89 cent tomatoes

[coloken]

I saw some tomatoes in the local save**** store for 89 cants a pound. In the interest of science I bought two. About 4 or 5 oz, perfect shape and color. Pink I thing, and very nice looking. Only thing is, they are hard as a rock. I am waiting to see if they ever soften up. Use them for baseball practice? I might put screw hooks in them and hang them on my tomato plants to impress the neibours, or better yet, save them for Christmas tree decorations.
The said hot house. Any idea what variety they are?
KennyP

[b54red]

Sounds like a hybrid called Early Challenge that we grew one year. Very productive, with 4 to 8 ounce fruit, hard as rocks, will rot before they fully ripen. Needless to say not a repeat in my garden. It did taste slightly better than the ones you get in the grocery store during the dead of winter but not by much.

[carolyn137]

Originally Posted by coloken

I saw some tomatoes in the local save**** store for 89 cants a pound. In the interest of science I bought two. About 4 or 5 oz, perfect shape and color. Pink I thing, and very nice looking. Only thing is, they are hard as a rock. I am waiting to see if they ever soften up. Use them for baseball practice? I might put screw hooks in them and hang them on my tomato plants to impress the neibours, or better yet, save them for Christmas tree decorations.
The said hot house. Any idea what variety they are?
KennyP

Not a clue. They could be a pink hybrid of which there are several they could be an OP pink variety of that size of which there are hundreds.

So I can't see any way that you'll be able to even make a so called educated guess at what specific variety they might be.

[coloken]

Unless I find out other, I am going to think they are Early Challenge. The pictures and description are a perfect match. Don't believe me when i said pink..I am still not sure I can tell pink from red.
When I get up my nerve, I will try to eat one.
KennyP

[carolyn137]

Originally Posted by coloken

Unless I find out other, I am going to think they are Early Challenge. The pictures and description are a perfect match. Don't believe me when i said pink..I am still not sure I can tell pink from red.
When I get up my nerve, I will try to eat one.
KennyP

I Googled it and it's called Park's Early Challenge and it is a hybrid and fruit color is red.

How on earth you're going to tell the difference between the many hybrids that have red fruits of that size is beyond me. And most of them are as hard as a rock anyway b'c so many of them are bred for long shelf life/shipping. And since you bought the fruits you don't know what the plant habit is so you can't winnow it down based on that trait.

Ah well, good luck!

If you really want to know what specific variety it is, is it possible for you to go back to the storoe and ask the Produce Manager if he or she knows what they are or can give you contact information that might help?

[piegirl]

You can try placing the tomatoes in a brown paper bag with an apple or two. I have used this on store tomatoes in the winter. The flavor does improve and they do soften - somewhat. Piegirl

[Sherry_AK]

Originally Posted by coloken

I might put screw hooks in them and hang them on my tomato plants to impress the neibours

What a great idea!!!