Red Profusion F1 Cherry Tomato

The 'Red Profusion' F1 Tomato is a cherry variety suitable for container or hanging basket cultivation. This small hybrid tomato, with determinate growth, reaches 70 cm in all directions and forms a compact dome with neat, trailing branches filled with round fruits, about 2.5 cm in diameter, in a vibrant red colour. It is an early, productive, and disease-resistant variety. These tomatoes are tasty and can be used in salads or as appetisers. The tomato is a plant grown annually, requiring warmth and rich soil. It is sown from February to April in a warm place and harvested from June-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. "Tomate" comes from the Inca word "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, along with beans, corn, squash, potatoes, and chilli peppers. The Tomato took longer to reach our taste buds. It was cultivated for its aesthetic and medicinal qualities for a long time. Still, it 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 tables in the early 20th century.

Tomatoes are herbaceous perennial plants in tropical climates, but they are grown annually in our latitudes. They become lignified over time and produce small, insignificant yellow flowers grouped in clusters that will turn into fruits. Tomatoes can be grown in open ground or in containers on a balcony, with a preference for compact varieties.

It is a fruit vegetable that has many nutritional benefits. Low in calories like most vegetables and rich in water, it contains a fascinating molecule: lycopene, a powerful antioxidant. It is also rich in vitamin C, provitamin A, and trace elements.

Regarding cooking, tomatoes can be consumed raw or cooked in various ways: in salads or as appetisers, grilled, stuffed, marinated, preserved, or made into sauces. They come in all colours, shapes, and sizes. Take advantage of this and grow several varieties in your vegetable garden to vary your enjoyment!

Harvesting: Harvest times vary depending on the earliness: early varieties are harvested 55 to 70 days after planting, mid-season varieties 70 to 85 days, and late varieties beyond 85 days. Harvest when the tomato has reached its final colour and texture while remaining firm and slightly softened. For better preservation, make sure to harvest 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. 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 an hour. Remove your tomatoes, store them in a glass jar, and cover with olive oil.

Gardener's tip: To reduce watering, we recommend mulching the soil with thin successive layers of grass clippings, if possible, mixed with dead leaves. This protection keeps the soil moist and limits weed growth.

Note: This variety is labelled F1 for "F1 hybrid" because it results from the cross-breeding of carefully selected parents to combine their qualities. This results in a variety that can be exceptionally delicious and early while resistant to certain diseases. Sometimes criticised or wrongly associated with GMOs, F1 hybrid seeds are attractive for their uniformity and resistance, but unfortunately, their qualities do not pass on to subsequent generations, so it will not be possible to save the seeds for future sowing.