Description/Taste Cherokee Purple tomatoes get their name from their skin, which boasts rich, dusty shades of purple and pink with shoulders that are often green. "It was an ugly tomato, and before all these heirlooms came along, all we knew were red and yellow tomatoes.". Cherokee Purple grows well in most regions of the U.S. Let the fruit ripen on the vine for the best flavor. Some of them can be as dark as a plum. BEST SOIL FOR CHEROKEE PURPLE TOMATOES. Cherokee Purples are a number of the foremost eye-pleasing and distinctive of tomatoes in both appearance and taste. Our favorite dark tomato and one of our best selling varieties. The tomato is a beautiful dusky pink with a deep, rich-red interior. His hunch was correct, and LeHoullier was so impressed with the tomatoes the color of a "bad leg bruise" that he named them Cherokee Purple and sent his friends at a few seed companies some seeds. They have this sort of purplish/red hue that just lights up a salad. I think to label all Cherokee Purples as “watery” is unfair. The neighbors said that the varietal had been in their family for 100 years, and that the seeds were originally received from Cherokee Indians. I did my research, asked around to my tomato growing friends and found that the Cherokee purple tomatoes made for nice tall plants with large fruit all around the country. This one is a consistent taste test winner at tomato fests around the country. Greater root depth means more access to water and thus more moisture for the fruit. "That makes sense if it comes from the Tennessee River Valley originally, which is also humid.". Its kind of what most people look for in a tomato. Everyone has different tastes that they look for in tomatoes – these were nice and sweet, no tartness. "It's one of the more fascinating and frustrating aspects of pursuing heirlooms. Your email address will not be published. One day in 1990, a packet of tomato seeds arrived in LeHoullier's mail with a handwritten note. "We grow the Cherokee Purple in the Victory Garden because it tolerates the humidity and diseases here better than the other dark tomatoes," says Brunetti. Craig LeHoullier, a retired chemist from Raleigh, N.C., can take credit for introducing us to the Cherokee Purple tomato, one of the most popular heirlooms grown and sold today. Required fields are marked *. You'd be forgiven if your first impression of this fruit, with its ungainly bulges and tones of brown, green and purple, was dismissive. She plants from seeds, so the roots grow much longer than mine, which is relegated to the depth of the pot. (Heirlooms are much friendlier to seed saving than the ubiquitous red hybrid tomatoes that dominate the commercial market.). I have to admit, they taste great. That is what was contributing to the “watery” quality. I love learning about the history of my food, especially when it comes to tomatoes. Joe Brunetti, a horticulturalist with Smithsonian Gardens, prunes Cherokee Purple tomato vines at the American Museum of Natural History Victory Garden. The Cherokee Purple tomato’s flavor consists of a rich combination of mostly sweet, and some acidic, notes. The last time I had Cherokee tomatoes with my friend in the Bay Area, they were a bit on the watery side, but I do believe they were harvested early and hadn’t had a chance to “dry out” or become perfectly ripe fruit. She said that the humidity really dampened her plant’s growth. An old Cherokee Indian heirloom, pre-1890 variety; beautiful, deep, dusky purple-pink color, superb sweet flavor, and very-large-sized fruit. I posted this photo on gardenchat the other night and someone asked me if the tomatoes tasted the same. I imagine tomato growing was a spiritual thing in Native American culture and when you eat something with a connective story behind it; it feels like you’re a part of that history. And seed savers say discoveries like the Cherokee Purple help preserve not just genetic diversity but also history. I’ve heard of people describe Cherokee Purple’s as “watery.” There might be some truth to the “watery” description. A Cherokee purple tomato grown in Alaska in 2011. Tomate Noire Cherokee Purple - Cette très ancienne variété s’adapte à tous les climats, en particulier aux saisons sèches. But those purple carrots you might spy at the market? Sustaining Aquaponic & Hydroponic Tomatoes with Agritourism. My friend wanted me to taste them while I was in town. For an heirloom, it is a good producer. Bon’ appétit! Cherokees are really sweet and they’re the type of tomato that you can just stick a toothpick in and serve at a cocktail party… At least a party for gardeners! So I think the general description of “watery” tomatoes has more to do with the planting and picking than the actual varieties. Johnston says it's rare that an amateur seed saver discovers a variety that becomes commercially popular, but it's more likely for tomatoes than, say, carrots. Whether you’re buying Cherokees at a farmer’s market or picking them from your home garden, do enjoy eating them in salads or other cold dishes. "Green had the forethought to send them to me, hoping that I would love them.". What is the Best Fertilizer for Tomatoes. Hopefully, I will find some great ones at my local farmer’s market this summer. The Cherokee Purple tomato on the right was grown in a greenhouse, in a five gallon container and watered daily. With more than 3,000 varieties, he has one of the largest personal tomato collections in the country. As for the Cherokee legend, Joe Brunetti, a horticulturalist with Smithsonian Gardens who manages the Victory Garden at the National Museum of American History, says it's quite conceivable that the Cherokees were growing tomatoes in Tennessee over 100 years ago. A Cherokee purple tomato grown in Alaska in 2011. I have a friend on the West Coast that is a die-hard Cherokee Purple Tomato lover. "It was a question of being in the right place at the right time," says LeHoullier, whose book Epic Tomatoes: How To Select & Grow The Best Varieties Of All Time came out in January. “Is this a tomato!? Nevertheless, as I said, I have a friend out West growing them, and when the weather is right, I’m thinking they’ll do well everywhere. Its accuracy is always hard to judge, says LeHoullier. In his small yard at his home in the Raleigh suburbs, he can grow only 200 plants, so each year he must pore over the collection to decide what makes the cut. And we learned that while there are many professional breeders tinkering with the desirable traits that show up in the new varieties, amateur breeders — passionate seed savers and collectors — also play a vital role in discovering fruit and vegetable varieties guarded and nurtured by families over generations. In 2015, Seeds of Change, another seed company, made the Cherokee Purple the poster child for its new initiative Save the Flavors, and is giving away free seeds to encourage people to keep heirloom varieties like it going.