Now then , I grew lots of tomatoes during the summer this year , I started them off very early in February and March and they did very well. Tomatoes aren't all that difficult really .In May my husband returned from a trip to America , with a very generous packet of Cherokee Purple Tomato seeds .This is a very old and favourite Cherokee Indian heirloom tomato .
I knew it was a bit late to start them really , but just couldn't wait and decided to sow just four seeds and save the rest for next year .
Well they all germinated ...and grew..and grew ...and flowers came...and one teeny little tomato began to form . Cherokee Purple are known to be very slow to ripen .
......So ...very slowly to ripen ....it did !
all the other tomato plants finally faded away and their fruits harvested and their vines thrown on the compost heap...but this one ..the Cherokee Purple is still growing away quite happily .
I decided yesterday that it was not going to grow any fatter and that it was about as ripe as it could ever get and that it was time to be picked and munched .
That is just a regular size Christmas bauble hanging over head ..to give you an idea of size . It does have a purpley tinge towards the top , although this was hard to capture with my camera .
Cherokee Purple tomatoes actually get much bigger than this..er ...size of an apple I think , big beefsteak type beasty .
They are said to be the tastiest tomato on the planet , like brandy wine ....I wouldn't know...I,ve never had brandy wine ,I dont drink .
Anyway so here goes .......
On slicing our little Cherokee Purple tomato ,we find that it is very fleshy inside and every bit as rosie red as the outside . My first thought is " no seeds ? ! "
Husband and I had two juicy pieces each to try ..and I thought to myself ..." Here goes , it is going to be disgusting !"
Wrong ! This has to be the most sweetest , delicious tomato I have ever eaten !
A little sad there were no seeds to save .
I am looking forward to growing some of the remaining seeds in the packet next year.
I will start them off in February with the others .
The Cherokee Purple tomato plant itself is still growing quite healthily up in my greenhouse and who knows , I might get it through the winter .
Anyone else grown this amazing tomato here in Cornwall or elsewhere in the UK ? I,d like to hear your thoughts on it .
I grew them last year, they were good, I planted them shallow at the bottom of a deep pot and then every week like potatoes I added soil to the pot, it made the plant really strong. I was also able to cut some shoots off and they rooted also.
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