditions or specific diseases. To counter 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, do not hesitate to bury the stem up to the first leaves. This will stimulate the root system, ensuring a bountiful fruit harvest. The winning combinations in the garden are often the same on the plate. It's a good mnemonic to remember that tomatoes and basil go well together.