Sun kissed Mediterranean tomatoes
As tomatoes need an average of seven hours of sunlight to grow into the tasty produce we know so well, Malta makes ideal growing ground for this succulent fruit.
Rachel Zammit Cutajar
Though technically a fruit, tomatoes have less sugar content than most of their counterparts, and are thus used as a vegetable, for culinary purposes. The only exception is that tomatoes are treated as a fruit for canning purposes as the high acidity allows them to be processed in a water bath rather than a pressure cooker as is necessary for vegetables.
Although tomatoes are associated with Mediterranean cuisine, their roots stem from South America. The tomato plant was first cultivated by the Aztecs in Mexico and is thought to have been brought over to Europe by Spanish explorer Cortes, where it was then distributed throughout the Spanish empire.
There are around 7,500 varieties of tomatoes grown for different purposes. Though most tomatoes are red in colour they are also available in green, yellow, orange, purple or brown depending on the variety. Rarer varieties produce fruits that are stripped or furry.
In Malta, the most common are the heirloom tomato, available throughout the summer and known for their wrinkly appearance, juiciness and intense flavours. The thin skins give them a relatively short shelf-life, making them unsuitable for commercial use, though fantastic for use in salads and sandwiches.
The plum tomato (zenguli tomato) has been bred with a higher solid content, making it ideal for use in tomato sauces and pastes.
Cherry tomatoes have been steadily gaining popularity as the small round, often sweeter fruit that are ideal to be eaten whole in salads.
Tomatoes are very low in calories and fats and rich in dietary fibre, making indulgence guilt free. They are also rich in anti-oxidants and have been known to be protective against some forms of cancer, including colon, prostate, breast, lung, endometrial and pancreatic cancers. Tomatoes are a good source of Vitamin A and C protecting the body against infectious agents and free radicals.
During peak season in the summer tomatoes are inexpensive. At 50c a kilo from the farmer’s market in Ta’ Qali, why not stock up and preserve what you can for those winter months, when tomatoes are tasteless and boring?
Sun dry your own tomatoes by slicing them in half, sprinkling with salt and optional herbs and leave in the sun until dehydrated. You might want to cover them with a fly screen to keep the bugs off your food. A couple of days usually does the trick, but they can take longer depending on the weather conditions. Take the tomatoes in at night to stop the night time dew from undoing the drying process. Make sure that the end product is completely dry, but not crisp, to avoid bacteria growth and store in oil in the fridge.
Tomato sauces can easily be frozen and taken out in the middle of winter when you need a spoonful of sunshine during those short, wet days. Use the sauce on homemade pizzas or pasta for a perfect summer meal in the middle of winter.
Home made ketchup and tomato chutneys are innovative tasty ways to preserve the glut of tomatoes for winter eating. Home made chutneys make ideal Christmas gifts if you’re on a tight budget or for those members of the family who already have everything.
