Holy crap, it looks like a plum!

Cool! What kind is it? Have you tasted one yet?

Interesting ,
Reminds me of pics I've seen of our tomatos ancestry in the Andes. Is that a new onek ?

Mule,
These two links are the closest (color wise) I can find to what you are growing. I don't see a husk so it is not a tomatillo.
Please share with us;
name
determinate/indeterminate
days to mature
taste
taste
taste
and if you could please let us know how it tasted.
I think it would look good in an omelet with purple bell peppers

Pruden's Purple
http://store.tomatofest.com/Prudens_Purple_Tomato_Seeds_p/tf-0404.htm

link to Blue Fruit Heirloom Tomato

Here is a link that might be useful: Blue Fruit Heirloom Tomato

link to Blue Fruit Heirloom Tomato

****

That's not what mule is referring to. Blue Fruit, or Blaufruct, as it's also known, is a completely different tomato and a legitimate heirloom, which I've grown.

I thought Keith might say more about this blue one, so I won't say that much b'c I've forgetten most of the background. ( smile)Well, I could say more b'c I thought they tasted terrible, LOL

It's an experimental development and seeds are not commercially available and probably won't be for a good long while, just my opinion.

I think those with seeds to be used in breeding projects had to sign off and say they wouldn't share seeds with anyone. But I know of one instance of someone working in that lab who took seeds and distributed them to anyone who wanted them at another website.

That being said I was sent three fruits and saved the seeds but haven't done anything with them and I guess I won't be b'c when I tasted those fruits I was quite underwhelmed which is about the best way I can describe it.

I know of long threads about this blue one at two other places but per GW rules I can't transfer them to here b'c everyone would recognize the websites from which they came and GW bans people who in any way refer to other supposed competing websites. it's their website here so they can enforce anything they want to. And I do not want to be banned from GW after being a GW member so many years.

Carolyn

Blue tomato, big deal. Does it taste good? Probably not.

Carolyn,
Well you gave us more information than MULE/Keith.
I wonder if it is cold tolerant, Being experimental and all.
Thank you

It looks like that tomato that has blueberry genes spliced into it.

James, well why don't you read for yourself What's On The Internet About OSU Blue for all to Google up free.

Ooooooh.... I want seeds. My firstborn for seeds.

I hear the problem with it is that it looks great but so far has lousy taste. Unlike with humans, though, that problem can be worked out.

Doof, In the "one instance of someone working in that lab who took seeds and distributed them to anyone who wanted them at another website," I got some of her seeds, grew one plant, and recently tasted one of the tomatoes. Not all that bad. Another person who grew from the same seed described the tomatoes as "sweet and juicy."

I think the idea behind this tomato is to use it as outcrossing breeding stock to develop other lines with high vitamin content. But mine is rather stingy with pollen, and I haven't gotten a good take on a cross yet.

Bill

I got some of her seeds, grew one plant, and recently tasted one of the tomatoes. Not all that bad. Another person who grew from the same seed described the tomatoes as "sweet and juicy."

****

Not all that bad? I guess that might correspond to my saying above that I was underwhelmed with the taste. Actually after that comment I'd typed that actually I thought they were lousy tasting and then deleted that. LOL

But sweet and juicy?

So much for taste being personal, subjective and having a genetic association and taste relating to so many variables as to where and how grown.

Doof, maybe I'm being too conservative but when I found out that the person who got the seeds for breeding purposes had to sign off on not sharing seeds I decided I wasn't going to share the few seeds I got from the three fruits that were sent to me.

But I'm curious.

When you say firstborn, are you talking humans or animals, and if humans a boy or girl, or was that comment purely conjectural meant to be future event? LOL

Carolyn

"maybe I'm being too conservative but when I found out that the person who got the seeds for breeding purposes had to sign off on not sharing seeds I decided I wasn't going to share the few seeds I got from the three fruits that were sent to me."

The person from the lab who distributed the seed, if they signed the paper to not distribute, was wrong for doing so. After all the lab did own the seed. However, if it is a true heirloom as you say, I doubt there is a patent on it, and if there ever was, it would have expired long ago. It really doesn't sound like the lab is trying to keep from running out of seed, but that it is trying to control ownership of something that is public domain.

So I have just as much issue with the ethics of this lab as I do with the employee distributing the seed, probably more so for the lab.

Looks photoshopped to me.

Don't you people read the FAQs?!

Must I sick the FAQcists on you?

Blue Fruit FAQ

There are several sources for lines containing the gene responsible for this trait. Knowledge of the gene and it's source has been around since about 1972. The gene is derived from another species so is not something found in heirlooms (the FAQ notes similar manifestations of anthocyanin expressions like Abg, atv. Another gene is likely responsible for the expression in varieties like Purple Smudge).

The lines I have obtained appear to be segregating. I saw a similar thing with the Abg line I got from TGRC. These plants vary in the intensity of foliage coloration and size (fruit and plant). So things like DTM and habit are somewhat irrelevant at this point. These plants are indeterminate.

IF ONE HAD READ THE FAQ, one would know that, what is coming out of that lab early are likely segregating fruits of varying backgrounds which are likely to vary in taste. So it isn't surprising some find some ok and others not.

