The Alicante tomato is a popular variety of heirloom tomatoes among home gardeners and chefs. It is bright red, juicy fruits full of old-fashioned tomato flavor are the key to its popularity. Learn about this tasty tomato variety and see if it’s right for your tomato patch.

History of the Alicante Tomato

Unwins, England is said to be the home of this tomato, which was first introduced in 1966. How a tomato with English roots was given a Spanish name is unknown.

Alicante is a Spanish seaside town noted for its tomato-based cuisine so did a Brit fall in love with the local cuisine while visiting Alicante and then name this variety in honor of it? We’ll never know for sure if this paradise for tomato dishes is the reason for its Spanish name.

About the Alicante Tomatoes

Alicante tomatoes are round or slightly oval in shape. They have smooth, thin skin and are juicy.

It is an indeterminate variety reaching 6-7 feet tall unless you top them out. They require trellising or staking.

The fruit is bright red, medium size weighing in at 6-7 ounces on average.

The Alicante tomato can be grown both indoors and outdoors. It’s easy to grow, as are most heirloom varieties, except it isn’t tolerant of certain temperatures.

They can be grown anywhere where daytime temperatures are between 70-85 degrees and nighttime temps are between 56-68 degrees. They do not tolerate extremely hot or humid summers nor temps cooler than 55 degrees without special accommodations being made.

It can be planted in either soil or hydroponic systems and is an early producer at 70 days.

Tips for Growing

• For traditional row gardens, space the plants 24-36 inches apart in rows that are 24 inches apart.
• For raised bed gardens space the plants 16-24 inches apart.
• Like most tomatoes, they prefer well-drained, loose soil with a pH of 6-7, but they may be grown in almost every soil type except for very heavy clay.
• Tomatoes do not grow well in dry soil, but they also don’t do well in areas that get waterlogged or have water standing on the ground after rain.
• For more on improving your soil, soil pH, or growing tomatoes we have information to help you.

Taste of the Tomato

The Alicante is a bright red, medium-sized tomato known for its sweet and tangy flavor, which is a result of its high sugar content.

It’s also a good choice for those who are looking for a tomato that is high in antioxidants. This variety is a good source of lycopene, which is a beneficial nutrient that can help protect the body from cancer and other diseases.

Uses of the Alicante

The Alicante tomato can be used in a variety of dishes, including salads, salsas, sauces, and casseroles. They are also a good choice for use on sandwiches and pizzas. The sweet and tangy flavor of the Alicante tomato is a perfect match for many different types of cuisine.

How to Preserve the Alicante

The Alicante can be preserved in a variety of ways such as frozen, pressure canned, or dehydrated. We don’t freeze much food because we’ve lost so much to power outages over the years.

We always can our tomatoes. The Alicante is good for making sauce or paste for canning. You can learn to can tomatoes.

Where to Purchase Seeds

There aren’t many places here in the U.S. to purchase these seeds. I found them for you at TomatoFest.

Summary

The Alicante tomato with its unusual name is bright red, medium-sized, and known for its sweet and tangy flavor.

It’s used in a variety of dishes, including salads, salsas, sauces, and casseroles. This tomato is also a good choice for use on sandwiches and pizzas. The sweet and tangy flavor of the Alicante is a perfect match for many different types of cuisine.

You can preserve them by freezing, canning, or dehydrating them. The Alicante is good for making tomato sauce or paste for canning.

Learn about other tomato varieties.

As always, we’re here to help.