Green-When-Ripe Tomatoes

 

How to tell if a green tomato is ripe and not just an unripe fruit? 

Close your eyes and feel it; if it's soft, it's ripe. Ripe green tomatoes are sweet, rich and luscious -- a little tangy, but sweet!  Not sour !  Not bitter. Delicious and awesome!

Just like a perfectly ripe red or pink or orange or black or purple tomato.  :) 

Don't be shy. Give it a try.

 

Aunt Ruby's German Green ($8.95)  75-78 days.

You're going to love this beautiful Tennessee tomato.

Big, sweet beefsteaks, bursting with a fragrant, complex, spicy-sweetness with a touch of tang. A gorgeous green-when-ripe color, this much sought after variety is a real treat to have in your garden, and is said to be the very best tasting green and our friend Tom Wopat's favorite.

Reaching an average of 1 lb, Aunt Ruby's German Green grows in clusters of 2 or 3.

With its intricate, earthy, unforgettable flavor, this one will broaden your tomato horizons. Very adaptable, and easy to grow with good disease resistance. From Ruby Arnold of Greeneville, Tennessee who passed away in 1997.

 

 

 

 

Green Giant ($8.95 )  60-70 days.

 

On a flavor scale of 1 to 100, Green Giant is a resounding 100 + Incredible. Unforgettable.  The flavor can be described as rich, intoxicating and intense.

 

Occasionally a tomato comes along which deserves very special attention. This big, up to 2 lb., green when ripe tomato resoundingly stole the show in 4 different tomato tastings.

 

We had the immense pleasure of tasting it at TomatoFest in Carmel, California where it captured the hearts of tasters and garnered a great deal of attention. I have not been this impressed by a tomato since discovering Brown Derby in 2007.

 

It arose originally in the garden of Reinhard Kraft of Germany in 2000 when he planted 30 seeds called 'Green Giant' from a friend in Canada. 29 of them grew out regular leafed except for one which had big potato leafed foliage. Reinhard cultivated that one, selecting the best fruit for several seasons, and continued to save seeds. Yay, Reinhard.  

 

NOTE:  How to tell if a green tomato is ripe and not just an unripe fruit?  Close your eyes and feel it; if it's soft, it's ripe.

 

 

  GreenZebra cut open.jpg (600×368)

Green Zebra ($8.95) (E) 72 days. Visually enchanting, abundantly productive, this 2-inch round fruit ripens to a beautiful amber gold with dark green zebra-like stripes over the amber background.

 

Inside, the flesh is beautiful, sparkling green.

 

Another wonderful variety from Tom Wagner, it is gorgeous to behold, tangy and deeply sweet with lingering flavors, like fine wine.  This exquisite tomato was chosen by chef extraordinaire, Alice Waters, for her restaurant, Chez Panisse in Berkeley, California. In my top 5.  

 

 

 

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