avatarDan Pfeifer

Summary

The article provides a review of the Cherokee Purple heirloom tomato variety, discussing its origins, characteristics, and flavor profile, while also recommending it as a must-try for tomato enthusiasts.

Abstract

The author of the article, Dan Pfeifer, continues his series on heirloom tomatoes with a focus on the Cherokee Purple variety. This beefsteak tomato, believed to have Cherokee Indian origins, has been popular since the mid-1990s and is known for its distinctive violet-purple hues and exceptional flavor. Despite challenges with plant blight, the Cherokee Purple has produced a satisfactory yield, earning it a highly recommended status among heirloom tomato connoisseurs. The article also provides links to further reading on planting heirloom tomato seeds and other related garden updates.

Opinions

  • The Cherokee Purple tomato is highly valued by the author for its intense flavor and is considered one of the most sought-after heirloom varieties.
  • The article suggests that once gardeners try growing Cherokee Purple tomatoes, they are likely to become a favorite due to their flavor and aesthetic appeal.
  • The author encourages readers to explore different heirloom tomato varieties, indicating an enthusiasm for diversity and experimentation in gardening.
  • Despite the presence of blight, the author views the tomato plants as healthy and productive, showing resilience in the face of common gardening challenges.
  • The Park Seed website's description of the Cherokee Purple tomato is endorsed by the author, highlighting the variety's historical significance and the quality of the fruit it produces.

The Trusty Gardener-Heirloom Tomato Review-A Series (#5) Cherokee Purple

Homegrown Cherokee Purple Tomatoes/Author Photos

Welcome back to my series on heirloom tomatoes. If you are a tomato lover August is a great time for you, especially in the Northern States. We wait all year for those wonderful ripe tomatoes. This time I will review the Cherokee Purple tomato, another wonderful heirloom.

So far in this popular series, I have reviewed Matt's Wild Cherry, Amish Paste, Brandywine, and Costoluto Genovese.

Image Courtesy of Etsy

The origin of Cherokee Purple tomatoes is not totally clear, but it is thought to have originated with the Cherokee Indians. It first came available in seed catalogs in the mid 1990s. They are a beefsteak type tomato and among the “black tomato” varieties. Once you have tried these, they will likely become one of your favorites.

From the Park Seed website:

A beloved heirloom as valuable for its flavor as it is for its unusual look, Cherokee Purple sets giant beefsteaks weighing about a pound and filled with intense violet-purple hues. This is a true legacy plant, believed to have originated more than 120 years ago in the Cherokee nation in Tennessee. The vining plant is very heavy bearing, and each of these tomatoes is a masterpiece of color, flavor, and history. Do not miss this valuable fruit from the American past.

The flavor of these tomatoes is outstanding and they are among the most sought after heirloom varieties. I highly recommend this variety.

For information of all the heirloom tomatoes I grew this year, check out the following article:

The results have been good, even tough the plants were affected by blight. The plants remained healthy enough to produce adequate tomatoes.

Stay tuned for more heirloom tomato reviews. There are so many to try. Each year I try to experiment with some different ones.

Tomato
Heirloom Tomato
Gardening
Vegetables
Outdoors
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