Tomato 001-Half_Title.indd 1 US_001-Half_Title.indd 1 5/12/08 14:28:41 15/12/08 17:45:15

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2 Tomato

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4 Tomato GAIL HARLAND SOFIA LARRINUA-CRAXTON

5 London, New York, Melbourne, Munich, and Delhi Editor Andrew Roff Designer Kathryn Wilding Senior Art Editor Susan Downing Managing Editor Dawn Henderson Managing Art Editor Christine Keilty Senior Jacket Creative Nicola Powling Production Editor Ben Marcus Production Controller Wendy Penn Creative Technical Support Sonia Charbonnier US Editor Christy Lusiak US Consultants Trevor Cole, Peggy Fallon Photography Sarah Ashun Graham Rae William Reavell Howard Rice DK India Head of Publishing Aparna Sharma Art Director Shefali Upadhyay Designer Neha Ahuja DTP Designer Tarun Sharma Production Manager Pankaj Sharma First American Edition, 2009 Published in the United States by DK Publishing 375 Hudson House New York, New York TD441 May 2009 Copyright 2009 Dorling Kindersley Limited Text copyright 2009 Dorling Kindersley Limited Recipe text copyright 2009 Sofia Larrinua-Craxton All rights reserved Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise), without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book. Published in Great Britain by Dorling Kindersley Limited A catalog record for this book is available from the Library of Congress. ISBN DK books are available at special discounts when purchased in bulk for sales promotions, premiums, fund-raising, or educational use. For details, contact: DK Publishing Special Markets, 375 Hudson Street, New York, New York or SpecialSales@dk.com. Color reproduction by MDP, UK Printed and bound in China by Hung Hung Printing Discover more at

6 Contents The tomato story 6 The tomatoes 8 The plant 10 The leaves 12 The fruits 13 The flavor 14 The benefits 15 Best for sauces and salsas 16 Best for soups 18 Best for salads 20 Standard globe 22 Cherry 36 Beefsteak 52 Plum 64 Weird and wonderful 74 In the garden 78 A tomato for every climate 80 Where should I grow my tomatoes? 82 Preparing the soil 88 Seed or plantlet? 90 How to sow seeds 92 The first few weeks Toughening up 96 Planting 98 Crop rotation 102 A little help from friends 104 Mulching 106 Food and drink 108 Removing sideshoots 110 Pollination 112 Pests and diseases 114 What s wrong with my leaves? 116 What s wrong with my tomatoes? 118 Reaping the harvest 120 Save your favorite seeds 124 All for show 126 Get grafting 128 Create a variety of your very own 130 In the kitchen 132 Preparation 134 Cooking 140 Preserving 142 The recipes 144 Glossary and Useful resources 186 Index 188 Acknowledgments 192

7 The tomato story Tangy, acidic, sweet, and juicy the tomato s flavor profile puts it in prime position in kitchens around the world. But there is more to a tomato than its taste... Discovering the golden apple Tomatoes originated in the coastal highlands of western South America where they were grown by the Aztecs and Mayans. They grow wild in Ecuador, northern Chile, Peru, and the Galapagos Islands they are thought to have been brought here in the stomachs of turtles. The first written description of tomatoes, by the Italian Pietro Andrea Matthiola in 1544, referred to them as Mala aurea, or golden apples. However, their close relationship to poisonous plants, such as the woody nightshade vine, meant they didn t receive the same regard when introduced more widely. (This suspicion isn t completely unfounded tomato leaves do contain the poisonous chemical tomatine.) The tomato s great flavor didn t hide for long, however, and it soon became a welcome addition to cuisines around the world. A wealth of varieties New varieties arose by natural cross-pollination and selection, bringing us the largest beefsteaks to the smallest cherry tomatoes. Now, with over 5,000 varieties of all shapes and sizes, you will be able to find ones that suit your taste and planting space whether its a sunny windowsill, pot, plot, or patio perfectly. Healthy, easy to grow, and easy to care for, it s no wonder they are the most popular home crop. Use the following pages to choose which varieties to grow, then find out how best to nurture them, and finally choose a recipe that will allow you to enjoy your harvest in all its glory... 6 the tomato story

8 Exotic Fruiting tomato plants are a beautiful sight in the garden no wonder they are sometimes referred to as love apples. the tomato story 7