Topic: Growing ‘Blue’ tomatoes

[Jayb]

A similar thread last year http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/smf/index.php/topic,68390.0.html

I'm loving these high anthocyanin varieties, this year I’m growing Indigo Rose which is the officially released ‘blue’ variety from Oregon State University. It is meant to be an improvement on OSU Blue, which was an early and unofficial escapee from the university. I’m growing a couple of plants of each, they are flowering and a few fruit set.

I’m also growing some of Tom Wagner’s varieties, Dancing with Smurfs, these were great last year and did quite well outside. New to me ones this  year and with names I can remember off the top of my head; are Helsing Junction Blue (I think this one will be similar to Dancing with Smurfs), Blue Bayou and Chocolate Blues, which is a bush variety. Only small fruit so far, so quite a way to go yet.

Any other ‘blue’ tomato lovers out there?

[antipodes]

I tried growing OSU Blue this year but I am not sure if any survived (I did get my varieties a bit mixed up during planting....)

[Jayb]

The leaves and stem dark colour stands out quite a bit from regular types, which should give the plant.

[Deb P]

Hmm, I saw some of Saddad's plants last year and they looked a bit too much like deadly nightshade for my liking........! ;D

[Jayb]

Hmm, I saw some of Saddad's plants last year and they looked a bit too much like deadly nightshade for my liking........! ;D

I guess there is that similarity, the bluey-black is unusual  ;D

I've grown Wonderberries a few times, but I can't enjoy them as they look so like Nightshade  :o

[saddad]

They ripen to a dark red, from the bottom up... taste good too!  :)

[cestrian]

Blue tomatoes  :o I've never heard of these before!! But just had a look on google images and they look amazing!

Can anyone describe how they taste different to normal toms. I might have a go at these next year.

[cornykev]

All the Italians have blue Toms on our lottie.  :o   :o    :-X

[galina]

Yes definitely!  OSU blue were seriously good here.  A little strange looking, but very tasty. Their skin got blacker the longer they were on the vine in the greenhouse.  Perhaps I harvested them fairly late.  A bit like the green tomato varieties - takes a bit of a knack knowing when they are fully ripe.

Looking forward to the other blues too.  The fruit is still too small to comment properly, but they are setting.

I read that Dancing with Smurfs is not yet considered fully stable by some who have grown this variety last year.  It will be very interesting pooling our results and making comparisons.   

If you appreciate the flavour difference between usual red tomatoes and the earthy brown tomatoes, the citrussy yellow tomatoes, the complex, deep flavoured green tomatoes, then the blues are different again.  I have heard OSU blue being described as 'inky', but could not detect such off-flavours here myself.  A full-flavoured red with slightly exotic overtones, can't think of a really fitting adjective to describe their flavour accurately.  If Indigo Rose is even better flavoured than OSU Blue, we are going to be in for a treat.   :)

[galina]

I tried growing OSU Blue this year but I am not sure if any survived (I did get my varieties a bit mixed up during planting....)

happy to send you more seed if you need.  PM me

[BarriedaleNick]

I am growing Dancing with Smurfs frim your seed swap...
I don't seem to be doing well outdoors with them but they are going great in the polly..
Along with my black chilis it should be a nice colourful crop this year...

[Jayb]

I am growing Dancing with Smurfs frim your seed swap...
I don't seem to be doing well outdoors with them but they are going great in the polly..
Along with my black chilis it should be a nice colourful crop this year...

It's been a difficult year here for growing toms outdoors, that's aside blight. Hopefully the weather will pick up some time this year  :) Black toms and black chillies sound stunning, what a salsa ;D

I read that Dancing with Smurfs is not yet considered fully stable by some who have grown this variety last year.  It will be very interesting pooling our results and making comparisons.    

I believe the seeds I received from Tom were F3 (possibly F4), making seeds I shared last year F4 (possibly F5) so a little way to go yet to being stable. Though all the DWS plants I grew last year looked and tasted very similar. I saved seeds from which I thought were the best plants. So I'll be interested to hear how they do for other folk. The colour was very intense with just a small splash of green ripening to red colour at the bottom, shady side of fruit.

If anyone wants to try them for next year I'd be happy to send some in return for a SAE or there are some in the tomato seed swap. https://sites.google.com/site/virtualtomatoswap/blue


edit; added link

[galina]

Our DwS's should be quite similar then, as they are well down their way to becoming a stable variety.  Looking forward to them.

Indigo rose has a couple of set fruit, large pea sized and pitch black already as of this morning.  DwS hasn't set anything yet.

[Jayb]

DWS's hopefully similar and few surprises with them  ;D
Here's one still very small, anthocyanin starting to colour up.
[attachment=1]

This next one is Chocolate Blues, which looks very black and intense, I'm assuming from the name it is going to be chocolate coloured underneath? But who knows  ;D
[attachment=2]

[Jayb]

Update on Chocolate Blues;

This one has lovely stripes underneath the antho.
[attachment=1]

Very dark but stripes still faintly visable.
[attachment=2]

[Poolcue]

[

If anyone wants to try them for next year I'd be happy to send some in return for a SAE or there are some in the tomato seed swap. https://sites.google.com/site/virtualtomatoswap/blue


edit; added link
[/quote]

Wow what a selection I hope to be able to look at this later in the year. :)

[Jayb]

I may have a few more 'blue' varieties to add in to the swap later on, depending on taste and if I get enough ripe ones to save for seed   :-\

[cestrian]

[

If anyone wants to try them for next year I'd be happy to send some in return for a SAE or there are some in the tomato seed swap. https://sites.google.com/site/virtualtomatoswap/blue


edit; added link

Wow what a selection I hope to be able to look at this later in the year. :)
[/quote]

Hi poolcue

I will swap you some seeds for yellow blocker toms that I am growing this year.

pm me!

Ian.

[Jayb]

I picked the first of my DWS this week, nice tomatoey flavour, not sweet. They do look good mixed in with other cherries, just love the contrast  :)

Our DWS's should be quite similar then, as they are well down their way to becoming a stable variety.  Looking forward to them.

Indigo rose has a couple of set fruit, large pea sized and pitch black already as of this morning.  DWS hasn't set anything yet.

Its funny mine have been almost the reverse, DWS were setting and OSU and Indigo Rose much more reluctant to set fruit. I've a few trusses with nothing on, when we had all a particularly wet period, just too cold and damp for good pollen production.

[Jayb]

This is Shadow Boxing, still quite young, but they look an interesting shape and intense colour.