Homegrown heirloom love apple are a sovereign summertime pleasure . And the possibly one of the most famous heirloom tomatoes of all ? Cherokee Purple . So , what exactly is the Cherokee Purple tomato , and why is it so democratic ?
Reason #1: The Legend
Reknowned tomato expert and writer of “ Epic Tomatoes ” , Craig LeHoullier name the Cherokee Purple tomato in 1990 after encounter a surprisal natural endowment of seeds from a man name John D. Green in Tennessee .
Green say that the seeds came from his neighbor whose family had been produce the distinctive tomatoes for over 100 year after receiving seeds as a gift from Cherokee Indians .
Is this honest ? It does n’t even matter . But it ’s a great story that is knockout to draw a blank .
Reason #2: The Flavor
Serious love apple agriculturist are in it for one matter : the distinguishable flavor that only a homegrown tomato can deliver . No matter how ahead of time , no matter how productive , no matter how large , a tomato without a orca tang profile wo n’t make it past the compost bin .
Tomato varieties get passed down from coevals to generation and from neighbor to neighbour for only one reason : it ’s as good on the home plate as it is on the vine .
The flavour of Cherokee Purple is described asrich , complex , sweet , and in the Bible of LeHullier himself , “ a symphonic music ” .
Reason #3: The Remarkable Color
Growers initially dismissed the Cherokee Purple tomato , fear that purchaser would be turn off by its purplish , “ contusion - like ” hue . Today we know that these purplish hues are because of mellow levels of anthocyanins , the compounds found in blueberry bush . Some sketch show that anthocyanins depressed the risk of cardiovascular disease and cancer .
In 1995 , LeHullier discovered a stabilized adaptation of Cherokee Purple in his garden . As a result of genetic mutation , the new variant exhibit more yellow tone . This tomato , now known as Cherokee Chocolate , possesses the same tone and growth drug abuse as Cherokee Purple , but is more chocolately and mahagony color .
Where To Buy Cherokee Purple Seeds
Cherokee Purple love apple seeded player are usable fromBotanical Interestsand Cherokee Chocolate seeds are usable fromTomatofest .
Top Tips for Growing Cherokee Purple Tomatoes
What to Read Next:
How to start tomatoes from seed
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