Cherokee Purple is the name of an old variety of

tomato The tomato is the edible berry of the plant ''Solanum lycopersicum'', commonly known as the tomato plant. The species originated in western South America, Mexico, and Central America. The Mexican Nahuatl word gave rise to the Spanish word ...

that develops a fruit with a deep, dusky-rose color while maintaining a somewhat greenish hue near the stem when mature for eating. The deep crimson interior and clear skin combination give it its distinctive color. It was one of the first of the darker color group of tomatoes sometimes described as "blacks."

Southern Exposure Seed Exchange Southern Exposure Seed Exchange (SESE) is a cooperatively-owned seed company. SESE is a source for heirloom seeds and other open-pollinated (non-hybrid) seeds with an emphasis on vegetables, flowers, and herbs that grow well in the Mid-Atlantic r ...

was the first seed company to offer Cherokee Purple, released in limited quantity in 1993. The Cherokee Purple has become a popular heirloom variety.

History

In 1990 John Green of

Sevierville, Tennessee Sevierville ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Sevier County, Tennessee, located in eastern Tennessee. The population was 17,889 at the 2020 United States Census. History Native Americans of the Woodland period were among the first human ...

mailed heirloom tomato expert Craig LeHoullier seeds of an unnamed purple tomato. Green said that the tomato had originated with the

Cherokee The Cherokee (; chr, ᎠᏂᏴᏫᏯᎢ, translit=Aniyvwiyaʔi or Anigiduwagi, or chr, ᏣᎳᎩ, links=no, translit=Tsalagi) are one of the indigenous peoples of the Southeastern Woodlands of the United States. Prior to the 18th century, t ...

s more than 100 years previously. LeHoullier named the tomato "Cherokee Purple" and sent seeds to the Southern Exposure Seed Exchange (SESE). Jeff McCormack, the owner of SESE, said that the tomato "tasted fine, but was kind of ugly -- people may not like it." SESE featured the Cherokee Purple in the 1993 seed catalog. LeHoullier distributed Cherokee Purple seeds to several market growers and one of them, Alex Hitt, who lived in

North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and ...

, had an immediate success growing and selling the tomato despite its ugly appearance. The tomato was described "as looking like a leg bruise." In 2014, Cherokee Purple was named one of the top ten tomato heirloom varieties by the

Seed Savers Exchange Seed Savers Exchange, or SSE, is a non-profit organization based near Decorah, Iowa, that preserves heirloom plant varieties through regeneration, distribution and seed exchange. It is one of the largest nongovernmental seedbanks in the United Stat ...

Characteristics

Cherokee Purple tomatoes are beefsteak in style. They are also notable for having a dense, juicy texture, with small seed locules irregularly scattered throughout the flesh. The comparatively dark interior color is enhanced by the tendency of the seeds to be surrounded by green gel. In 1995, a skin color mutation of Cherokee Purple arose in Craig LeHoullier's North Carolina garden. It was named Cherokee Chocolate, and the yellow skin gives the variety a brownish mahogany hue. Cherokee Green arose in Craig's garden in 1997 from a planting of Cherokee Chocolate. It is one of several tomatoes whose flesh stays green when it ripens; the skin color is yellow, which provides a guide to indicate when the tomato is ripe and ready for harvest. The Cherokee Purple tomato is most commonly available in the summer and fall. This tomato is best enjoyed fresh and is often used in BLT sandwiches and salads. It can also be used when making pizza and pasta sauces.

References

{{Tomatoes Cherokee culture Heirloom tomato cultivars

History

Characteristics

See also

References