What do green tomatoes taste like?

materlvr · August 17, 2011

I love the look of those capresse salads in all my cooking magazines but I'm not sure I like the taste of green tomatoes. The one time I tasted one I thought it tasted astringent or spicy........

are there any green tomatoes that taste like tomatos I could grow?

Thanks everyone!

Janie

**carolyn137** · August 17, 2011

Quote:

Originally Posted by materlvr

I love the look of those capresse salads in all my cooking magazines but I'm not sure I like the taste of green tomatoes. The one time I tasted one I thought it tasted astringent or spicy........

are there any green tomatoes that taste like tomatos I could grow?

Thanks everyone!

Janie

Janie, I'm assuming you're referring to the green when ripe varieties, not just plain ole immature green fruits.

I love the GWRipe ones and I'd say that yes, a bit spicy, a bit sweet but overall a fantastic flavor and while I'd like to say that different varieties have distinct tastes I haven't found that to be true. Some better than others as to yield and sometimes taste? Yes for me. And I've grown a lot of them starting back in the mid-80's and going forward.

I'm not sure what you mean when you ask if there are any GWRipes that taste like a tomato that you could grow.

The tastes of them are no different than the range of tastes you'll find with reds, pinks, blacks, etc., so yes, they taste like tomatoes b'c they are tomatoes.

What was the one you tasted that you mentioned above?

materlvr · August 17, 2011

Carolyn, the green tomato I tasted was in a restaurant.........can you please recommend a few green-when-ripe tomatos I can grow for a capresse salad? They are so gorgeous........

Thanks so much!

Janie

rsg2001 · August 17, 2011

I've been growing Cherokee Green this year and found the taste to be awesome and unexpected -- everything Carolyn described, especially as compared with Green Zebra and Lime Green Salad which I've previously grown. I recommend C.G. unabashedly.

**nctomatoman** · August 17, 2011

The best green tomatoes taste like....the best tomatoes! If you were blindfolded and presented with slabs of Cherokee Green, Brandywine, Lucky Cross, Cherokee Purple, Aunt Ruby's, Lillian's Yellow, just to name a few - you would likely love them all, find subtle differences, but in no way be able to tell what color they were!

materlvr · August 17, 2011

THANK YOU! Cherokee Green it is then! I was looking for a green that tastes like a tomato and you have given me an excellent choice! I'm a big fan of Cherokee Purple so that settles it!

Thank you so much!

Janie

dice · August 18, 2011

Lime Green Salad tasted like a slightly tart Kiwi fruit to me.

Grub's Mystery Green has a sweet, delicate taste that does
not really taste like any other tomato to me. I think it is best
sliced on its own, where other, stronger flavors will not overwhelm
it's flavor.

oc tony · August 18, 2011

Don't forget Green Giant.

**carolyn137** · August 18, 2011

Janie, others were up later than I was last night and most of them have suggested the same varieties I would have, well some of them.

You say you want to use them in a salad from your cooking magazines, and that's fine, but I do think to enjoy the taste of any tomato you should try it by itself at some point so it doesn't get mixed in with the flavors of everything else in a salad.

I won't give a long list b'c that can get confusing.

The two large fruited varieties that I like the best are Cherokee Green and Green Giant.

The two green when ripe cherry tomatoes that I like the best are Green Doctors or its clear epidermis version called Green Doctors Frosted b'c it looks just like frosted grapes, and then Green Zebra Cherry, which is not known to be derived from the variety Green Zebra which was bred by Tom Wagner and which I don't like, but I love Green Zebra Cherry.

Hope that helps.

nicky · August 18, 2011

I loved my evergreen this year. It was my favourites in my garden. It is also one of my more productive and strangely (according to descriptions) my 1st tomato !

mysidx · August 18, 2011

I'll be trying Aunt Rubys' next spring, hope it tastes good compared to the others you all have mentioned.

materlvr · August 18, 2011

Great replies, thank you everyone!

Now my next question............how can you tell when they are ripe?

