When to Pick Sungold - Page 2

mashermike · May 13, 2015

I'm with Linda, fully ripe here. And always just before the rain. Sungold = splitter.

Fred Hempel · May 13, 2015

When to pick must be determined by experimentation. As the fruit ripen, the flavor changes. And we all have different preferences, which sometimes are hard to even describe.

This is true of most tomatoes.

One other note -- as the season/weather changes, the color associated with flavor profiles change as well. In other words, a color associated with maximal flavor (for you) may not remain constant over the course of a season.

I really think this is a situation where personal taste-testing fruits of different ripeness is much more valuable than the consensus in this thread.

**carolyn137** · May 14, 2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by AlittleSalt

Cool Worth, nice truck.

I'm collecting Cherokee tomato seeds through trades here. So far, I have Cherokee Chocolate, Lime, and Purple. I know there is one called Cherokee Green, but I'm unsure if Green and Lime are the same thing or not?

I wonder if there are Cherokee YWR, OWR, WWR and all the other When Ripe varieties? Could you imagine a huge blue when ripe tomato.

Cherokee Chocolate is the same as Cherokee Purple, but did have a mutation that appeared in Craig's garden, CP has a clear epidermis and CC mutated to a yellow epidermis which gave it that darker color.

No, Cherokee Green and Cherokee Lime are very different varieties with different origins,

I see that Tania has not listed Cherokee Lime yet, but Googling will answer that question.

Then there's Cherokee Lime Stripes andothe Cherokeeones as well.

Just noting that my tax preparer has been here for the last two hours, I had papers to sign, and we ended up talking about food, so it anyone has answered the question before I hit the submit button, I apologize,

Carolyn

AlittleSalt · May 15, 2015

The forecast is for inches of rain again tomorrow, and we have already seen some splitting. We picked and ate the top two Sungold tomatoes in post #1. They tasted kind of citrus-like and not much like a tomato. I guess we need to let them be fall-off-the-vine ripe before trying them again.

Worth1 · May 16, 2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by AlittleSalt

The forecast is for inches of rain again tomorrow, and we have already seen some splitting. We picked and ate the top two Sungold tomatoes in post #1. They tasted kind of citrus-like and not much like a tomato. I guess we need to let them be fall-off-the-vine ripe before trying them again.

They are never going to taste like a tomato.
And they will ripen and taste just fine if you pick them early.

Worth

ginger2778 · May 16, 2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by KarenO

you need Cherokee chocolate then

KO

And Cherokee Lemon, and Cherokee Lime Stripes! Stay Tuned to Carolyn's seed offers.

Worth1 · May 16, 2015

These ones are ripe.

These aren't they are about 3 days off but need to be picked at this stage if heave rain is in the forecast.

Fred Hempel · May 16, 2015

Worth,

Your photos illustrate my point. You call the tomatoes in the top photo "ripe". For me, those are "over-ripe". You call the tomatoes in your lower photo "3 days off" and I call them "peak flavor".

wormgirl · May 16, 2015

Mine never got that orange! Just a touch of that bright orange on the stem end. Any longer, and they would split.

ddsack · May 16, 2015

To me, when they are dead ripe or over-ripe, they are just sweet, sweet, sweet -- and not that appealing to me. When they are mid-ripe(?) they have a more interesting flavor with the fruity sweetness balanced by a nice acidity which is what I prefer. Fred H. is right in that everyone needs to try them at difference stages of ripeness determined by color and softness of flesh to figure out personal preference.

AlittleSalt · May 16, 2015

Of the two tomatoes we ate, One was the color of those in pic #2. The other was between pic 1 and 2 in color. The overall taste was good.

I'm wondering if the fact that we have had overcast skies for two weeks may also factor in on how they taste?

wormgirl · May 16, 2015

Yeah, aren't the first tomatoes ripened not necessarily the best tasting the plant will produce? They might get better as you get more sun.

Dewayne mater · May 18, 2015

Salt - I think the lack of hot temps means that tomato flavor is going to be much less intense that in most years. I expect that to change soon, but, for those ripening right now, flavor has been good, but, not as good as what it will be. Have we seen a temp above 85 this year? If so, it wasn't for more than a hour or two then right back to raining and overcast.

Dewayne Mater

Worth1 · May 18, 2015

Both of my Sungold plants are way over the top of the 6 foot Texas Tomato Cages.
The other plants are too.

I'm sort of at a loss as to weather I should flip the bottoms of some more cages and stack them on top.

Worth

AlittleSalt · May 18, 2015

Dewayne, On Sunday, the Fox 4 weather person hinted at an upper level high being here sometime next week, but she did say maybe.

I'm sure you are right on the lack of sun and tomato flavor.

May 16, 2015	#25
ddsack Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Northern Minnesota - zone 3 Posts: 3,220	To me, when they are dead ripe or over-ripe, they are just sweet, sweet, sweet -- and not that appealing to me. When they are mid-ripe(?) they have a more interesting flavor with the fruity sweetness balanced by a nice acidity which is what I prefer. Fred H. is right in that everyone needs to try them at difference stages of ripeness determined by color and softness of flesh to figure out personal preference. __________________ Dee **************

May 13, 2015	#16
mashermike Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2009 Location: GA Posts: 55	I'm with Linda, fully ripe here. And always just before the rain. Sungold = splitter.

May 13, 2015	#17
Fred Hempel Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Sunol, CA Posts: 2,723	When to pick must be determined by experimentation. As the fruit ripen, the flavor changes. And we all have different preferences, which sometimes are hard to even describe. This is true of most tomatoes. One other note -- as the season/weather changes, the color associated with flavor profiles change as well. In other words, a color associated with maximal flavor (for you) may not remain constant over the course of a season. I really think this is a situation where personal taste-testing fruits of different ripeness is much more valuable than the consensus in this thread.

May 15, 2015	#19
AlittleSalt BANNED FOR LIFE Join Date: May 2014 Posts: 13,333	The forecast is for inches of rain again tomorrow, and we have already seen some splitting. We picked and ate the top two Sungold tomatoes in post #1. They tasted kind of citrus-like and not much like a tomato. I guess we need to let them be fall-off-the-vine ripe before trying them again.

May 16, 2015	#22
Worth1 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Den of Drunken Fools Posts: 38,539	These ones are ripe. These aren't they are about 3 days off but need to be picked at this stage if heave rain is in the forecast.

May 16, 2015	#24
wormgirl Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2015 Location: Tacoma, WA Posts: 245	Mine never got that orange! Just a touch of that bright orange on the stem end. Any longer, and they would split.

May 18, 2015	#28
Dewayne mater Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2008 Location: DFW, Texas Posts: 1,212	Salt - I think the lack of hot temps means that tomato flavor is going to be much less intense that in most years. I expect that to change soon, but, for those ripening right now, flavor has been good, but, not as good as what it will be. Have we seen a temp above 85 this year? If so, it wasn't for more than a hour or two then right back to raining and overcast. Dewayne Mater