Tomato Supersweet 100 GRAFTED ORGANIC plants

The Supersweet 100 Tomato is an American variety of Cherry type with a very abundant production. It produces a profusion of clusters of about twenty coral red individuals, spherical and 2 to 3 cm (1in) in diameter. Their lovely shape and very sweet flavor make them the ideal choice for parents who want to introduce their young children to taste. The plants reach 2 to 2.5 m (7 to 8ft) and require good staking to prevent them from bending under the weight of their own fruits. The plug plants are planted from April to June after the last frost when the plants have reached about fifteen cm. The Supersweet 100 Tomato is harvested from July to October.

NB: this variety is labeled F1 for "F1 hybrid" because it is a variety resulting from the cross-breeding of carefully selected parents to combine their qualities. This results in a variety that can be particularly flavorful and/or early while being resistant to certain diseases. Sometimes criticized or wrongly associated with GMOs, F1 hybrids are interesting both for their uniformity and their resistance, but unfortunately, their qualities do not pass on to the next generations: it will therefore not be possible to recover the seeds for future sowings.

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. The term "Tomate" comes from the Inca "Tomatl" and refers to both the plant and the fruit that comes from it. It is one of the many foods that came to us from the New World, like beans, corn, squash, potatoes, and chili peppers. The Tomato took notably longer to reach our taste buds. And for good reason: for a long time, it was cultivated for its aesthetic and medicinal qualities, but it was considered toxic because of its resemblance to the fruit of the Mandrake, another Solanaceae. It only became a regular guest at our tables from the beginning of the 20th century.

The Tomato 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 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, preferably with small varieties.

It is a fruit vegetable that has many nutritional advantages. 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 cuisine, Tomatoes can be consumed raw or cooked in many ways: in salads or as appetizers, grilled, stuffed, marinated, preserved, or in sauces... They come in all colors, shapes, and sizes. Take advantage of this and grow several varieties in your vegetable garden to vary the pleasures!

Harvest: Harvest periods vary depending on the earliness: 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. Harvesting is done when the Tomato takes on its final color and when its texture, while remaining firm, shows a slight softening. For better storage, be sure to pick the fruit with its peduncle. Note that 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 halved tomatoes face up on the rack of your oven. Season with salt, pepper, and sugar, then bake at a very low temperature for at least one hour. Remove your tomatoes, place them in a glass jar, and cover with olive oil.

The 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 limits weeding.