Tomato Big Rainbow - Ferme de Sainte Marthe seeds

The Big Rainbow Tomato is a variegated variety originating from Minnesota in the United States. With a highly ribbed neck, its fruits have beefsteak-type flesh offering a range of warm colours from the brightest red to orange and yellow. Its very sweet and fruity flavor makes it irresistible in mixed salads with other varieties. It is also perfect for making sauces, juices or even stuffed dishes.
This beautiful late tomato is suitable for all culinary variations, and that's a good thing because Big Rainbow produces large and numerous fruits ranging from 400 g to 1 kg. It grows very tall - over 2 m (7ft) - so make sure to stake the plants as soon as you transplant them into the ground. Sow it from March to April to harvest from June to September.

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 nightshade family. The term "tomato" comes from the Inca word Tomatl and refers to both the plant and the fruit it produces. There are fruits of all colors (red, of course, but also green, yellow, and even some very rare blue varieties), in all shapes and sizes. Ancient varieties are indeterminate plants and can live for two years. More recent varieties have a growth called determinate and stop growing at the bush stage, so there is no need to stake or trellis them.

The tomato is one of the many foods that came to us from the New World, along with beans, corn, squash, potatoes, and chili peppers. It took a long time for it to reach our taste buds. And for good reason! It was cultivated for a long time for its aesthetic and medicinal qualities. It was believed to be toxic because of its resemblance to the fruit of the Mandrake, another nightshade family plant. It only became a regular part of our diet at the beginning of the 20th century.

The tomato plant 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 inconspicuous yellow flowers grouped in clusters that will turn into fruits.

It must be admitted that its fruit is very beautiful and adds a pleasant color to the vegetable garden. It also has many nutritional benefits. Low in calories like most vegetables, rich in water, it contains a very 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, provitamin A, and trace elements.

Today, its taste and nutritional qualities are well established. For gardeners, tomatoes are among the essential summer vegetables. They just need to consider what they want to use them for to guide them among all the existing varieties. Is it for salads, sauces, consumption on the spot, or cooked? They will also consider when they want to harvest them. 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 every situation has its tomato! 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 pots on your balcony, where you can focus on varieties with small fruits. Be careful, immature fruits, stems, and leaves contain solanine and should not be consumed.

Harvesting: Depending on the varieties, from early to late, it can take 50 to 100 days between the transplanting date and the harvest. There is no foolproof trick to know for sure when a tomato has reached its full ripeness. It should be picked when, at a minimum, it is completely colored as announced and when its texture, while remaining firm, shows a slight softening. For better preservation, make sure to pick the fruit with its stem.

Storage: Tomatoes do not keep as long when their water content is high. They can be stored 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 confit, 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 your tomato halves face up on the baking tray of your oven. Season with salt, pepper, and sugar, then bake at a very low temperature for at least an hour. Remove your tomatoes and consume immediately, or store them in a glass jar and cover with olive oil.

The gardener's tip: It is recommended to grow several varieties of tomatoes each year to minimize the risk of complete crop loss due to climatic events or specific diseases.
To prevent the "blossom end rot" phenomenon - not a disease but a calcium deficiency - spray a comfrey maceration rich in calcium on your plants.
When transplanting, don't hesitate to bury the stem up to the first leaves. This will stimulate the root system, ensuring a bountiful fruit harvest.
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.