Source: Speciality Produce
Photo Source: Unsplash,
Description/Taste
Red Currant tomatoes are the smallest edible tomato, each fruit weighing an average of just three grams and measuring half of an inch in diameter. The round, red fruits are notable for their strong, sweet-tart flavor and firm, juicy texture. They are thin-skinned and glossy, and their flesh contains two cells that tend to be seedy, but packed with an exceptionally sweet, true tomato flavor due to their high levels of both sugar and acid when ripe. The strong, sprawling indeterminate plants are disease resistant and high yielding, producing copious amounts of the tiny fruit throughout the season. The plants have small, delicate leaves with a more acrid odor than other varieties, and the stems of the plants are petite and lanky. The miniature fruit hangs in clusters resembling red currants, hence their name. There are numerous cultivars of Currant tomatoes, both Red and Yellow types, including Sweet Pea, Sugar Plum and Hawaiian, which are considered to be among the sweetest varieties.
Seasons/Availability
Red Currant tomatoes are available during the summer.
Current Facts
Red Currant tomatoes are members of the large and diverse Solanaceae family, also known as the Nightshade family, which includes more than three thousand known species. Red Currant tomatoes are botanically named Solanum Pimpinellifolium, and they are an independent species of tomatoes, one of two edible species alongside the common tomato, Lycopersicon esculentum. Currant tomatoes have proven to be scientifically very valuable as they are closely related to one of the original wild species, which grows near the coasts of northern Peru, and their DNA has been the starting point for comparing gene evolution within the Solanaceae family. It has also provided a road map for understanding bottlenecking that has narrowed genetic diversity among tomatoes, as cultivated tomatoes carry only five percent of the genes of their wild counterparts, leaving little room for diversity among the 6,000 domesticated tomato cultivars today. Although Currant tomatoes are a different species, they will readily cross with garden tomatoes, and because of their disease resistance and their habit of producing fruit in long trusses, Currant tomatoes have been crossbred with other tomato types to create many of the modern cherry tomato cultivars.
Nutritional Value
Red Currant tomatoes are an exceptional source of lycopene, a naturally occurring pigment that doubles as an antioxidant. Lycopene is known for its anti-cancer benefits, such as preventing, fighting and repairing cell damage in the human body. The tomato’s array of nutrients and antioxidants, including the especially potent lycopene that is found in its highest concentration in tomatoes, also helps support healthy eyesight, cardiovascular health, and more.
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