Anyone heard of/grown this interesting tomato?

tgplp · February 25, 2012

This tomato's color looks pretty unique, but I've never seen it anywhere except for Gary Ibsen's site.

http://store.tomatofest.com/Blue_Fruit_p/tf-0071.htm

Anyone know anything about this variety?

It'd be cool to cross it with one of the new "blue" type tomatoes.

The pictures of Blue Fruit look a lot redder on Tania's site than Gary's:
http://t.tatianastomatobase.com:88/wiki/Blue_Fruit

Taryn

MarinaRussian · February 25, 2012

I've heard of this variety and it is being sold here by a Russian seed vendor. I know a few people that will be trying it this year and if it's any good, I will order some Blue Fruit seeds this fall

**carolyn137** · February 25, 2012

Blue Fruit has long been known from the SSE YEarbooks and yes, I've grown it. It's known to me as Blauefruct, in German, and is one of the most disease prone varieties I've ever grown with a spindly growth habit.

It isn't blue or anything like that. It's a brownish color, Tania even calls it black Taryn:

http://t.tatianastomatobase.com:88/wiki/Blue_Fruit

All to say I was never impressed with it and wouldn't grow it again.

And it isn't blue at all. I was going to lift some of the descriptions of it, color-wise, from some of my back SSE YEarbooks, looked at just a few, but no one describes it as blue, most saying brown, sometimes with a grey cast to it, some even saying a reddish/violet cast to it with which I might agree, but certainly not blue.

Taste? Nothing special for me.

horses4jess · February 25, 2012

I tried this variety last year. After three medium-sized pinkish-brown tomatoes, it succumbed to foliage disease several weeks before any of my other plants showed symptoms. The taste was unremarkable for me--on the bland side with not much acid to it. I don't plan to grow it again.

tgplp · February 25, 2012

That's too bad!

Oh well, there are thousands of other varieties to try....

Taryn

horses4jess · February 26, 2012

Didn't mean to discourage you from trying it! Perhaps it is a better northern climate tomato that doesn't do as well down here in the hot, humid south.

goodwin · February 26, 2012

Yes, I've grown it too, and it got mushy. Maybe I should have picked it earlier, but I kept waiting for it to turn color! What 'blue' tomatoes are you trying?

February 25, 2012	#1
tgplp Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Pacific North West, zone 8a Posts: 510	Anyone heard of/grown this interesting tomato? This tomato's color looks pretty unique, but I've never seen it anywhere except for Gary Ibsen's site. http://store.tomatofest.com/Blue_Fruit_p/tf-0071.htm Anyone know anything about this variety? It'd be cool to cross it with one of the new "blue" type tomatoes. The pictures of Blue Fruit look a lot redder on Tania's site than Gary's: http://t.tatianastomatobase.com:88/wiki/Blue_Fruit Taryn Last edited by tgplp; February 25, 2012 at 02:13 AM. Reason: added link

February 25, 2012	#3
carolyn137 Moderator Emeritus Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Upstate NY, zone 4b/5a Posts: 21,169	Blue Fruit has long been known from the SSE YEarbooks and yes, I've grown it. It's known to me as Blauefruct, in German, and is one of the most disease prone varieties I've ever grown with a spindly growth habit. It isn't blue or anything like that. It's a brownish color, Tania even calls it black Taryn: http://t.tatianastomatobase.com:88/wiki/Blue_Fruit All to say I was never impressed with it and wouldn't grow it again. And it isn't blue at all. I was going to lift some of the descriptions of it, color-wise, from some of my back SSE YEarbooks, looked at just a few, but no one describes it as blue, most saying brown, sometimes with a grey cast to it, some even saying a reddish/violet cast to it with which I might agree, but certainly not blue. Taste? Nothing special for me. __________________ Carolyn

February 25, 2012	#2
MarinaRussian Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Russia Posts: 176	I've heard of this variety and it is being sold here by a Russian seed vendor. I know a few people that will be trying it this year and if it's any good, I will order some Blue Fruit seeds this fall

February 25, 2012	#4
horses4jess Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Northeastern KS, Zone 6a Posts: 130	I tried this variety last year. After three medium-sized pinkish-brown tomatoes, it succumbed to foliage disease several weeks before any of my other plants showed symptoms. The taste was unremarkable for me--on the bland side with not much acid to it. I don't plan to grow it again.

February 25, 2012	#5
tgplp Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Pacific North West, zone 8a Posts: 510	That's too bad! Oh well, there are thousands of other varieties to try.... Taryn

February 26, 2012	#6
horses4jess Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Northeastern KS, Zone 6a Posts: 130	Didn't mean to discourage you from trying it! Perhaps it is a better northern climate tomato that doesn't do as well down here in the hot, humid south.

February 26, 2012	#7
goodwin Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Espanola, New Mexico Posts: 608	Yes, I've grown it too, and it got mushy. Maybe I should have picked it earlier, but I kept waiting for it to turn color! What 'blue' tomatoes are you trying?