Tomatoville® Gardening Forums


Notices

Member discussion regarding the methods, varieties and merits of growing tomatoes.

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old August 6, 2018   #1
Fred Hempel
Tomatovillian™
 
Fred Hempel's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Sunol, CA
Posts: 2,723
Default Green Bee



We have a new hybrid called "Green Bee"

It is very unique in many ways. In short, it is a green-when-ripe cherry tomato that never fully softens.

It hangs for weeks on the vine in suspended animation, and can be stored for long periods, while maintaining a bright-tangy flavor (with hints of plum, some folks say).

The post pinned to the top of our Artisan Seeds facebook page contains the feedback from people growing the variety this year.

It must be mentioned that this hybrid was developed from lines created through our collaboration with Frogsleap Farm/Cream of the Crop Tomatoes, and I expect they will also be using similar lines to create many very cool new things.

Last edited by Fred Hempel; August 6, 2018 at 01:05 PM.
Fred Hempel is offline   Reply With Quote
Old August 6, 2018   #2
Fred Hempel
Tomatovillian™
 
Fred Hempel's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Sunol, CA
Posts: 2,723
Default


Last edited by Fred Hempel; August 6, 2018 at 12:10 PM.
Fred Hempel is offline   Reply With Quote
Old August 6, 2018   #3
Cole_Robbie
Tomatovillian™
 
Cole_Robbie's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: Illinois, zone 6
Posts: 8,407
Default

I tried my first few fruit last week. It was crunchy, green, and quite pleasant tasting. I'm sure it is a chef's delight, given that it would maintain consistency when sliced. It would make a good variety for a small farmer who wanted to sell to restaurants.

As for market sales, I could sell a truckload....as long as I didn't tell anyone it was a tomato. I'd have to make up something like "Skinless Kiwi Fruit" and everyone would love them. Perhaps getting green tomatoes onto restaurant plates will help eliminate the prejudice against them.

Great work as always, Fred.
Cole_Robbie is offline   Reply With Quote
Old August 6, 2018   #4
Fred Hempel
Tomatovillian™
 
Fred Hempel's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Sunol, CA
Posts: 2,723
Default

Biases are hard! And this tomato has two strikes against it

1. Green

2. Firm when ripe

But, people get used to new stuff -- Pluots, Kalettes, Celtuce (stem lettuce) and Thursday night football.

Well, maybe not Thursday night football.


Quote:
Originally Posted by Cole_Robbie View Post
I tried my first few fruit last week. It was crunchy, green, and quite pleasant tasting. I'm sure it is a chef's delight, given that it would maintain consistency when sliced. It would make a good variety for a small farmer who wanted to sell to restaurants.

As for market sales, I could sell a truckload....as long as I didn't tell anyone it was a tomato. I'd have to make up something like "Skinless Kiwi Fruit" and everyone would love them. Perhaps getting green tomatoes onto restaurant plates will help eliminate the prejudice against them.

Great work as always, Fred.
Fred Hempel is offline   Reply With Quote
Old August 6, 2018   #5
Fred Hempel
Tomatovillian™
 
Fred Hempel's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Sunol, CA
Posts: 2,723
Default

It is encouraging if they are doing well for you. It sounds like it is not the best tomato year back there.
Fred Hempel is offline   Reply With Quote
Old August 6, 2018   #6
ContainerTed
Tomatovillian™
 
ContainerTed's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: 6a - NE Tennessee
Posts: 4,538
Default

Other than the new one is a hybrid, how is Green Bee different from Green Bumble Bee? I've been listing Green Bumble Bee on the Heritage Market website for the last year.

An inquiring mind wishes to know
__________________
Ted
________________________
Owner & Sole Operator Of
The Muddy Bucket Farm
and Tomato Ranch





ContainerTed is offline   Reply With Quote
Old August 6, 2018   #7
Fred Hempel
Tomatovillian™
 
Fred Hempel's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Sunol, CA
Posts: 2,723
Default

Green Bumblebee was a Purple Bumblebee variant isolated by Tatiana, I think. It is interesting that you cite Totally Tomato as your seed source, because they do not seem to be selling it now.

Tatiana sent it to us and we trialed it and it did not make the grade for us. Too soft, too short a picking window, and very subtle picking cues when you want to pick it. Your photo represents a time where my palate says "over-ripe". In my opinion these are the same problems that Green Zebra Cherry has.

With green tomatoes you have to have good picking cues (Green Grape is pretty good in this regard). OR, you need long hang time so that the margin for picking error is reduced.

Farmers CAN NOT grow green tomatoes without incurring significant loss due to early or late picking. Even the best crew can not pick green tomatoes with subtle picking cues in an efficient and precise manner.

Green Bumblebee was not used in the development of Green Bee. Flavor was good, but we had another line that was better. That line was used, in part, to develop the parent lines for this variety, but the main source of flavor were other non-green cherry tomatoes. In fact, if Green Bee did not have the inability to finish softening (and coloring) it would not be green.

Green Bee's major advantage is that instead of being hard to pick at the right time, it is the easiest tomato to pick at the right time. It can hang on the vine for weeks at the optimal picking stage, and then can be stored for months. This is what is so different about the variety.

It tastes good too. Interestingly, it often tastes good to people who don't like tomatoes. The flavor is a bit different from other green-when-ripes and the texture is crunchy. Kids seem to like it. I have a friend who texted me at 7AM on a Sunday morning because he was shocked that his daughter had gotten up early and eaten up a pint of Green Bees.

It is not for everyone, but I haven't been so excited about releasing a tomato since Blush.

Quote:
Originally Posted by ContainerTed View Post
Other than the new one is a hybrid, how is Green Bee different from Green Bumble Bee? I've been listing Green Bumble Bee on the Heritage Market website for the last year.

