Cherokee Purple vs Indian Stripe

[carolyn137]

Originally Posted by Al@NC

I think as a tomato grower that likes purple tomatoes, you have to grow both eventually. I mean it's really just a question when to grow either one! They're both different enough and good enough to warrant being grown...

Allen

But neither CP or IS have any purple at all.Both have a clear epidermis.

The word purple was used many years ago, to mean pink.

So the following all have a clear epidermis

Eva Puple Ball
Prudens Purple
Aunt Ginny's Purple

..... and on and on.

There are very few varieties that do show something like purple and some are

Purple Smudge
Orange Fleshed Purple Smudge
Purple Calabash
Noire des Cosebeauf.

So I refer to pink/blacks,if you will,the first group I listed and to red/blacks that have a yellow epidermis,ones such as Carbon, Black Krim and friends.

Carolyn

[Al@NC]

I just have to remember that purple when describing blacks is the old way of naming things.

So Rosella Purple (not that old) should have been named Rosella Black as in pink/black.

Then we still have new tomatoes like Owen's Purple being named purple...

Al

[Dewayne mater]

I think there is a difference in the taste, but, not remarkably so and it may well have to do with environment as much as genetics. I gave up on CP after inconsistent production over a few years and Indian Stripe has returned year after year. I S clearly does better in Texas heat for me. The other tomato I consider similar in taste, though with a more compact growth and slightly smaller fruit is JD's Special C-Tex. It is a perennial at my place as well and a champion producer. If you haven't tried it, give it a go some time. Good luck.

Dewayne mater

[Delerium]

I prefer Indian stripe over cp also. Better yield/production / Fruit quality seems better (less cracks / splits) compared to cp and taste just as good as CP. Cherokee purple plants seem wimpy compared to indian stripe plants which make shy away from growing CP.

[b54red]

Originally Posted by Dewayne mater

I think there is a difference in the taste, but, not remarkably so and it may well have to do with environment as much as genetics. I gave up on CP after inconsistent production over a few years and Indian Stripe has returned year after year. I S clearly does better in Texas heat for me. The other tomato I consider similar in taste, though with a more compact growth and slightly smaller fruit is JD's Special C-Tex. It is a perennial at my place as well and a champion producer. If you haven't tried it, give it a go some time. Good luck.

Dewayne mater

That is really wild because most years JD's Special C Tex makes some of the largest black tomatoes for me. Last year was the only year they were smaller than IS in all the years I have grown it. JD's is also a fabulous tasting tomato but it is invariably the first or second one to get gray mold every year; but despite that it is also one of my favorites. For me Spudakee is almost as reliable as IS. CP has been too inconsistent down here in our heat and humidity but Spudakee is basically the same tomato just a far better producer with potato leaves.

Bill