Tomato Cencara F1 Plants

The Cencara F1 Tomato is a Roma type hybrid, with fruits that are ovoid in shape. However, it outperforms the Roma tomato in terms of its hardiness, the taste quality of its tomatoes, and their excellent post-harvest storage ability. This plant, which should be staked, produces clusters of 6 to 8 elongated fruits, each weighing 100 to 120 grams, with an intense red color, particularly firm texture, juicy flesh, and a slightly acidic taste. The Cencara tomato is very versatile and can be used in salads, cold soups, cooked in stews, in sauces and purees, or even for preserving. It is a disease-resistant, vigorous, productive, and easy-to-grow variety. Plant your Cencara tomatoes in a greenhouse or in your vegetable garden, from April to June, for a harvest from July to late September.

NB: this variety is labeled F1 to indicate it is an F1 hybrid, which means it is a variety resulting from the cross-breeding of carefully selected parents to combine their desirable traits. This results in a variety that can be particularly flavorful and/or early ripening while also being resistant to certain diseases. Sometimes criticized or mistakenly associated with GMOs, F1 hybrid plants are valuable for their uniformity and resistance, but unfortunately, their traits do not pass on to subsequent generations, so it will not be possible to save seeds for future sowing.

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 word "Tomatl" and refers both to the plant and the fruit it bears. It is one of the many foods that came to us from the New World, along with beans, corn, squash, potatoes, and chili peppers. The tomato took significantly longer to become a part of our diets. This is because it was long cultivated for its aesthetic and medicinal qualities but was considered toxic due to its resemblance to the fruit of the Mandrake, another member of the Solanaceae family. It only became a regular guest on our tables from the early 20th century onwards.

The tomato is a herbaceous perennial plant in tropical climates but is grown as an annual in our latitudes. It becomes woody over time and produces small, insignificant yellow flowers that cluster together and eventually transform into fruits. Tomatoes can be grown in open ground but can also be planted in containers on balconies, with a preference for varieties with compact growth.

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

In terms of cooking, tomatoes can be consumed raw or cooked in various ways: in salads or as appetizers, grilled, stuffed, marinated, preserved, in ratatouille, or in sauces. They come in all colors, shapes, and sizes. Take advantage of this and cultivate several varieties in your vegetable garden to enjoy a variety of flavors!

Harvesting: The harvesting periods vary depending on the ripening time: 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. Harvest the tomatoes when they have reached their final color and their texture, while remaining firm, shows a slight softening. For better storage, make sure to pick the fruit with its stem. Be careful, as 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 half tomatoes face up on a baking sheet. 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: In order to reduce the need for watering, we recommend mulching the soil with thin successive layers of grass clippings, preferably mixed with dead leaves. This protective layer helps to keep the soil moist and also reduces the need for weeding.