Discuss Tomato Skin Color

[texasrockgarden]

I am not clear about how to determine skin color on a tomato. I have read posts where Carolyn states in part, "I didn't check the epidermis".

What should one look for in the epidermis and at what stage of ripeness should this be done? Microscope or naked eye?

Also, I have read where black tomatoes are actually pink tomatoes. Can light red tomatoes actually be a shade of pink or orange? ...and then there are green tomatoes?

I did a search here on TV for "skin color" and found some discussions about skin color related to specific tomatoes but nothing broader.

Now if this topic has already been discussed a gillion times please point me to the thread and let this thread die a quite death.

[JerryL]

Not a T'Ville discussion but this might help.

http://www.vintageveggies.com/catalo...ato_color.html

[carolyn137]

Originally Posted by texasrockgarden

I am not clear about how to determine skin color on a tomato. I have read posts where Carolyn states in part, "I didn't check the epidermis".

What should one look for in the epidermis and at what stage of ripeness should this be done? Microscope or naked eye?

Also, I have read where black tomatoes are actually pink tomatoes. Can light red tomatoes actually be a shade of pink or orange? ...and then there are green tomatoes?

I did a search here on TV for "skin color" and found some discussions about skin color related to specific tomatoes but nothing broader.

Now if this topic has already been discussed a gillion times please point me to the thread and let this thread die a quite death.

The link that you were just given from Mike Dunton who owns Victory Seeds is an excellent overview of just what you're asking about..

Perhaps you've read in a post I did that I divide the so called black tomates into pink/blacks and red/blacks. That's b'c some dark ones have a clear epidermis such as Cherokee Purple, Indian Stripe and Black from Tula, and red blacks have a yellow epidermis and are much darker in color.

So no, so called black tomatoes are NOT pink, but when they have a clear epidermis the background does show that pinkish color which you won't see in what I call red/blacks such as Black Krim, Carbon, etc., b'c of the yellow epidermis.

Hope that helps.

[Tracydr]

If you happen to grow a pink and red variety at the same time, it becomes fairly easy to see the difference in skin color, at least it was for me.
Yes, there are green when ripe tomatoes. They are very good, too!

[carolyn137]

Originally Posted by Tracydr

If you happen to grow a pink and red variety at the same time, it becomes fairly easy to see the difference in skin color, at least it was for me.
Yes, there are green when ripe tomatoes. They are very good, too!

I hope you're referring to pink/blacks and red/ blacks and not solid color red and pink varieties b'c there are so many shades of both pinks and reds that often , just by looking, you can't tell a dark pink from a red unless you check the epidermis and when you do that you must use controls of a know red and a known pink.

Well I remember that the first time I SSE listed Anna Russian back in maybe the early 90's that I listed it as a red, not a pink. And that b'c it looked red to me. That was before I knew about epidermis colors, but I learned quickly that when in doubt it's best to check epidermis colors.

[bigmeanmamma]

Texasrockgarden, thanks for starting this thread - it was just what I wanted to find.

There are so many possibilities its hard to get a grip on all of them. I found the Victory Seeds overview too and thought Tomatoville would give me more answers

How many skin colors are there?
How many flesh colors?

When a tomato is striped is that only skin deep?