Blush on a green tomato

[ljp]

I've seen threads on how to tell if a green tomato is ripe; but, when is it blushing? I'm growing Moldavian Green, a green striped tomato.

[carolyn137]

Originally Posted by ljp

I've seen threads on how to tell if a green tomato is ripe; but, when is it blushing? I'm growing Moldavian Green, a green striped tomato.

Moldovan Green is not striped so are you sure you have Moldovan Green?

http://www.google.com/search?tbm=isc...094l2-4.6l10l0

Above is a link to Google IMAGES showing many pictures of Moldovan Green. Since it has a yellow epidermis it develops an amber blush as it ripens, as you can see in the pictures.

There are some GWRipe varieties that have a clear epidemis and they don't develop any blush at all.

Hope that helps.

[travis]

Yes, green when ripe tomatoes with a yellow epidermis usually develop an amber blush when fully ripe, and green when ripe tomatoes with a clear epidermis sometimes do not develop any blush at all when fully ripe. But some green when ripe tomatoes with clear epidermis indeed do develop a pink blush when fully ripe, sometimes more blush depending on the degree of daytime heat when the tomatoes are ripening.

For example, Green Giant developes a distinct pink blush and pink streaking in the ectocarp during extended periods of heat. There are other examples I could give of green when ripe, clear epidermis tomatoes that show a pink blush, but those are still developing lines that as yet have no names. One is a derivative of Cherokee Green, which itself has an amber blush when ripe, so it should come as no surprise that the clear skinned derivative has a faint pink blush when ripe.

[carolyn137]

Originally Posted by travis

Yes, green when ripe tomatoes with a yellow epidermis usually develop an amber blush when fully ripe, and green when ripe tomatoes with a clear epidermis sometimes do not develop any blush at all when fully ripe. But some green when ripe tomatoes with clear epidermis indeed do develop a pink blush when fully ripe, sometimes more blush depending on the degree of daytime heat when the tomatoes are ripening.

For example, Green Giant developes a distinct pink blush and pink streaking in the ectocarp during extended periods of heat. There are other examples I could give of green when ripe, clear epidermis tomatoes that show a pink blush, but those are still developing lines that as yet have no names. One is a derivative of Cherokee Green, which itself has an amber blush when ripe, so it should come as no surprise that the clear skinned derivative has a faint pink blush when ripe.

All true Travis but I interpreted the question to refer not to the pink blush at the blossom end which sometimes I do see and other times not, rather to the over all color change of the entire fruit, which in the case of Moldovan Green is what I call am amber color, some actually call it a gold color at various places on the net.I got into a vigorous discussion withl Will Weaver at one time many years ago about pink blushes at the blossom end of many yellow/gold varieties.

Is there any information as to gene(s) that actually are involved with that pink blush and if there are I'd suggest it( they) may be temperature sensitive b;c some years a GWRIpe will have that pink blush and the sane varieety other years, same seeds, won;t.

[ljp]

A lot of the pictures have dark green vertical streaks. That was what I was referring to. The streaking is more pronounced on my tomatoes. Looking at some of the other varieties, dark streaks are common. Are stripes different?

Back to the blush, a couple of the tomatoes are turning pale yellow where they aren't streaked.

[travis]

The dark green streaks that appear thru the skin are chlorophyll retained in the pericarp as the tomato ripens. This is common in "gf" (green fleshed gene) tomatoes such as Cherokee Purple, Indian Stripe, Cherokee Green, and many others of that type. But you can see it in tomatoes of other colors like yellow fleshed and red fleshed tomatoes less frequently. It's similar to the chlorophyll streaks that extend down a bit from the green shoulders of red tomatoes before they turn ripe, the chlorophyll fades, and the red elements completely dominate the flesh.

Even in the black and purple tomatoes like Cherokee Purple and Indian Stripe, those dark green chlorophyll streaks eventually are obscured to the point that the remaining green only stains the redness enough to cause a brownish, neutral color like maroon. In the gf fruit that remains truly green inside, those dark green streaks can remain more distinct. If you have a green when ripe that has remaining green chlorophyll streaks under the skin when there is a yellow or amber blush at the blossom end, and the tomato feels ripe to the touch, it's ready to eat.

That may not sound real clear, but I've been to a couple of clubs tonight, and I'm not thinking real clear either sorry!

[ljp]

Travis,

I was going to keep it short so you could go to bed; but, "thanks" was too short.

[carolyn137]

I didn't go to any clubs as Travis did, I stayed home and watched tennis on TV, . but did you see any stipes at all on any of the pictures I showed from Google for Moldovan Green at any stage of ripeness? I don't think so.

Would you have a picture of your Moldovan Green that you can share with us?

THe green when ripes are one of my favorite types of varieties to grow and I've grown a lot of them. And the only one that's commonly available that I know of having green stripes at maturity is Green Zebra, bred by Tom Wagner, and also the newer cherry tomato called Green Zebra Cherry which is not known to be derived from GZ but has striping like it.

And yes, several of the varieties that Travis mentioned, such as Indian Stripe and Cherokee Purple can and do have those green stripes, to one degree or another, even when ripe.

[ljp]

I see vertical shades of green. I take it stripes are more definite. They were a much paler green that the others; I hope that's blush.

[carolyn137]

Yes, true stripes at maturity are quite different.

I just linked to the Google link again to point out some features and also linked to Google IMAGES to show you true striping on Green Zebra and lost the whole post b'c I hit a wrong key.

it happens, but if I'm in the mood I'll come back later and post both of those links again and try to remember what I said about specific pictures.

When you view fruit pictures at Google put your mouse over the picture which then Id's the variety b'c sometime more than one variety is shown. For instance with the Moldovan Green pictures Aunt Ruby's German Green pictures are also there at the same site. But it's the same story with WRGG as it is with ripe Moldovan Green; no true striping.

[ljp]

I do want to thank both of you for the replies. It's my first green.

[travis]

The dark green shading down from the shoulders in those two tomatoes is not really any different than the green shoulders in an unripe red fleshed tomato. That's just chlorophyll that hasn't converted. In your earlier posts, I thought you meant distinct dark green streaks under the skin that appeared as zippers from the shoulders all the way too the blossom scar.

I wouldn't pick or eat green when ripe tomatoes until they feel ripe or nearly ripe to the touch.

[carolyn137]

Originally Posted by travis

The dark green shading down from the shoulders in those two tomatoes is not really any different than the green shoulders in an unripe red fleshed tomato. That's just chlorophyll that hasn't converted. In your earlier posts, I thought you meant distinct dark green streaks under the skin that appeared as zippers from the shoulders all the way too the blossom scar.

I wouldn't pick or eat green when ripe tomatoes until they feel ripe or nearly ripe to the touch.

Again I agree.

I haven't been near the computer since about 6 PM Eastern b'c of tornado warnings and severe T-storm warnings and it's been terrible here, with more to come but it's quiet now.

In the poot I lost I did talk about the uniform ripening gene which if a variety has it the fruits ripen up to the stem, if it doesn't, then you see those green shoulders that Travis referred to above.

The uniform ripening gene is bred into all modern hybrids and many OP heirloom varieties also have it, but certainly not all.

Time to check the radar again and then try to go back to bed with maybe a pillow over my eyes so I don't see the wicked lightning.