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Ananas Bleue Tomatoes
Inventory, lb : 0
Description/Taste
Ananas Bleue tomatoes have an unusual bi-colored blue and orange skin, giving them an almost tie-dyed appearance. The yellow-orange fruits are large, slightly flatted and ribbed, with dark blue primarily on the shoulders. They offer a mild, sweet and fruity flavor with hints of pineapple. The Ananas Bleue tomato plants are large, averaging around five feet, and they produce a good number of clusters of the unique and striking fruit.
Seasons/Availability
Ananas Bleue tomatoes are available mid-summer.
Current Facts
The Ananas Bleue, or Blue Pineapple, tomato is a stabilized hybrid, meaning that the strain had already been grown for several generations to guarantee an almost completely stable, predictable cultivar once it hit the market. Tomatoes, originally termed Solanum lycopersicum, are botanically referred to as Lycopersicon esculentum, although modern DNA evidence is promoting a return to their original classification. Like all tomatoes, the Ananas Bleue tomato is a member of the Solanaceae, or nightshade, family, alongside the potato and eggplant.
Nutritional Value
Ananas Bleue tomatoes have good levels of anthocyanin, a naturally occurring antioxidant that reveals itself in the tomato’s vibrant blue-purple pigmentation. It is found also in blueberries, and has been studied for its disease-fighting compounds that could help fight cancer, reduce inflammation, and slow the aging process. Tomatoes are also rich in vitamin C, and they contain decent amounts of vitamins B and A. They are a good source of calcium and iron, as well as phosphorus, sulfur, and potassium.
Applications
Ananas Bleue tomatoes are mild and sweet, and they are great for fresh eating. Slice onto sandwiches, pair them with any leafy vegetable like lettuce or spinach for a tasty and colorful salad, or cook with complimentary ingredients like shallots, garlic, basil, oregano, chili, parsley, chives, and celery leaf. They can even be paired with more dessert-type herbs, such as mint, lemon balm, and the fruity sages. Store Ananas Bleue tomatoes at room temperature away from direct sunlight until ripe, after which refrigeration can slow the process of decay.
Ethnic/Cultural Info
One of the parents for Ananas Bleue is the rare OSU blue tomato. OSU is an abbreviation for Oregon State University, where the small blue tomato was bred using traditional breeding techniques specifically for the antioxidant potential of the purple anthocyanins in the fruit.
Geography/History
The Ananas Bleue tomato comes from a breeder in Belgium named José Antoine, and was released circa 2012. It is said to be a cross between an ananas (or pineapple) tomato and an OSU blue tomato.
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