Cherokee Purple Tomato

[MerryBlooms]

One of the beauties from this year's harvest.

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(I've got a few pounds put up for winter to see how it does in sauce)

For tonight, it's going on a half Canadian bacon, whole grain pizza with tomato/pineapple.

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In case folks didn't know where this particular beauty comes from... It's from our own NRaleighLiberal !!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/11594078

[SamKnause]

1. They look delicious !!!!

I had a bumper crop of various tomatoes this year.

I just ate my last fresh tomato this week.

[MerryBlooms]

8. Yeah, this is our last week for fresh too, but I've put up a lot for sauce.

[haikugal]

2. Oh yum!

I need to get some seeds.....for next year!

On edit..

I just checked seed savers and Cherokee Purple is still not available...where did you get your seed?

[MerryBlooms]

9. Very hardy, super producer, buttery goodness. You won't be disappointed!

[irisblue]

3. drool.....

now I need a BLT.....wipes chin

[MerryBlooms]

10. lol, we did our fair share of tomato in everything... BLT for breakfast is probably my fave.

[NRaleighLiberal]

4. yeah, I guess it's a pretty good tomato

[MerryBlooms]

5. It's awesome!

I was just fixin' to add a little something to the post, but knew you'd see that big headline.

[NRaleighLiberal]

6. It's just one of those lucky instances.

That is a tomato that had plans to become well known. Karma! as I tell people, I didn't pick tomatoes to become interested in...the tomatoes chose me! That 1988-1990 period was really fortunate - Anna Russian, Cherokee Purple (which came to me unnamed), Mexico Midget, Lillian's Yellow Heirloom (also unnamed), Coyote (just to name a few) all were sent to me completely unasked for. All I did was grow them, save seeds and get them into the hands of seed companies that liked them enough to put them in their catalogs!

[MerryBlooms]

7. Your C.P. was a star in our garden this year.

We absolutely love it and I'm sharing with all our friends and family.

Well done, sir.

[haikugal]

11. I just saw your book for sale

in the Pinetree 2016 catalog! I love it when I see your book.

[OffWithTheirHeads]

12. I planted some last spring.

Here in Tucson a few feet of differance in where you plant can make a huge difference in the results. Apparently I planted them in the wrong location as I only ended up with three tomatoes but they were the best damn tomatoes I've ever tasted! I will be trying again this spring in several locations. These were just too delicious to give up. I've already ordered more seed. I've also ordered Rapunzal tomatoes. Check em out on Google. I don't know how good they are but they've got to be better than the shit from Safeway and they look amazing!

[MerryBlooms]

14. The Cherokee Purple are a super all-around tomato--

I've used them for salsa, slicing, fried green tomatoes, pasta sauce, freezing... find the right spot on your property, you won't regret it.

[Blue_In_AK]

13. Beautiful!

I wish I could grow those up here, but our season is too short.

[MerryBlooms]

15. Alaska is tough, you'll just have to grow vicariously through us... boomchicawowowow. lol

[Blue_In_AK]

16. NRaleighLiberal says

he's going to send me some short-season seeds to try.

[MerryBlooms]

19. Yay! There's nothing like fresh from the garden.

[arikara]

17. Yes, I tried growing the purple Cherokee once

but our season is too short too. We just don't have enough sun what with the mountain and all the trees which I don't have the heart to cut. We can grow some early varieties though and had one orange cherry tomato plant that produced copious amounts so I saved some seed.

I believe I got the Purple Cherokee seeds from Salt Spring Island seed company.

[Omaha Steve]

18. Here is the NPR story on how NRaleighLiberal discovered and promoted the Cherokee Purple

Be sure to vote: I am in the running for a Good Reads book award for 2015!: http://www.goodreads.com/choiceawards/best-food-cookbooks-2015


My OP: http://www.democraticunderground.com/10025319364


NPR link: http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2013/08/12/211372152/how-a-seed-saver-discovered-one-of-our-favorite-tomatoes

by ELIZA BARCLAY August 14, 201312:31 PM ET

Sherry Shiesl Tatiana's TOMATObase

Fortunately for those of us who are suckers for novelty, every year fruits and vegetables seem to come in more bewitching colors, shapes and flavors. Lately, we've been tickled by the cotton candy grape and the vibrant orange Turkish eggplant. (Egg yolks can be ghostly white, too, but that's another story.)

If you go to the farmers market this time of year, tomatoes are strutting their stuff in all sorts of glorious and quirky hues: green striped, white, pink, even purplish-brown. They boast intriguing names, like Mortgage Lifter, Arkansas Traveler and Pink Berkeley Tie Dye. Some are true heirlooms, passed down over decades or centuries. Others are brand new to the world, the progeny of the latest cross-breeding experiments.

We got to wondering just who, besides farmers, is to thank for this expanding panoply. 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. Every now and then, these amateurs convince seed companies that the rest of the world will want to enjoy something they've discovered.

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. You'd be forgiven if your first impression of this fruit, with its ungainly bulges and tones of brown, green and purple, was dismissive. But its flavor consistently knocks socks off, with its balance of sweet, acid and savory — even a hint of smoke.

FULL story at link.

Be sure and say thanks to NRaleighLiberal for doing this.

OS

[MerryBlooms]

20. Thanks, OS. I've shared NPR's NRaleighLiberal's story on my FB and link to his book.

I'm happy to report at least two friends say the Cherokee Purple is also their fave.

Of course a big "Thank You", NRaleighLiberal!