The harvest of the first tomatoes of the year is always an eagerly awaited event at Son Moragues. This June 18th, we had the pleasure of picking our first four tomatoes, a day earlier than last year. This time, the first ones were of the cor de bou variety, a local delicacy, ideal for salads, sauces, or even as an appetizer or dessert.
A Story of Tradition and Pride
At Son Moragues, tomato production is a source of pride and part of a long tradition. The solanum lycopersicum, known as tomatl in Nahuatl, arrived from the Americas in the 16th century and quickly established itself in the Mediterranean basin, initially as an ornamental plant and later as an essential ingredient in our cuisine.
In Mallorca, tomatoes found a favorable environment, and by the 18th century, they were a staple in the island’s cuisine. By the 19th century, there were already more than five local varieties naturally and artificially adapted to our climate. At SONMO, we grow local varieties from our own seeds, along with new varieties acquired from local producers.
Among these varieties, the Ramallet stands out, prized for its preservation ability and very low water requirements, and the Valldemossa tomato, known for its thin skin, juiciness, and intense flavor. Despite being a very tasty tomato, it has not achieved the commercial success one might expect due to its thin skin, making it particularly vulnerable to damage during transport in modern distribution channels.
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the Son Moragues garden produced a large quantity of tomatoes, sold locally and outside the municipality. It is noteworthy that for decades, large quantities of Son Moragues tomatoes were destined for a tomato canning factory in Inca. During the high season, every night around two in the morning, two mule-drawn carts loaded with tomatoes from the Son Moragues garden set off for the Inca factory. There must have been something special about Valldemossa tomatoes for them to be in demand from a municipality as distant as Inca, which took six hours to reach. And we can only imagine what that old tomato sauce must have tasted like...
Our Cultivation Process
Each January, we germinate the best seeds selected from the previous season. During February and March, we carefully tend to these seedlings in our small nursery, and between late April and early May, when temperatures begin to rise, we plant the tomato plants in the garden, previously prepared with the best compost. Following the traditional method, we place canes for the plants to climb and manually clean the stems to ensure larger tomatoes.
Caring for the tomato plants is a continuous task. They must be tied to the canes to support them as they grow, and watering must be precise to avoid affecting the quality and flavor of the fruits. Despite the effort the process entails, the reward comes with the harvest, which in the case of tomatoes extends over several months.
A Prolonged and Productive Season
This year we started harvesting in June, and last year we enjoyed the last tomatoes at Christmas. Such an extended season is not common in artisanal farms like ours, but staggered planting and variety selection have allowed us to prolong the season. Currently, we have over 1200 tomato plants in our garden, growing in the same place where their ancestors did.
We cultivate old varieties like the aforementioned ones and the legendary Cor de Bou or Tres Cantos, alongside more modern ones like the pink tomato, the pear tomato, and the cherry tomato. All these varieties are available in our stores in Valldemossa and Palma, and on our website as tomato and basil jam.
Support for Quality Local Products
We trust that the growing appreciation for quality local products will allow farms like ours and the varieties we grow to continue to thrive for many more years. Although these varieties are not the most productive or profitable, they represent an agricultural and gastronomic heritage that deserves to be preserved.
For all these reasons, we invite you to enjoy our tomatoes and support local agriculture. You can visit and discover the product in our stores or on our website to see all that SONMO has to offer.
