Pomodoro al sole (sunshine tomato): red, rich of lycopene and healthy

The sunshine tomato (pomodoro al sole or pomodoro a’ sole, in dialect of the Valle del Sele) is a traditional tomato’s variety we grow in our farm.

It is a red, round, pulpy tomato with a sweet taste. As the name suggests, it mainly needs a lot of sun to grow and to get its maturation. In our fields the sun accompanies all the phases of our vegetable. In fact, we cultivate in open field, without using greenhouses.

The characteristics of this tomato are linked to the way in which the plants grow. Our plants are low and without support, in direct contact with the earth – clayey and arid, and this gives the fruit its fleshy consistency and full-bodied taste. They need few water to grow (usually they are watered in the evening, even once a week).

The plants are planted by hand one by one, and the tomatoes are also harvested manually, so that only the fruits that have reached full ripeness are chosen.

Each tomato plant is planted by hand.

The tomato sprouts kept wrapped in a damp cloth before being planted in the earth.

Tomato plants in the sun.

Fresh or in pure, the sunshine tomato (pomodoro al sole) satisfies every taste. Suitable for any preparation, from a basil-flavoured salad to dress a past dish.

Referring the nutritional fact, tomatoes are rich in water, vitamins, phosphorus, potassium and especially of lycopene, an antioxidant that gives it the classic red color.

Compared to the normal red tomatoes we find at supermarket, our pomodoro al sole has a double quantity of lycopene, for the benefit of our health.

What is lycopene and which are the benefits?

Lycopene, like all antioxidants, has a protective function against cellular aging, counteracting the action of free radicals. From many scientific researchers the benefits on our health have been listed: