Bumblebees ripeness

[NarnianGarden]

Those of you who have grown Bumblebees: what would you say is the best stage of ripeness for eating?
I did learn Maglia Rosa is optimally picked slightly before the full color. How does it go with Purple Bumblebee - underripe, ripe or overripe?
Waiting for the first one to show color, and it's my vice to pick underripe fruits, hoping they'll taste good..

[Cole_Robbie]

I like everything overripe, but that is just my preference. Whenever I don't like a variety, I will try it again at a riper stage. I like pink tomatoes when they turn red, and yellow tomatoes when they turn orange.

[Fred Hempel]

One thing to keep in mind is that the correlation between color/ripeness and flavor varies with climate and weather.

In cooler weather, I find that tomatoes ripen with less color. In other words, if you wait for full color in cooler weather you can be left with over-ripe tomatoes.

We also find that the color/optimal ripeness combination changes over the course of a plant's life. For Sunrise Bumblebee, early in the season ripe fruits at their peak have little or no marbling. As the season progresses, peak flavor is correlated with more and more marbling (the plants marble up sooner, with respect to ripening).

Originally Posted by NarnianGarden

Those of you who have grown Bumblebees: what would you say is the best stage of ripeness for eating?
I did learn Maglia Rosa is optimally picked slightly before the full color. How does it go with Purple Bumblebee - underripe, ripe or overripe?
Waiting for the first one to show color, and it's my vice to pick underripe fruits, hoping they'll taste good..

[Starlight]

I tried a couple of Purple Bumblebee before they was fully ripe. They had blushed and had color. They was good, but they sure didn't taste as good as what waiting a few days for further ripening did.

Leaving on a few extra days and the full flavor of PB came out. Loved it.

Now with Pink Bumblebee, I found I liked to pick when it had a good blush on it. If I let it ripen to long then to me it tasted way to sweet for my liking.

Now Sunrise BB was awesome to eat at any stage. Didn't have any disease problems with it either during drought along with heat and humidity. That is one yummy plant. : )

[Urbanheirlooms]

I am growing purple & pink Bumblebees and I have determined that Otis best to let them ripen in the vine for best color and taste. This is the only variety that I grow that I do this with. The purples came in first and if I picked them when they blush, they never get good color and the skin is like leather.

[ContainerTed]

For Purple Bumble Bee, I found that the best time is one day before they fall off the vine. Now, if Fred can tell us how to identify that time. Flavor is pretty good. Still, they have a skin that is a bit on the thick side. But, the well defined stripes are quite a visual delight.

[NarnianGarden]

Okay, I will keep that in mind. I have noticed it's a delicate balance trying to find the perfect time and combination... some tomatoes taste sweeter when they ripen, others tend to go mushy (and watery).
It can also be a case by case scenario, as each fruit has their own unique ripening process depending on where they are located on the vine, how they were pollinated etc..

I will try to contain my excitement and pick PBB only when it's super ripe, and enjoy Maglia Rosas as soon as I see some color. (they're growing next to each other in the same container so it's fun to compare.. Both look good and vigorous, after the slow beginning..)

[OhioKate]

I still have yet to grow purple bumblebees but with my sunrise bees I let them develop their full color on the vine. I've picked a few when they are more yellow orange than red orange and the taste was a little too tart for my liking.

[NarnianGarden]

Woohoo, Glory to God! *somersaults and cartwheels*
The first Purple Bumblebee is finally showing some color! A cute little beefsteak that started out as twins.. there is another set of twins coming along too.

Definitely going to be patient and let it ripen until it's all dark...

[Starlight]

I am happy for you! Just a few more days and you'll be able to taste it. I know how excited I was when I finally got to try my first one. Liked it so much growing another plant for fall.

Did your seed come from the swap? The reason I ask is I got alot of twins too. They was just as good as the singles. Just double the pleasure for the mouth to enjoy.

[NarnianGarden]

Originally Posted by Starlight

I am happy for you! Just a few more days and you'll be able to taste it. I know how excited I was when I finally got to try my first one. Liked it so much growing another plant for fall.

Did your seed come from the swap? The reason I ask is I got alot of twins too. They was just as good as the singles. Just double the pleasure for the mouth to enjoy.

Yes, I got the Bumblebees from Cole_Robbie, I think. (Many thanks!)

The propensity to throw mini beefsteaks / twins is a neat detail that would be nice in other cherry varieties too... they look very cute.

[PhilaGardener]

Mine are very pretty and have a nice flavor, but as others have noted the skins seem a bit tough. I had hoped that was just my conditions this year.

[Scooty]

I'm not sure if I'd call them tough; rather I'd say crack resistant. Carbon Copy cracked a lot for me, but Pink, Purple, and Sunrise haven't for me (yet).

[Fred Hempel]

One person's "tough" is another's "crack resistant"

Another note, the "twin" phenomenon occurs often with Purple Bumblebee, typically only on the first fruits on a plant.

[NarnianGarden]

That makes sense. The beefsteak one ripening now is the first fruit.
There are more to come in consequent trusses as well, perhaps due to increase in fertilization schedule? hmm.
Whatever it is, I love twins - wouldn't mind having a set of them one day..