Tomato Jaune Saint Vincent organic seeds

The Jaune Saint Vincent Tomato is a mid-season variety producing large, slightly flattened, ribbed fruits of a beautiful sunny yellow colour to slightly orange at full ripeness. They have pleasant, juicy, sweet, slightly acidic, and highly fragrant flesh, of excellent taste quality. Incorporate it into a multicoloured salad to introduce a sunny note, or simply bite into it like an apple. The fruits generally weigh between 150 and 250 grams. To grow it, sow your seeds from March to April for a harvest from July to September.

Seeds from Organic Agriculture.

The tomato is native to South America and Central America. Several varieties were cultivated by the Incas long before the arrival of the Conquistadors. One is always amazed by the diverse abundance of this nightshade family plant. The term "tomato" comes from the Inca Tomatl and refers to both the plant and the fruit. There are fruits of all colours (reds, of course, but also greens, yellows, and even some very rare blue varieties), of all shapes and sizes. Ancient varieties are plants with indeterminate growth and can live for two years. More recent varieties have a so-called determinate growth 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, like beans, corn, squash, potatoes, and chillies. It took notably longer 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 Mandrake fruit, another nightshade plant. It only became a regular on our tables from the early 20th century onwards.

The tomato plant is a perennial herbaceous plant in tropical climates cultivated as an annual in our latitudes. It turns woody over time and produces small insignificant yellow flowers clustered in cymes that will turn into fruits.

Its fruit is very pretty and pleasantly colours the vegetable garden. It also has many nutritional benefits. Low in calories like most vegetables and rich in water, it contains a particularly interesting molecule: lycopene, a powerful antioxidant. The longer the tomato cooks, the more lycopene becomes available. It is also distinguished by its richness in vitamin C, provitamin A, and trace elements.

Today, its taste and nutritional qualities are beyond doubt. For the gardener, the tomato is one of the essential summer vegetables. They simply need to consider what they want to use it for to guide them among all the existing varieties. Is it for salads, sauces, consuming directly on the spot, cooked, etc.? They will also consider when they want to harvest it. The answer will of course be influenced by the average summer sunlight of the region where their garden is located. Rest assured, there is a tomato for every situation! And indeed, while the tomato needs a lot of sun and heat, it does not necessarily need a lot of space. Therefore, one could grow it in a container on their balcony, preferably small-fruited varieties. Beware, 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 be sure that a tomato has reached full ripeness. Harvesting should be done when, at a minimum, it is completely coloured as expected, and when its texture, while remaining firm, shows a slight softening. For better conservation, be sure to pick the fruit with its calyx.

Storage : tomatoes last a shorter time the higher their water content. They keep 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's so simple and delicious: cut your tomatoes in half and collect the juice. Place your tomato halves cut side up on the oven tray. 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 top up with olive oil.

Gardener's Tip : it is advisable to grow several varieties of tomatoes each year to minimize the risk of a complete crop loss due to climatic hazards or specific pathologies.
To counter the phenomenon of 'tomato blossom end rot' - not a disease, but a calcium deficiency - spray a comfrey maceration rich in calcium on your plants.
When transplanting, you can 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.