Tomato Bloody Butcher - Ferme de Sainte Marthe seeds

The Bloody Butcher Tomato is an early variety with potato leaf foliage that produces small round cherry-type fruits, dark red in colour. Their flesh is dense, juicy, and sweet in taste, making them ideal for appetizers. Sow in March - April for a 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 still amazed by the wide variety of this solanaceous plant. The term 'tomato' comes from the Incas' Tomatl, which refers to both the plant and the fruit it produces. There are fruits of all colours, except perhaps blue, in all shapes and sizes. Ancient varieties are indeterminate plants and can live for two years. More recent varieties have determinate growth and stop growing at the bush stage, so they do not need to be staked or trellised.

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 much 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 tables in the early 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 clustered in inflorescences that will turn into fruits.

It must be admitted that its fruit is very attractive and adds a pleasant colour 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. 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 only need to consider how they want to use them to guide them among the many existing varieties. Is it for salads, sauces, direct consumption, cooked, etc. 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 there is a tomato for every situation! And while tomatoes do require a lot of sunlight and warmth, they do not necessarily need a lot of space. Therefore, there is no reason not to grow them in pots on a balcony, where varieties with small fruits are preferred. Beware, immature fruits, stems, and leaves contain solanine and should not be consumed.

Harvesting: Depending on the variety, from early to late, it can take 50 to 100 days between transplantation and harvest. There is no foolproof trick to determine in advance if a tomato has reached full ripeness. The fruit should be picked when, at the very least, it is completely coloured as announced and when its texture, while remaining firm, shows a 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 confit, sun-dried tomatoes, sauces, frozen fruits, preserves, jams, or juices. We love to confit them because it is simple and so tasty: cut your tomatoes in half and collect the juice. Place your half tomatoes face up on the grill pan 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.

Gardener's tip: It is advisable to grow several varieties of tomatoes each year to minimize the risk of a complete loss of harvest due to a climatic event or a specific pathology. 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. Winning combinations in the garden are often the same on the plate. It's a good mnemonic device to remember that tomatoes and basil go well together.