TOMATOES

Tomatoes contain contain high levels of calcium; vitamins A,B, C and K; beta-carotene; dietary fibre; folic acid; and, antioxidants, including lypocene. They are credited with everything from preventing cancer to giving you shiny hair.

Lycopene is the carotenoid pigment that gives tomatoes their rich colouring. A study by Mark Christensen from the Heritage Food Crops Research Trust in Whanganui found that the lycopene from orange and yellow tomatoes is better absorbed than the lycopene from red tomatoes. All-trans-lycopene is the form of lycopene in modern red tomatoes, but it cannot pass easily into the bloodstream unless cooked. The highly beneficial, easily absorbed tetra-cis-lycopene in heritage orange and yellow tomatoes is a recessive gene that was replaced by the dominant red form during centuries of tomato breeding.

Sow seeds in early spring and transplant into a sunny position in the garden about late October, when the soil has warmed. Provide a stake for climbing varieties. Feed well and keep evenly watered throughout the season.