I can tell you critters LOVE even the unripe fruit. I had to construct a special hardware cloth cage around them to keep from losing fruits. I also have been trapping critters at a rate of 1-2 a night right next to these plants (which I then take over to Johnson County where they will find a good home and plenty to eat at this house with "Malone" on the mailbox).

These plants seem to be susceptible to leaf curl which tells me the roots and shoots are probably growing at different rates (not seeing it in other varieties).

Here is a foliage picture of what I believe would be a homozygote to the Aft gene (upper right):
{{gwi:1359448}}

That purple color in early leaves shows up better in cooler night time temps similar to the way the variegation does.

This FAQ is a good read and will also give a little background on other "purple" traits such as those in 'Cherokee Purple'.

All hail the FAQs!!

Hail Hail. What I fail to understand is the incredible interest people have in THE Blue Tomato. Especially when folks seem to deride the flavor, and the benefits of the beneficial compounds are so much more prevalent in blueberries and such.

What I really see is that someone needs his deck washed and oiled.

FAQsual info!

The person from the lab who distributed the seed, if they signed the paper to not distribute

***

The woman who got the seeds from the lab said she signed no paper and further than that I don't know what her actual interaction with the folks heading up the lab work on this accession might have been.

Carolyn

"When you say firstborn, are you talking humans or animals, and if humans a boy or girl, or was that comment purely conjectural meant to be future event? LOL"

I mean my eighteen year old firstborn whose great ambition in life, as she expressed it to me, is to work at Der Weinerschnitzel, because, "The way I figure it, the world will always need a great hot dog."

I'll even pay postage. I might also trade her for a burr coffee grinder or one of those Jack LaLaine juicers.

Hoosier Bill, if you see this, maybe you could drop me an email at: so we could talk some more about tomatoes and firstborns.

Boy Doof, that sounds like a great offer and Hossier Bill does love hot dogs.

Not hot dog on a stick? but they have those cool outfits!

It looks pretty enough, but I want tomatoes with flavor to lust after, not just to be pretty. Once they can nail down taste, it may be worth a go.

Looks photoshopped to me.

That was my immediate first thought, and still is.

Sue...just calling it the way I see it

Looks like an eggplant to me.

the stem on an eggplant is a lot different.

I thought I'd bring this thread up to the first page b/c of the three new threads talking about the purple UK tomato to show about the developments in the US.

There are several links in this thread that might be of interest to those who want to know more about the purple tomatoes and what gene was put into it.

Carolyn

wish we could put that purple gene into a few other things. lol

Here is another image for Chemocurl. Mule is a photoshop wizard, but I can assure you the tomatoes in question are indubitably very very dark colored. I grew these in 2007.

DarJones

Guess somehow I had either missed this thread of totally forgot it. It explains the packet of seeds I got from another grower marked OSU Blue Fruit and must grow. I hadn't decided to grow it as I wasn't even sure what I had. Now after Carolyn's taste review still not sure. May try it in a container. Have some I don't have plants for yet. Hate to let the seeds go to waste. JD

elk

dont go by what Carolyn said solely. These lines were still segregating and you could get one that is fairly decent. I did. In fact it was as good or better than the variegated one.

It is an interesting plant to grow. if the foliage is purplish in early season it probably wont stay that way once we reach the hot Ks temps. Unshaded fruit will get dark purple but even this is dependent on the nature of the segregation (3 genes make up this line - one dominate and the others recessive).

I didnt photoshop them to make them that way. And remember, I do have you picture now D!

Mule I will probably grow at least one for the novelty and to see what I might get. If it is decent would make an interesting salad tomato. I didn't read all the thread. How big is the plant? Would a large container be ok or should I plant in the ground?
I understand the taste can be different from plant to plant. So will make room for 1-2. Keep us informed of how yours progress. Jay

Jay wrote:

Now after Carolyn's taste review still not sure

Jay, what I wrote is below:

(Not all that bad? I guess that might correspond to my saying above that I was underwhelmed with the taste. Actually after that comment I'd typed that actually I thought they were lousy tasting and then deleted that. LOL

But sweet and juicy?

So much for taste being personal, subjective and having a genetic association and taste relating to so many variables)

And I was very careful to talk about taste being personal and subjective and having a genetic association so that folks would appreciate that my experience with it wouldn't necessarily be their experience with it.

You post at most places where I also post and I'm sure you've seen taste reports that are all over the lot. Some like it, some don't.

I never grew it b'c fruits were sent to me. I have the saved seeds but haven't used them.

The only way you're going to know if YOU like it is to grow it yourself, and also recognize, as Mule said, that it's still segregating genes.

Carolyn

I think it would be fun to try to grow one of these at least as a novelty. As it has been said before, taste is subjective and I would at least try one. I would love to take a couple into work as most everyone I work with had never seen a tomato other that red. You would not believe how hard it was to get people to taste an orange, yellow or green tomato let alone a dark colored one such as Brad's black heart (one of my favorites)...I can only image trying to get some of them to taste a purple one!

Kim