Tomatoes

Description

How la Huerta’s tomatoes are grown

At Huerta de Pancha we grow different varieties of tomatoes. We select the best types of tomato so that every year consumers can have the tastiest tomatoes at their disposal. We plant and test new varieties to decide whether or not to grow them. We always give priority to taste first and foremost, regardless of production.

The main tomato varieties, which we evaluate each year to find the tastiest, are the summer tomato (from July to October), the black tomato or kumato (from December to May), the raf tomato (from December to May), the pink tomato (from December to May) and the green or salad tomato (from December to June).

How our cultivation process works

We carry out up to three specific techniques at different points of tomato cultivation:

Soil preparation

Before starting, we need to prepare the soil to adapt it to the needs of our tomato plantation. We till the soil until it is fine, removing weeds, and make small furrows (in our case, with a distance of 1.8 metres between them) that will be used for the irrigation system and as a place to grow tomatoes.

To prevent or reduce insect pests without using chemical products, we use sticky traps, about two metres apart. The result is a more natural crop, giving the tomatoes an incomparable taste.

Growing day

Once the soil has been prepared, the tomato cuttings should be planted in the prepared furrows. The holes are not very deep, simply to house the roots of the cuttings. Place each plant in a hole.

Natural pollination with bees

Bees play one of the most important roles in our tomato crops: they pollinate the flowers. They exchange pollen in the flowers of the crop to achieve plant reproduction, a fundamental process for the life of our fruit. So fundamental that it directly affects the quality and quantity of the fruit. If the plant is not pollinated correctly, the quantity of fruit will be seriously affected. That is why in the Huerta de Pancha we have controlled the pollination processes in a natural way and as it has always been done, with bees.

How you will receive Huerta de Pancha’s tomatoes

Our tomatoes are harvested at their optimum point. The optimum point of harvesting does not coincide exactly with the optimum point of ripeness for consumption, they are harvested somewhat greener. Moreover, not all tomatoes, even if harvested on the same day, ripen simultaneously, as their ripening depends on many other factors such as: type, size, location on the bush, etc. For this reason, it is sometimes necessary to wait a few days after receiving the order before eating them ripe. We always try to send the tomatoes a little green so that they last longer. This is not the case with Cherry tomatoes, as this variety of tomato can be eaten from the very first moment (ready to eat), there is no need to wait. For packaging we use 100% recyclable cardboard boxes and we always try to ensure that the tomatoes are well protected so that they suffer as little damage as possible during transport.

How to preserves tomatoes

To keep tomatoes fresh, it is essential that they do not lose water. Storing them initially in the fridge is not a good idea, as the cold causes the tomatoes to lose some of their flavour and they will not ripen. For this reason, we recommend that you always place them with the stalk facing downwards and attached to the glass container or basket in which they should be kept. As far as possible, avoid the tomato coming into contact with other fruits. The green leaves of the vegetable must be removed for better preservation.