Black Cherry...Slow to ripen??

jerseyjohn61 · July 24, 2006

I have a BC in a container on a HOT 2nd story
balcony(brick back wall). It's a healthy rascal
that has grown well despite its' late start.
Has about 60 fruits on it.

About 6 of the fruits have been full size for
nearly 3 weeks and show no sign of blushing.

Is this normal or prehaps a result of the heating
of the day as well as the residual heating at night?
Balcony has a great southeastern exsposure
with 8 + a day of sun.

Thanks....jj61

rsg2001 · July 24, 2006

I am also in Zone 6, and my Black Cherry has been ripening w/o any delays. Although, frankly, this year the plants are not putting out as many flowers and fruit as they did last year. It may be peculiar to your area, but you should just be patient. You can't always predict when things will ripen. E.G., my first big tomato that's ripening, a German Johnson, was one of the last ones that I planted - even though I have Lemon Boys and Rutgers that have seemed fully grown for a couple of weeks longer.

Fert1 · July 24, 2006

Mine took what felt like forever to ripen. Then I recently discovered that I was not letting them get ripe enough, at least not ripe enough to be at their best. I think BC tastes best when it is almost over-ripe, a little on the mushy side.

jerseyjohn61 · July 24, 2006

Thanks RSG,
First year w/BC and it has been the most stubborn
to ripen cherry i've ever seen. Its' hale and hearty,
althought somewhat thin in foliage but, i believe
that normal for the breed.

It maybe a heat issue.?!?

Glad you are having them ripening in Z/6 also.

How do they taste? I still have yet to taste a
dark mater and have some trepidation about
a smokey tasting tom....JJ61

jerseyjohn61 · July 24, 2006

Holly,
thanks for your Z/7 news on BC.
I'll try them at different stages too,
if they ever ripen. Glad to know that
they seem like forever for someone
else as well.

How do you rate them on taste Holly
and are you a dark tom lover also?...JJ61

Fert1 · July 25, 2006

When dead ripe, they are pretty good, but I still like SunGold better. As far as the "black" tomatoes go, I find them to be a mixed bag just like any other color of tomato. Some reds are good, some not so good. Same with yellows, blacks, greens, etc. A lot depends on variety. I've had black tomatoes that were flavorless, and I've had some very good ones. My favorite of the black tomatoes is Cherokee Purple. It has a very deep, rich tomato taste. Just yummy! Black Krim was pretty darn good too, but had BER pretty bad the year I grew them. I've never seen BER in CP.

As far as the smokey flavor goes. If you had asked me about that a week ago, I would have told you that I just didn't get the smokey flavor reference. I always thought it was like the wine tasters who describe a wine as having a berry flavor, or apple flavor or coffee flavor or whatever when it just tastes like wine to me. However, at a recent tomato tasting, the Cherokee Purple there had a definite smokey flavor to it. The ones I grow in my back yard never seem to have that. So I guess that's an environmental thing in some way.

So you may or may not detect a smokey flavor. To me, Cherokee Purple tastes pretty good with or without the smokey flavor. It's just a very good tomato. I've yet to taste a smokey flavored Black Cherry, but it doesn't mean that some do not have that quality.

For a cherry, I think they are very slow to ripen. Once my SunGolds start to turn, within 2-3 days, they are ripe. Not so with Black Cherry. I swear it takes a week if it takes a day, maybe longer. My Cherokee Purples ripen quicker, and they're a very large tomato.

rodger · July 25, 2006

BC has been a favorite of mine for a couple of years. At work and at the market it is the most asked for cherry next to sungold. Everyone comments on sungolds sweetness then after tasting BC its whoa thats a tomato. Rodger

jerseyjohn61 · July 27, 2006

Thanks for the encouragement for patience folks.
My BCs are showing the first signs of blushing
today. A light carmel color as if someone had
spilled some Cola on them and it dried as a light
film.

My sungold have been jumping "OTV" for the
last 3 weeks, but I had never seen a cherry take
so long to ripen.

Thanks for all the additional info as well....JJ61

July 24, 2006	#1
jerseyjohn61 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Central New Jersey Z/6 Posts: 554	Black Cherry...Slow to ripen?? I have a BC in a container on a HOT 2nd story balcony(brick back wall). It's a healthy rascal that has grown well despite its' late start. Has about 60 fruits on it. About 6 of the fruits have been full size for nearly 3 weeks and show no sign of blushing. Is this normal or prehaps a result of the heating of the day as well as the residual heating at night? Balcony has a great southeastern exsposure with 8 + a day of sun. Thanks....jj61

July 24, 2006	#3
Fert1 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2006 Location: Upstate SC, Zone 7 Posts: 543	Mine took what felt like forever to ripen. Then I recently discovered that I was not letting them get ripe enough, at least not ripe enough to be at their best. I think BC tastes best when it is almost over-ripe, a little on the mushy side. __________________ Holly

July 25, 2006	#6
Fert1 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2006 Location: Upstate SC, Zone 7 Posts: 543	When dead ripe, they are pretty good, but I still like SunGold better. As far as the "black" tomatoes go, I find them to be a mixed bag just like any other color of tomato. Some reds are good, some not so good. Same with yellows, blacks, greens, etc. A lot depends on variety. I've had black tomatoes that were flavorless, and I've had some very good ones. My favorite of the black tomatoes is Cherokee Purple. It has a very deep, rich tomato taste. Just yummy! Black Krim was pretty darn good too, but had BER pretty bad the year I grew them. I've never seen BER in CP. As far as the smokey flavor goes. If you had asked me about that a week ago, I would have told you that I just didn't get the smokey flavor reference. I always thought it was like the wine tasters who describe a wine as having a berry flavor, or apple flavor or coffee flavor or whatever when it just tastes like wine to me. However, at a recent tomato tasting, the Cherokee Purple there had a definite smokey flavor to it. The ones I grow in my back yard never seem to have that. So I guess that's an environmental thing in some way. So you may or may not detect a smokey flavor. To me, Cherokee Purple tastes pretty good with or without the smokey flavor. It's just a very good tomato. I've yet to taste a smokey flavored Black Cherry, but it doesn't mean that some do not have that quality. For a cherry, I think they are very slow to ripen. Once my SunGolds start to turn, within 2-3 days, they are ripe. Not so with Black Cherry. I swear it takes a week if it takes a day, maybe longer. My Cherokee Purples ripen quicker, and they're a very large tomato. __________________ Holly

July 24, 2006	#2
rsg2001 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: New York Zone 6 Posts: 479	I am also in Zone 6, and my Black Cherry has been ripening w/o any delays. Although, frankly, this year the plants are not putting out as many flowers and fruit as they did last year. It may be peculiar to your area, but you should just be patient. You can't always predict when things will ripen. E.G., my first big tomato that's ripening, a German Johnson, was one of the last ones that I planted - even though I have Lemon Boys and Rutgers that have seemed fully grown for a couple of weeks longer.

July 25, 2006	#7
rodger Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Little Mountain SC Posts: 105	BC has been a favorite of mine for a couple of years. At work and at the market it is the most asked for cherry next to sungold. Everyone comments on sungolds sweetness then after tasting BC its whoa thats a tomato. Rodger

July 27, 2006	#8
jerseyjohn61 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Central New Jersey Z/6 Posts: 554	Thanks for the encouragement for patience folks. My BCs are showing the first signs of blushing today. A light carmel color as if someone had spilled some Cola on them and it dried as a light film. My sungold have been jumping "OTV" for the last 3 weeks, but I had never seen a cherry take so long to ripen. Thanks for all the additional info as well....JJ61