Organic 'Yellow Bell' Tomato
Organic 'Yellow Bell' tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) from the seed company Gaia, an heirloom Italian variety ideal for sauces and preserves
The 'Yellow Bell' tomato is an Italian heirloom variety dating back to 1869, renowned for its sweet flesh, low juice content, and high yield. The large, vigorous plants produce clusters of 4 to 5 elongated, bell pepper-shaped fruits (Roma type) with pale yellow skin, sometimes tinged with pink. Perfect for making pastes, thick sauces, preserves, or even yellow ketchup, this tomato impresses as much with its creamy color as with its rich, sweet flavor. Introduced by the SESE in 1986, it is particularly well-suited to cooler, wetter climates, where it fruits abundantly until the first frosts, producing 5 to 12 fruits per cluster.
Its firm fruits, about 7.5 × 4 cm (3 × 1.5"), ripen from green to creamy yellow and retain their texture well when cooked, making it a sought-after choice for culinary processing.
Companion plants : Basil, parsley, carrot, asparagus, alliums, celery, borage, marigold, calendula, mint, sage, peppers, dill (before flowering)
Negative plants : Potato, corn, kohlrabi, beetroot, fennel, peas, squash
Spread/Carry : Indeterminate, vigorous
Plant height : 120 to 180 cm (4 to 6′)
Quantity per packet : 25 seeds
Certification : Certified organic by Ecocert Canada
Special features : Heritage variety from 1869, yellow Roma-type fruit, ideal for preserves and sauces
Farming method
Sow indoors 6 to 8 weeks before the last frost. Place the seeds 3 to 6 mm (1/8 to 1/4") deep in fine potting soil. Maintain a temperature between 23 and 29°C for rapid germination in 5 to 10 days. During hardening-off, reduce watering and nitrogen application to encourage stronger growth.
Transplant outdoors once all risk of frost has passed, spacing plants 60 to 90 cm (24 to 36 inches) apart in rows 120 to 180 cm (4 to 6 feet) apart. This indeterminate variety requires good staking. Choose a location in full sun (level 3) and ensure consistent watering (watering level 3).
Harvesting and preservation
Harvest the fruit when it has fully developed a creamy yellow color. For flexible harvest management, pick them when they begin to show color and allow them to finish ripening off the vine at 22°C or above. Store the fruit between 12 and 21°C, with a relative humidity of approximately 95%.
Usage ideas
• Excellent for thick sauces, concentrates, and homemade preserves
• Perfect for yellow ketchup and creamy sauce
• Delicious in salads for its subtle sweetness
• Ideal roasted or stuffed thanks to its firm flesh
• Keeps very well when transformed, perfect for creative cooking
The 'Yellow Bell' tomato is a treasure of Italian heritage: a productive, tasty and versatile variety, perfect for northern gardens and lovers of processing tomatoes.
