beyond catfacing

[habitat_gardener]

Here's another oddity. I got the plant at an exchange, labeled Zapotec. But they're quite small, and I'm wondering if it's really Purple Calabash.

Most of them look ruffled on top and relatively plain on the bottom, but several of them have -- what would you call it? -- maybe cat-and-mouse facing?

[habitat_gardener]

oops. Here are the photos. Most of them are flattish and 2-3 inches across.

[brokenbar]

Zapotec is not purplish and not this convoluted. Also it is quite large. These look like Purple Calabash to me, especially pictured from the bottom...

[KarenO]

do they taste that good that they are worth dealing with the difficult slicing or impossible peeling?
I imagine they must or nobody would grow it
KO

[AKmark]

I had a Hillbilly do that this year, they taste just fine, and actually are an interesting conversation piece too. (lol) I also don't think, you will never find them in a tailored for looks hybrid.

[habitat_gardener]

Originally Posted by KarenO

do they taste that good that they are worth dealing with the difficult slicing or impossible peeling?
I imagine they must or nobody would grow it
KO

I offered them to someone who was walking around the community garden, who asked,
"Is that a tomato?"
I replied, "It's a work of art."

It's much too small to peel or slice. It's a creative hors-d'oeuvre, or an amuse-bouche.

[KarenO]

If you say so
KO

[brokenbar]

I grew them once, long ago...bleh...seedy, spots that are hard green and the rest gets over ripe, impossible to slice and at least from my perspective, not worth the trouble. I don't eat raw tomatoes so I have no idea how they taste... They also have a woody stem and hard core.

[travis]

That type of tomato drives me nuts! I've grown several, both stable lines with bona fide names, and unstable lines segregated out from such things as Purple Haze and other intentional and unintentional crosses.

Most of them ended up being tart seed bags with corky, white cores, and an unacceptable quantity of gel slime ... and as you show, lots of catfacing and zippering as a result of being unaclimated to the environment.

[VC Scott]

Originally Posted by habitat_gardener

Here's another oddity. I got the plant at an exchange, labeled Zapotec. But they're quite small, and I'm wondering if it's really Purple Calabash.

Most of them look ruffled on top and relatively plain on the bottom, but several of them have -- what would you call it? -- maybe cat-and-mouse facing?

That sure looks like Purple Calabash to me. I bought a Pruden's Purple at the nursery this year that turned out to be Purple Calabash. So we both got Purple Calabash as a surprise this year.

A few years ago I grew Purple Calabash intentionally. It was in an area of the garden that got lots of shade. This caused ripening to be slower than normal and I didn't pick until the fruit was very ripe. I cut them in little wedges, each lobe a wedge and ate them with a little olive oil and balsamic vinegar. I thought they were great, but just about everything with olive oil and balsamic vinegar tastes great.

When ripe, the flavor of Purple Calabash is pretty intense. Kind of like a highly concentrated Syrah, a big bold wine. Not for the feint hearted and I am sure not to everyone's taste.

[NarnianGarden]

Some of these little cute bumps are really art... Who wouldn't want to eat such a tomato?

[newatthiskat]

Being a nurse I am thinking of hemorrhroids LOL

[brokenbar]

Originally Posted by newatthiskat

Being a nurse I am thinking of hemorrhroids LOL

Now that gives me a pretty gross mental image!!!

[NarnianGarden]

Originally Posted by newatthiskat

Being a nurse I am thinking of hemorrhroids LOL

Olive oil is a good remedy for that ailment, both internally and externally