Tomatoes 101

Chosen for its Mediterranean-style environment, the Tuxca valley offers warm, dry weather all year-round, ideal for providing you with the best vine ripened tomatoes during any season.

NatureSweet® tomatoes are greenhouse grown in a controlled environment, from the seeds, to the growing medium, to the water that is used. NatureSweet® tomatoes begin with seeds that have been selected for their superior taste and all plants are nurtured with a “secret recipe” of water and nutrients.

NatureSweet® tomatoes begin with seeds that have been naturally selected for their superior taste. We then disinfect and germinate them under sanitary conditions. We do this in order to prevent plant disease – even in the early stages of the seedling’s growth. NatureSweet® tomato seeds are not genetically modified.

Water for irrigation at all of the greenhouses is drawn from NatureSweet’s own water wells, drilled hundreds of feet deep and monitored regularly for purity. In addition to strict control of our water supply, NatureSweet® tomatoes are grown with natural and biological methods to control insects.

Our greenhouses are covered with thick, opaque insect-proof covering. This allows for natural sunlight and air circulation to occur while protecting the plants from outside pests. Brightly colored sticky yellow sheets are placed throughout the greenhouses act like giant traps and provide for natural insect control. NatureSweet® tomato seeds are developed by traditional methods and are never genetically modified. All pesticides that are used exceed all U.S., FDA and EPA regulations.

NatureSweet^® tomatoes are always under the watchful eye of our most experienced farmers. Closely monitored plant growth allows our farmers to choose the prime moment for their harvest. NatureSweet^® tomatoes must be at their peak of sweetness, size and flavor before our experts allow the harvest to begin.

Only the ripest tomatoes are harvested from the vine, chosen for their color, fragrance, firmness and weight so that they meet the expectations of even the most discriminating shopper.

Unlike some other producers who pick their tomatoes green, and then gas them with ethylene to induce ripening, NatureSweet^® Tomatoes are allowed to fully ripen on the vine. This method produces exceptional flavor and consistent quality year-round.

The quality of our fruit is maintained not only through our strict processes, but also by the dedication of our farmers. Generations of experience gives them an inherited pride for their craft.

Once the fruit is selected, weighed and packed, NatureSweet^® tomatoes are carefully placed in boxes that contain specific growing and harvesting information for 100% product traceability. Our shipping crates have been specially designed to protect the tomato quality and improve airflow.

When looking for tomatoes that are as good as those grown in grandma’s garden, remember NatureSweet^®-vine ripened tomatoes available year-round.

Our expedited transportation system then swiftly distributes our tomatoes all across the country in just a few days. This guarantees that our NatureSweet^® tomatoes maintain their “fresh-from-the-backyard-garden-flavor” all the way to your kitchen.

Tomatoes are rich in an anti-oxidant called lycopene, which may reduce the risk of suffering a heart attack by 50 percent, according to a study by the American Journal of Epidemiology.

Scientists at Glasgow University in Scotland think flavonols — antioxidants more powerful than vitamins E and C — in fruits and vegetables are the key to the fabled Mediterranean diet, which appears to be the reason for what nutritionists call the French paradox — their high fat diet does not lead to excessive levels of coronary heart disease.

Glorys tomatoes have higher levels of flavonols than do their larger cousins.

The Rowett Research Institute in Aberdeen, Scotland, found that tomatoes could be the key to preventing blood clots that cause heart disease and strokes, two of the biggest killers in the developed world.

A recent summary study in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute found there is enough data to show “that high consumers of tomatoes and tomato products are at substantially decreased risk of numerous cancers, although probably not all cancers.”

Data on the link between tomato consumption and cancer risk reduction are most compelling for cancers of the prostate gland, lung and stomach. Links have also been found between tomatoes and lower levels of other cancers, including pancreatic, colorectal, esophageal, oral, breast and cervical.

Harvard University researchers report that men who eat at least 10 servings a week of tomato-based foods are up to 45 percent less likely to develop prostate cancer. (Lycopene concentrates in the prostate.)

Never refrigerate tomatoes. For optimal freshness and flavor, we recommend the tomatoes be stored in an open container at room temperature out of direct sunlight. Temperatures below 50 degrees will destroy the natural sugars in the tomato.

No. We are delighted you are enjoying the home-grown flavor of our NatureSweet tomatoes. Our tomatoes are available year-round; however, the seeds are proprietary to our company and not available for sale.

No. However, NatureSweet tomatoes are grown in a controlled growing environment, from the seeds, to the soil, to the water that is used. NatureSweet tomatoes begin with seeds that have been selected for their superior taste and all plants are nurtured with a “secret recipe” of water, soil, and nutrients.

Our growing fields are covered with insect-proof netting. Brightly colored sheets of yellow plastic, which are covered with glue, act like giant traps for insects attracted to bright colors. Additionally, rows of sunflowers, corn and sorghum are planted around the perimeter of each field to trap pests. NatureSweet tomato seeds are developed by traditional methods and are never genetically modified. All pesticides that are used exceed all U.S., FDA and EPA regulations.