In season: Winter Tomatoes
The tomatoes that came in from the cold
There's a whole breed of tomatoes out there and they'll change everything you thought you knew about salad veg. They have unique flavour profiles and are grown in the soil during the winter months, where they naturally ripen on the vine.
The winter varieties: Camone, Iberiko and Marinda
Unlike summer tomatoes which rely on long days and warm weather to create sugars, these winter varieties harness the stresses of the winter climate to produce real depth of flavour and unparalleled texture. The Camone and Marinda were first bred in Italy (Sardinia and Sicily respectively). They all have thick, crunchy skin and acidic seeds with a sweet, umami flesh.
Minimally watered and stressed by sand
Winter Tomatoes need to be under-watered. They're given just enough water to survive but make growing conditions difficult, this forces the plants to concentrate nutrients and sugars. The result is more intense flavour. Summers are too hot and dry to water-stress tomato plants. While most growers seek rich, fertile ground, more arid, challenging soils bring out the best in Winter Tomatoes. They thrive in light, sandy coastal soil because water and nutrients drain out more quickly, which again means plants need to concentrate nutrients in the fruit.
> Meet the growers: Natoora
Natoora
Natoora is a seasonal supplier on a mission to restore flavour and transparency to the food system. Since 2004, they've connected responsible, small-scale growers and their seasonal produce with the most influential chefs in London, Paris, New York, Copenhagen, Melbourne and beyond.
Natoora's Winter Tomatoes, these are grown in Almería in southeastern Spain, and the Italian regions of Sardinia, Puglia and Sicily. These are all coastal areas where the salinity heightens stress on the plants, further decreasing water content in the fruit and concentrating the rich flavours in the flesh. In Sicily, some growers are so close to the sea that their Marinda are naturally irrigated by the tides.
It's these landscapes, combined with the deep growing expertise of the farmers, that build vitality and flavour in every fruit.
The best way to enjoy them
Cut small ones into wedges, and roughly cut or slice thinly larger tomatoes from the base. Dress simply with the best quality extra virgin olive oil and a touch of sea salt – though you may find you don't need the salt at all. Winter Tomatoes prove that flavour doesn't disappear with the colder months, it just takes a different form. Grown in the soil with care and precision, they deliver a depth and intensity that can only develop this time of year.
Try the Recipe