An inquiring mind wishes to know
Fred Hempel is offline   Reply With Quote
Old August 6, 2018   #8
gardenmermaid
Tomatovillian™
 
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: In the snowy desert of SE Idaho
Posts: 111
Default

I trialed green bee last year and LOVED it! It opens so many possibilities. Great for make-ahead summer salads like taco salad and pasta salad because they stayed crunchy instead of turning to mush. Great for my friends that love tomato flavor but have texture issues with them. They were big fans of the Green Bees. If I were to take them to market (not a market farmer yet, but hoping one day) I would pass out free samples, especially to people who seemed into new and novel things
gardenmermaid is offline   Reply With Quote
Old August 6, 2018   #9
carolyn137
Moderator Emeritus
 
carolyn137's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Upstate NY, zone 4b/5a
Posts: 21,169
Default

Fred, any freebees for the disabled elderly, for I also happen to bee a a physically disabled senior citizen green variety fan?

Carolyn, who will understand if you don't want to answer but maybe even a beeutiful trade, as in seeds I sent you for Lucinda, remember that?
__________________
Carolyn

Last edited by carolyn137; August 6, 2018 at 05:18 PM. Reason: adding more bees as in buzz
carolyn137 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old August 6, 2018   #10
ContainerTed
Tomatovillian™
 
ContainerTed's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: 6a - NE Tennessee
Posts: 4,538
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Fred Hempel View Post
Green Bumblebee was a Purple Bumblebee variant isolated by Tatiana, I think. It is interesting that you cite Totally Tomato as your seed source, because they do not seem to be selling it now.

Tatiana sent it to us and we trialed it and it did not make the grade for us. Too soft, too short a picking window, and very subtle picking cues when you want to pick it. Your photo represents a time where my palate says "over-ripe". In my opinion these are the same problems that Green Zebra Cherry has.

With green tomatoes you have to have good picking cues (Green Grape is pretty good in this regard). OR, you need long hang time so that the margin for picking error is reduced.

Farmers CAN NOT grow green tomatoes without incurring significant loss due to early or late picking. Even the best crew can not pick green tomatoes with subtle picking cues in an efficient and precise manner.

Green Bumblebee was not used in the development of Green Bee. Flavor was good, but we had another line that was better. That line was used, in part, to develop the parent lines for this variety, but the main source of flavor were other non-green cherry tomatoes. In fact, if Green Bee did not have the inability to finish softening (and coloring) it would not be green.

Green Bee's major advantage is that instead of being hard to pick at the right time, it is the easiest tomato to pick at the right time. It can hang on the vine for weeks at the optimal picking stage, and then can be stored for months. This is what is so different about the variety.

It tastes good too. Interestingly, it often tastes good to people who don't like tomatoes. The flavor is a bit different from other green-when-ripes and the texture is crunchy. Kids seem to like it. I have a friend who texted me at 7AM on a Sunday morning because he was shocked that his daughter had gotten up early and eaten up a pint of Green Bees.

It is not for everyone, but I haven't been so excited about releasing a tomato since Blush.
Thanks, Fred. I was hoping you'd respond and now all the readers here know how the GREEN BEE may be a better choice for them.

Take care and keep 'em coming.
__________________
Ted
________________________
Owner & Sole Operator Of
The Muddy Bucket Farm
and Tomato Ranch





ContainerTed is offline   Reply With Quote
Old August 6, 2018   #11
Fred Hempel
Tomatovillian™
 
Fred Hempel's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Sunol, CA
Posts: 2,723
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by carolyn137 View Post
Fred, any freebees for the disabled elderly, for I also happen to bee a a physically disabled senior citizen green variety fan?

Carolyn, who will understand if you don't want to answer but maybe even a beeutiful trade, as in seeds I sent you for Lucinda, remember that?
Absolutely. And there will likely be a green bee giveaway at some point.
Fred Hempel is offline   Reply With Quote
Old August 7, 2018   #12
paprika
Tomatovillian™
 
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Winston-Salem, NC
Posts: 55
Default

Oh my, Green Bee looks like it would also be a great choice for those of us that like roasted, fried, relishes, marinated, and especially pickled mater recipes!
paprika is offline   Reply With Quote
Old August 7, 2018   #13
Fred Hempel
Tomatovillian™
 
Fred Hempel's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Sunol, CA
Posts: 2,723
Default

Yes. The firmness makes it quite versatile to cook with.



Quote:
Originally Posted by paprika View Post
Oh my, Green Bee looks like it would also be a great choice for those of us that like roasted, fried, relishes, marinated, and especially pickled mater recipes!
Fred Hempel is offline   Reply With Quote
Old August 7, 2018   #14
nbardo
Tomatovillian™
 
Join Date: Jan 2018
Location: St. Louis, Missouri
Posts: 78
Default

Aside from flavor and texture, how are the plants? Yield growth habit cluster size etc? I know frogsleap was working on incorporating disease resistance with marker assisted selection. Does it have some of those traits?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
nbardo is offline   Reply With Quote
Old August 7, 2018   #15
ddsack
Tomatovillian™
 
ddsack's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Northern Minnesota - zone 3
Posts: 3,218
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by paprika View Post
Oh my, Green Bee looks like it would also be a great choice for those of us that like roasted, fried, relishes, marinated, and especially pickled mater recipes!

Agree on the pickling especially, my cherries have turned to mush, thought the crunchier ones were slightly better.


So how can you tell when they are ripe? Size? Number of days since setting out? Taste test? Is the taste fixed before they are full sized, so it doesn't matter?
__________________
Dee

**************
ddsack is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -4. The time now is 09:16 PM.


★ Tomatoville® is a registered trademark of Commerce Holdings, LLC ★ All Content ©2022 Commerce Holdings, LLC ★