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Grow Tomatoes Review: Chinese Purple Tomato Is a Beautiful Slicer Tomato

July 31st, 2009 | Author: Dot

Day's Harvest of Chinese Purple Tomato 9 July 2009

DoT’s Thot: Don’t confuse these beautiful red yummy Chinese Purple tomatoes with the genetically modified purple tomato — I was shocked at the eggplant purple color when I found it in a picture on the site cited below.

I tried to find more intormation about the tomato seedling that I bought this year and found very little on it, so decided to make my own notes and go from there. So here is what I have figured out so far.

Chinese Purple Tomato with Flowers July 9, 2009

Chinese Purple Tomato with Green Tomatoes on the Vine 9 July 2009

Chinese Purple Tomatoes Ripening on the Vine

Chinese Purple Tomato Plant and Tomato Characteristics

The plant is an indeterminate (I) plant and is relatively rare. This is the first time I had seen it for sale anywhere and was intrigued, since “Chinese” was not too common (lots of other countries I see more often) and “purple” is not a color used very often either. The tag related that this tomato would have outstanding and sweet flavor, yield 8 to 16 oz. fruits, and was listed as a slicer tomato.

I found the plant to be reasonably vigorous and reasonably productive. The fruits have a nice shape and develop into a beautiful deep red. I can see why “purple” in the deepening hues, although I keep thinking that it is more accurately a deep red with some blue undertones. I did not get super large fruits, but 8 ounce fruits were forthcoming.

Chinese Purple Tomato Homage to Fried Rice

I had some of these beautiful tomatoes on hand yesterday, when I had the urge to eat fried rice. I selected my largest slicer and decided to enhance my regular fried rice with this special tomato. That turned out to be a fantastic idea. It worked so well and we ate the rice down to every grain that I decided to share this in another review as an idea you might want to try with your special homegrown tomatoes and leftover rice.

Recipe for Leftover Rice Elevated to a Fine Dish with the Addition of Chinese Purple Tomato (post to come)

Bottom Line Assessment: I was very pleased with the taste and look of this tomato and like the slicer size for side salads. It did very well in a caprese salad with fresh mozarella and basil with just a dribble of balsamic vinegar and frehly ground salt and pepper. I even skipped the olive oil, because the mozarella was enough. Several pieces of this slicer tomato constitute a great sandwich.

I will be looking to plant this one again. I must say, the fried rice was delicious, because the tomato added a certain freshness and sweetness that enhanced the dish.

Aloha, DoT

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