The small pits inside a tomato are the plant’s seeds. When you slice a fruit in half, the center of it is full of juice and small seeds. It’s possible to collect them, press out the juice, dry them, and sow them again in the following year. Did you know there were a few tomato varieties that don’t have any pits at all?
These fruits are all flesh, which makes them easier to cook with.
This variety bears round, ribbed fruits that are a pale yellow color. Weighing in at over 1 pound (500 g), these large fruits are between 3 and 7 inches across (8 to 15 cm).
They only have very few pits, and their taste is soft and fruity.
The texture is very similar to that of the more famous ‘Beefsteak’. This variety is also sometimes called ‘Grosse Blanche’ and ‘White Beefsteak’.
Once again, this is a roundish fruit, a bit flat towards the top and bottom, and ribbed. This time, however, fruits are a light red, slightly pinkish color. The peel is smooth and thin, and is more brightly colored when the tomato is ripe. Sometimes, the portion of the tomato nearest the stem remains a little bit green. Once the tomato is ripe, it’s soft and gives a bit when you press it. Its taste is fragrant, and it’s both juicy and sweet. Nothing more to do but devour this excellent fruit for health !
Known for its generous fruits, this tomato also has the advantage of not containing many pips. Fruits range in weight from 10 to 18 oz. (300 to 500 g), they’re round and ribbed. This disease-resistant variety boasts red skin, bordering on pink. Harvest starts in midsummer and lasts until mid-autumn, just picks the fruits as they ripen to meet your needs. This meaty tomato’s flesh is tender, fresh and tastes a bit sweet.
All three carry very few pips and plenty of flesh, but they differ in size, colour and taste. Use this table to pick the one that suits your plate best.
| Variety | Fruit size and weight | Colour and shape | Flavour and texture |
|---|---|---|---|
| ‘Great White’ (also ‘Grosse Blanche’, ‘White Beefsteak’) | Over 1 pound (500 g), 3 to 7 inches across (8 to 15 cm) | Pale yellow, round and ribbed | Soft, fruity taste; texture close to ‘Beefsteak’ |
| ‘Rose de Berne’ | Roundish, slightly flattened top and bottom | Light red, slightly pinkish, ribbed, thin smooth peel | Fragrant, juicy and sweet; soft and giving when ripe |
| ‘Buffalo Steak’ | 10 to 18 oz. (300 to 500 g) | Red bordering on pink, round and ribbed | Meaty, tender and fresh flesh, slightly sweet; disease-resistant, picked from midsummer to mid-autumn |
Whichever you choose, the firm flesh is what makes these tomatoes so easy to cook with.
Many seedless tomato varieties tend to share a few characteristics: they’re large, and most of the flesh inside is firm and full. This gives you lots of options when it comes to cooking them! You can dice them up in a salad, or slice them evenly and spread them on a plate with mozzarella or, better still, burrata cheese. With their nice, round shape, seedless tomatoes are perfect for preparing stuffed and baked tomatoes. You’ll simply recover the extracted flesh and use it to cook sauce and syrups. As a hot side, the flavors of your tomatoes are enhanced, and will pair well with most summer dishes.
As soon as sprouts appear, place them outside in a cooler spot, but that doesn’t freeze over. This important step aims to harden them.
💡 More reading → Succeed in growing tomatoes
Tomato plants require soil that stays cool, but without having the roots wallow in stagnant water. Apply a layer of mulch to retain soil moisture. Water regularly, without letting the substrate dry out before you water your seedless tomatoes again.
Water at the base of the plant and keep the foliage dry, since wet leaves invite blight on tomatoes.
Tie the stem to its stake with soft loops as it lengthens, because the developing fruit adds enough weight to bend or snap an unsupported stem, especially on larger-fruited varieties.
On cordon (indeterminate) tomatoes, pinch out the side shoots that form in the leaf axils; leave bush or determinate varieties unpruned, as their side shoots carry much of the crop.
