Check out the second picture to compare it to the other 10%. This is my first time growing these, so are they purple until they ripen and I just didn’t know? I’m in the Houston, Texas area. Planted some tomatoes from the store that I wasn’t going to eat a while back and kind of neglected them.
I’ve grown midnight snackers. They look a lot like those – how purple they are depends on how much light they get. The ones in the shade look different from those that get full sun.
Micah said:
I’ve grown midnight snackers. They look a lot like those – how purple they are depends on how much light they get. The ones in the shade look different from those that get full sun.
Looking at them, I think you’re right! Do you notice any difference in taste between the purple ones and the red/orange ones?
@Taylor
Not much. They ripen off the vine, so they’ll turn red eventually. I grew mostly sun gold this year, but I’d definitely grow the midnight snackers again.
Some tomato varieties are naturally purple. The red ones with the purple tops are probably just ripe versions of these types.
Anthocyanins are antioxidants found in purple grapes and blueberries. They’re what give these tomatoes their purple color.
Can I eat them without worrying? I’m pretty hungry here.
The stem looks like a tomato but the leaves are different. I’d suggest picking one, cutting it in half (to see if it looks like a regular tomato) and maybe tasting a small piece. You’ll know right away if it’s safe to eat. Tomato is technically a fruit, but you know what I mean. Have fun with your gardening!
If you grew seeds from grocery store tomatoes, one of the parents could be a variety like this. Hybrid seeds don’t always produce tomatoes that look exactly like the fruit they came from. There are a lot of purple or smoky tomatoes out there, so it’s likely this is what’s going on. Don’t worry, just cut one open and check if it looks normal. If it does, you’re good to go.
There are hundreds of tomato varieties. Your seeds could have given you one like this. I grow purple cherry tomatoes and sun golds, and they look just like their names suggest.
Catherine Martin, a scientist, developed these. They’re said to be more nutritious.
A lot of tomato varieties crossbreed. The farms that grow these tomatoes likely grow other types too, so it’s possible these purple ones came from crossbreeding.
Genetics and temperature are usually the main reasons for color changes in tomatoes. Even CO2 levels can affect how the plant develops pigments, like the purple color.
Tomatoes are part of the nightshade family. Did you plant these ‘grape(?) tomatoes’? If you found them, you might have stumbled upon a type of poison nightshade. It’s possible they’re a type of cherry tomato hybrid, but I’d be cautious if you didn’t plant them. If you did, maybe they’re just going out of season.
@Harper
I planted them. They were leftover grocery store tomatoes that were starting to go bad, so I figured they were safe. But I was worried they might be diseased or something.
@Jace
So they should still be safe to eat, right?
Taylor said:
@Harper
I planted them. They were leftover grocery store tomatoes that were starting to go bad, so I figured they were safe. But I was worried they might be diseased or something.
If they’re just cherry tomatoes, the discoloration could be from stress or a lack of nutrients. Try moving them to a sunnier spot or adding some fertilizer. If it’s something with the soil or the weather, it might just be that the growing conditions aren’t ideal. Hope that helps!
@Harper
Where I live, fancy grocery stores sell tomatoes in all sorts of colors and shapes. If you took seeds from another tomato plant, I don’t think they’re poisonous. I still recommend cutting one in half, tasting a small piece, and seeing if it’s just a different type of tomato. No need to worry about disease, it’s just growing in its own way. Gardens are full of surprises, enjoy it!
These are likely the new genetically modified (GM) purple tomatoes. They stay purple instead of turning red. They have similar nutrients to red tomatoes, but with the added benefit of purple antioxidants, like those in plums or eggplants. From what I’ve read, they’re only available in the U.S. right now. I’ll let Americans experiment with them first, and maybe try it later when it’s more widely tested. They haven’t been approved in Australia yet, as far as I know.