Sungold F1 Question

[ginger2778]

Hi to all the experienced Sungold growers. I just had all the Sungolds on the very bottom truss ripen to bright orange and they are very tart. This is going to get better as we go up the vine right? Right now I am kind of disappointed.
-Marsha

[kath]

Very odd- the more orange they get the sweeter they are. I think they have a zippy taste as compared to SunSugar and other sweet orange cherries that I've tried which taste kind of sweet but bland- but when they're ripe I wouldn't describe them as tart. Maybe they get dark orange more quickly or more intensely with all the FL heat/sun. My suggestion is to let them color up even more before you taste again.

kath

[carolyn137]

Originally Posted by ginger2778

Hi to all the experienced Sungold growers. I just had all the Sungolds on the very bottom truss ripen to bright orange and they are very tart. This is going to get better as we go up the vine right? Right now I am kind of disappointed.
-Marsha

I've never had ALL the fruits on one truss ripen to orange at the same time. The ones nearest the main stem ripen first and then the ones below ripen.

When folks ask what color they should be when ripe I suggest that they taste the ones near the main stem first and then those in various shades of ripeness ( colors) below since some like the sweetest ones and other's prefer a more tart taste which you can get by picking the ones not yet full orange colored.

Carolyn

[Worth1]

Originally Posted by ginger2778

Hi to all the experienced Sungold growers. I just had all the Sungolds on the very bottom truss ripen to bright orange and they are very tart. This is going to get better as we go up the vine right? Right now I am kind of disappointed.
-Marsha

Simple you are picking them too soon many people do this.
They need to be orange not orange with streaks in it or slightly green at the stem.

Worth

[ginger2778]

Originally Posted by Worth1

Simple you are picking them too soon many people do this.
They need to be orange not orange with streaks in it or slightly green at the stem.

Worth

Thanks Worth, I am learning.
So, if you pick them before they are bright orange, but let them turn very orange on a countertop, is it still not going to give you that taste? In other words, they must ripen completely before picking?
I am hoping its just because it is the lowest stem, first fruit formed,and other tomatoes have tasted better after the whole plant was more mature.
I will be sure to let them become bright orange.
Marsha

[kurt]

Grown them first time also here in deep Homestead.The University of Miami orange shade is when I pick them.The wife loves the earlier not too orange "pop"stage.I had to identify each plant,hers and his.She drives me crazy.She gets up early and picks all of "his".As said before "Man has last word,Yes Dear"If you time it right they can get really fruity in taste.They do tend to split if you overwater as a lot of other cherrys can.So far I have the F1s ripening.Waiting for the Sungold2 and Sungold Selects to come of age.

[kath]

I'm not Worth but I don't feel that the sweetness of Sungolds increases by picking them even when they're all light orange and letting them sit on the counter. Unless rains are predicted and I'm worried about splitting and losing them altogether, I purposely leave them on the vine until I'm ready to eat them. This despite the fact that I rarely let larger tomatoes ripen completely on the vine for fear of splitting or pest damage.

[tjg911]

i have grown sun gold for at least 10 years, iirc i started in 2002. in my experience the fruits ripen at the lowest part of the plant 1st. the first tomatoes of all varieties are usually not up to par and sun gold is no exception. expect the 1st several to be so so, the 1st week they may be less sweet but then they'll be fine. i always pick them when they are almost the full ripe color and let them fully ripen in the house. if they are not fully ripe even in summer then the flavor is not going to be the best (sweetest). sun gold cracks easily so if it is going to rain i'll pick all tomatoes that have any orange color and allow them to ripen inside. i virtually never have a sun gold crack, only the ones i missed will swell with water and crack and that's about 3 or 4 tomatoes a season. is your seed source a good one?

tom

[ginger2778]

Kath and tom,
I am so glad to hear that. I will leave them on for longer until they turn very orange. Tom, I am so glad to hear that it is because this is the first fruit to ripe. Actually i just ate another one with 24 hours more of ripeness and it was much better already, but still not up to what I have tasted from farmer's market Sungolds.
My seed source was Sample seed shop, so I should be OK there.
Thanks for the advice, I feel better now.
Marsha

[Tormato]

Kurt,

Get up earlier.

[kurt]

Originally Posted by Tormato

Kurt,

Get up earlier.

Can't live with them,can't live without them.I am going to try bribery next.Thanx Kurt.