Green Grape Cherry Tomatoes
Estimated Inventory, lb : 0
Description/Taste
Green Grape cherry tomatoes have a unique green-gold color when they are fully ripe. They average two to four centimeters in diameter and are rounded with a slightly oblong shape, like that of a grape. Their juicy interior flesh is lime green in color, and offers a rich combination of sweet and spicy flavors with minimal acidity. Green Grape cherry tomatoes are nearly seedless, with only one-tenth of the seeds found in most other cherry tomato varieties. The semi-determinate, bushy Green Grape cherry tomato plants are wide and branchy. They stay compact, with vines reaching an average of just four feet, but they bear fruit for a long season. Despite the shorter vines, they often require support as they tend to be very heavy plants, and they lend themselves well for containers. Green Grape cherry tomato plants are very disease and heat resistant, and they produce high yields of the blemish-free fruit in clusters of four to twelve that hang on the vines like grapes.
Seasons/Availability
Green Grape cherry tomatoes are available in the summer and fall.
Current Facts
Green Grape cherry tomatoes are considered a sister variety to green zebra, but are said to be sweeter in taste. They are a favorite heirloom variety of farmers markets and restaurants because of their unique tangy-sweet flavor and attractive appearance, and many folks find the small grape-like fruits addictive. Tomatoes are scientifically called Lycopersicon esculentum, originally Solanum lycopersicum, and are further categorized in subgroups that represent variations observed within the tomato species. Therefore cherry tomato varieties, such as Green Grape, are more specifically called Lycopersicon esculentum var. cerasiforme.
Nutritional Value
Tomatoes contain decent amounts of calcium and Vitamin K, both of which are essential in strengthening and performing minor repairs on bones and bone tissue. Tomatoes are an excellent source of the strong antioxidant vitamin C, as well as other antioxidants thought to combat the formation of free radicals known to cause cancer. They also contain good amounts of vitamin B and Vitamin A, a nutrient that is beneficial for your eyes, skin, bones and teeth.
Applications
Green Grape cherry tomatoes have a sweet, tart and spritely flavor, reminiscent of a grape, and they are perfect for salads and snacking. They can be used whole in soups and pasta dishes, pairing well with pesto, or used to make fresh, bright green salsa and ketchup. Like all tomatoes, store Green Grape cherry tomatoes at room temperature until ripe, after which refrigeration will slow the process of decay.
Ethnic/Cultural Info
Wild cherry tomatoes are believed to be the ancestors of most tomato varieties on the market today. They are native to the South American Andes, but traveled north through Central America to Mexico, where they were domesticated before the arrival of Columbus. Spanish conquistadors returning from Mexico to Europe in the 16th century brought with them the seeds of these small cherry tomatoes, as well as those of larger, irregularly shaped cultivars.
Geography/History
The Green Grape cherry tomato was originally developed by Tom Wagner of Tater Mater Seed Company in the early 1980s. It is an offspring of the evergreen tomato, just like the green zebra tomato, and many suspect that the other parent variety was a yellow pear cherry tomato. Tomatoes are sensitive to freezing temperatures, so wait to transplant outdoors until the soil is warm and the danger of frost has passed. The Green Grape cherry tomato is said to be a relatively easy cultivar to grow, and has reportedly done well in various states across the U.S.
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