Also Carolyn, I always make myself a mater sandwich with my first ripe tomato varity. YUM!

Thanks all!

Janie

nicky · August 18, 2011

My evergreen became darker green, with slightly yellow tones on the bottom. I don't think that all varities change the same colour-wise...
You can definately tell by the touch. Feel a tomato that you know is ripe. Then feel your green one.
Should be the same softness.
Cheers
Nicky

Suze · August 18, 2011

My favorite green-when-ripes of those that are commercially available at this time for indets are Green Giant and Cherokee Green. From the Dwarf Project - Dwarf Emerald Giant (Victory, but out of stock, check back) and Summertime Green (TGS).

jhp · August 18, 2011

Another vote for Cherokee Green. Growing it for the first time this year and I love it. Very fruity and sweet, flavorful. Besides the softness, the outside got sort of yellowish when it was ripe.

Jen

August 17, 2011	#1
materlvr Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Temecula, CA Zone 9b Posts: 173	What do green tomatoes taste like? I love the look of those capresse salads in all my cooking magazines but I'm not sure I like the taste of green tomatoes. The one time I tasted one I thought it tasted astringent or spicy........are there any green tomatoes that taste like tomatos I could grow? Thanks everyone! Janie

August 17, 2011	#5
nctomatoman Tomatoville® Moderator Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Hendersonville, NC zone 7 Posts: 10,385	The best green tomatoes taste like....the best tomatoes! If you were blindfolded and presented with slabs of Cherokee Green, Brandywine, Lucky Cross, Cherokee Purple, Aunt Ruby's, Lillian's Yellow, just to name a few - you would likely love them all, find subtle differences, but in no way be able to tell what color they were! __________________ Craig

August 18, 2011	#7
dice Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: PNW Posts: 4,743	Lime Green Salad tasted like a slightly tart Kiwi fruit to me. Grub's Mystery Green has a sweet, delicate taste that does not really taste like any other tomato to me. I think it is best sliced on its own, where other, stronger flavors will not overwhelm it's flavor. __________________ -- alias

August 18, 2011	#9
carolyn137 Moderator Emeritus Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Upstate NY, zone 4b/5a Posts: 21,169	Janie, others were up later than I was last night and most of them have suggested the same varieties I would have, well some of them. You say you want to use them in a salad from your cooking magazines, and that's fine, but I do think to enjoy the taste of any tomato you should try it by itself at some point so it doesn't get mixed in with the flavors of everything else in a salad. I won't give a long list b'c that can get confusing. The two large fruited varieties that I like the best are Cherokee Green and Green Giant. The two green when ripe cherry tomatoes that I like the best are Green Doctors or its clear epidermis version called Green Doctors Frosted b'c it looks just like frosted grapes, and then Green Zebra Cherry, which is not known to be derived from the variety Green Zebra which was bred by Tom Wagner and which I don't like, but I love Green Zebra Cherry. Hope that helps. __________________ Carolyn

August 17, 2011	#4
rsg2001 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: New York Zone 6 Posts: 479	I've been growing Cherokee Green this year and found the taste to be awesome and unexpected -- everything Carolyn described, especially as compared with Green Zebra and Lime Green Salad which I've previously grown. I recommend C.G. unabashedly.

August 18, 2011	#8
oc tony Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: oc ca. Posts: 173	Don't forget Green Giant.

August 18, 2011	#10
nicky Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Ontario Posts: 600	I loved my evergreen this year. It was my favourites in my garden. It is also one of my more productive and strangely (according to descriptions) my 1st tomato !

August 18, 2011	#11
mysidx Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Baton Rouge,Louisiana Zone 8b Posts: 340	I'll be trying Aunt Rubys' next spring, hope it tastes good compared to the others you all have mentioned.

August 18, 2011	#14
Suze Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Texas Posts: 3,027	My favorite green-when-ripes of those that are commercially available at this time for indets are Green Giant and Cherokee Green. From the Dwarf Project - Dwarf Emerald Giant (Victory, but out of stock, check back) and Summertime Green (TGS).