Pineapple Pig Heirloom Tomatoes
Estimated Inventory, 10 lbs : 0
Description/Taste
Pineapple Pig tomatoes are large and plump, weighing up to 1 or 2 pounds, with a somewhat rounded, bumpy shape. The fruits ripen to a creamy yellow color with light green stripes or specks and a pale pink blush. The flesh is also yellow in color, often with a rosy tint or marbling, and offers a thick, meaty, and juicy texture. The flavor is mild and sweet with very low acidity and fruity undertones. Although Pineapple Pig tomato plants are late to set fruit, they are a prolific indeterminate variety that will continue to grow and produce up until a frost. The plants are tall, often reaching 5 to 7 feet high, hence staking or caging is recommended to help prevent garden sprawl and support the heavy fruits.
Seasons/Availability
Pineapple Pig tomatoes are available late summer.
Current Facts
Tomatoes are members of the Solanaceae family, also known as the Nightshade family, and they are botanically classified as Solanum lycopersicum. Pineapple Pig is an open-pollinated cultivar, which means that saved seed will reproduce the same variety when planted the following year unless natural cross-pollination or spontaneous mutation occurs. All heirloom tomato varieties like Pineapple Pig are open-pollinated.
Nutritional Value
Pineapple Pig tomatoes are a good source of Vitamin A, calcium, iron, sulfur, and potassium. Compared to red tomato varieties, yellow tomatoes like Pineapple Pig have more niacin and folate, but significantly less vitamin C, though they do still contain a decent amount. Yellow tomatoes also have little to no lycopene, the antioxidant often associated with tomatoes that is responsible for the red coloring.
Applications
Pineapple Pig tomatoes are best suited for raw applications because of their juicy-sweet flesh, and their large size and meaty texture lend well for slicing onto salads or sandwiches. Try adding chopped Pineapple Pig tomatoes to fresh salsa with red tomatoes and lime juice to add sweetness and balance the acidity. They can also be used in cooked applications like stews or soups, but note that their tender skin and juicy texture may break down and become watery in some cooking preparations. Pineapple Pig tomatoes can complement both sweet and savory flavors. They pair well with citrus, berries, mild and bitter salad greens, olive oil, pine nuts, avocados, basil, mint, cilantro, young cheeses, shellfish, and grilled and roasted meats and poultry. Heirloom tomatoes are fragile and should be used as soon as possible upon ripening. Refrigeration should only be used for cut or extra-ripe tomatoes to slow the process of decay.
Ethnic/Cultural Info
Brad Gates, owner of Wild Boar Farms, is known in the California Bay Area as “the tomato guy”. He is responsible for developing many unique and exotic tomato cultivars using heirloom genetics, including Pineapple Pig, pink Berkeley tie dye, pork chop, and indigo blue beauty tomatoes.
Geography/History
Pineapple Pig tomatoes were developed by Brad Gates of Wild Boar Farms in northern California, and are said to have been first offered in the Seed Savers Yearbook in 2013. Pineapple Pig tomato plants are known to be a good option for home gardens, however tomatoes need warm weather to grow well, so it is important to plant them only after the danger of frost has passed.
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