The French call them ‘love apples;’ the Germans call them ‘apples of paradise;’ we just call them delicious! Salad tomatoes are not only great in salads, they’re also tasty in sandwiches, soups or just eaten raw!

How do we make sure we provide top quality salad tomatoes?

We make sure the tomato is plump and heavy for its size (density is a good indicator of freshness). We also make sure the tomatoes have a firm, shiny skin (no wrinkles or blemishes). We then pass them through an aroma test – the tomato should have a slight, crisp aroma which increases faintly with ripeness; tomatoes which don’t have this were probably picked when immature and won’t sweeten well as they ripen. The tomato should also slightly yield to the touch, to guarantee taste.

Where do we source our salad tomatoes from?

We source most of our tomatoes from the Goulburn Valley and Sunraysia districts. With near-perfect conditions and a number of established growers; the tomatoes from around these areas are among the best around.

What is the best way to keep salad tomatoes?

Tomatoes store well at room temperature. Their best ripening temperatures are between 18°C and 21°C; with a relative humidity between 90%-95%. Also, don’t store them in direct sunlight; sunlight tends to ripen them unevenly. If you need to keep them for a long time, store in the warmest part of your fridge (typically, this is the butter holder), and remove an hour or so before eating, to enhance their flavour.

Salad tomatoes nutritional information

Tomatoes are high in vitamin C and vitamin A. They are also a fantastic source of lycopene, a compound which has demonstrated cancer inhibiting properties (notably prostate cancer), and may also help prevent heart disease. Tomatoes are also high in beta-carotene, a carotenoid that offers protection against heart disease and cataracts. You can make the nutrients of a tomato more accessible to your body by slightly cooking it, eating it when ripe, or eating it with a little olive oil!

Salad tomatoes serving tips and suggestions

If you’re putting a slice of tomato on a sandwich, add a little salt to the top of the tomato; the salt draws out the tomato’s moisture and flavour. You can ripen slightly unripe tomatoes by placing them in a paper bag with a banana or a pear. The ethylene emitted by the banana or pear helps ripen the tomato quickly.