Tomato Big White Pink Stripes - Ferme de Sainte Marthe seeds

The Big White Pink Stripes Tomato originates from California (USA) and resembles an unripe mango. Ribbed at the shoulders, it reveals pink marbling on its creamy white to apricot skin. Over time, the pale pink ribbing becomes more visible and serves as a ripening indicator. The fruits are large - 300 to 800 g - and have a flavor similar to melon with a slight bitterness in the background. Very unique in appearance and taste, Big White Pink with its beefsteak-like flesh is well-suited for use in juice, sauce, or stuffed dishes. In salads, it pairs well with slightly more acidic varieties.
This indeterminate variety requires staking or trellising soon after transplanting in order to reach a height of 1.5 to 2 m (5 to 7ft). It is a late-season variety, sown from March to April for consumption from July 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. The abundance of tomato varieties is still surprising. The term "tomato" comes from the Inca word "Tomatl" and refers to both the plant and the fruit it produces. There are tomatoes in 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 determinate growth and stop growing at the bush stage, so they do not need to be staked or trellised.

The tomato is one of 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. 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 nightshade plant. It only became a regular part of our diets in the early 20th century.

The tomato plant is a perennial herb in tropical climates, but it is grown as an annual in our latitudes. It lignifies over time and produces small, insignificant yellow flowers that cluster together and transform into fruits.

It must be admitted that the tomato fruit is very beautiful and adds a pleasant color to the 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 known. For gardeners, the tomato is an essential summer vegetable. They simply need to consider how they want to use it to guide them among all the existing varieties. Will it be used in salads, sauces, eaten fresh, cooked, etc.? They should also consider when they want to harvest it. The answer will depend, of course, on the average summer sunshine in the region where their garden is located. Rest assured, there is a tomato for every situation! And while tomatoes do need a lot of sun and heat, they do not necessarily require a lot of space. Therefore, there is no reason not to grow them in pots on a balcony, where smaller fruit varieties can be prioritized. Be careful, though, as immature fruits, stems, and leaves contain solanine and should not be consumed.

Harvesting: Depending on the variety, it can take 50 to 100 days between transplanting and harvest. There is no foolproof way to determine when a tomato is fully ripe. Harvesting should be done when, at the very least, it has fully developed the color it was announced to have and when its texture, while still firm, shows a slight softening. For better storage, be sure to pick the fruit with its stem.

Storage: Tomatoes do not last as long when they have a high water content. They can be kept 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 fruit, 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 the tomato halves 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 the tomatoes and consume immediately, or store them in a glass jar and cover with olive oil.

Gardener's tip: It is recommended to grow multiple varieties of tomatoes each year to minimize the risk of a complete loss of harvest due to unpredictable weather or specific diseases.
To prevent the phenomenon of "blossom end rot" - not a disease but a calcium deficiency - spray a calcium-rich comfrey maceration on your plants.
When transplanting, do not hesitate to bury the stem up to the first leaves. This will stimulate the root system and ensure a bountiful fruit harvest.
Winning combinations in the garden are often winning combinations on the plate. It's a good mnemonic to remember that tomatoes and basil go well together.