Israeli scientists breed black tomato

The tomato's skin darkens from time spent in the sun   Jerusalem - Arabstoday Israeli horticulturists have developed a gothic crossbreed of tomato that is red on the inside, black on the out. To create the ‘Black Galaxy’ tomato, the breeders crossbred tomatoes with wild varieties. The dark colour comes from a pigment similar to one found in blueberries. The pigment is photosensitive so the longer the tomato is left on the vine in the sun, the darker it gets. The company which produced the new variety, Technological Seeds, specialise in producing hybrid vegetables. ‘Beside the colour, these tomatoes have all the anti-oxidant advantages,’ one of the company’s farmers said.     Facing extinction, the snails so small they can fit on the edge of a 50p coin In fact, developers’ say it may even be more nutritious as the unique pigment is very highly concentrated in antioxidants and Vitamin C, known to boost the immune system. The strange fruit is a crossbreed of wild and cultured tomatoes. It will be aimed at luxury hotel market due to its unique colour. There are hopes it will be available in local markets within a year. The strange tomato will debut next week at the Arava Agricultural R&D Exhibition. The expo will also show seedless lemons, a new species of strawberries, red lemons and rainbow carrots – which are yellow, purple and pink in colour.