New tomato variety from Cornell ripens green
A Cornell University researcher has developed a new, flavorful and highly productive cherry tomato that’s green when ripe.
The new variety, Jaded, was created by Phillip Griffiths, associate professor of horticulture at Cornell Agritech, who bred it from four heirloom tomato varieties, according to a news release.
Jaded’s skin becomes translucent like a gooseberry and adopts a golden hue when ripe, signaling it’s ready to pick.
“Challenges (in breeding a green tomato) came in knowing when it was ripe,” Griffiths said in the release, “but also the perception of people to green as a color in tomato, because when people think of sweeter types of products, then green doesn’t necessarily come to mind.”
Griffiths began working to improve heirlooms in 2005, when most vegetable breeding programs were more focused on varieties with disease resistance and higher yields, according to the release.
Meanwhile, consumers were starting to have more influence through buying power as they sought different colors and new flavors.
The green cherry is on sale at Fruition Seeds.
The tomatoes are not currently being commercially produced, and the organic seeds are only available as a consumer product at Fruition Seeds, according to a Cornell University spokeswoman.
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