Black tomatoes are a rarity unless you grow them yourself. They’re not a commodity you’d find in a supermarket. They sell for a premium at farmers’ markets and that’s because they have a unique flavor profile making them perfect for gourmet dishes.
The Unique Characteristics of Black Tomatoes
They Have a More Robust Nutritional Profile
Black tomatoes get their color from an increased concentration of Anthocyanins; a powerful antioxidant with numerous health benefits. The black is actually a deep purple, which could be included in a list of purple power foods.
Fruits with a similarly high concentration of Anthocyanins include black plums, black and red grapes, blood oranges, cherries, black elderberries, chokeberries, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, and, of course, blackberries.
Unique Flavor for Surprisingly Tasty Recipes
Black tomatoes have a uniquely rich flavor profile that balances sweetness and acidity with smoky or earthy undertones making them a great choice for a wide variety of recipes.
From slicing to serve with barbequed burgers on a bun, garnishing into salads, slicing for sandwiches, to the black cherry tomatoes that add color intrigue to side salads, there’s a variety to add unique flavor characteristics to any recipe.
Or just snack on them!
Choice of Heirloom or Hybrids
This is important because if you have never grown tomatoes, nuances are involved. You’ll come across various tomato plant diseases and pests that can destroy them overnight.
For ease of growing, start with a hybrid variety. They’re more forgiving and less prone to disease.
Heirlooms are larger, more susceptible to problems and diseases, and require more specific growing conditions. They’re less adaptable to changes in growing conditions, such as the soil, heat or humidity fluctuations.
The Easiest Types of Black Tomato Hybrids to Grow
If you’ve never tried your hand at growing tomatoes, or just not much had luck, hybrids are perfect to start with. There’s a couple of varieties in this category.
Indigo Rose
This was originally called the “blue tomato”. The more sunlight the tomato plant gets, the darker the skin becomes. This is a type of black cherry tomato that produces fruits around 2″ to 3″ in size.
Black Zebra
This is a hybrid of a black tomato and a green zebra tomato. The fruits are cherry tomatoes around 1” to 2” in size.
The ‘Indigo Rose’ and the ‘Black Zebra’ are Indeterminate types of tomatoes.
Types of Black Tomato Heirlooms
Black Krim
Technically, it’s a deep purple, but it’s so dark it’s almost black. The Black Krim is one of the larger black tomatoes in the shape of beefsteak with each fruit weighing between 8 and 12 ounces. The larger size makes them susceptible to cracking, which could lead to blossom end rot setting in.
Cherokee Purple
These have deep purple skin with a dark red interior with a shape and size similar to beefsteak tomatoes. Each tomato can weigh between 10 to 12 ounces.
Paul Robeson
This has more of a dark brown than a deep purple that’s in the medium to large size range. Tomatoes are between 7 to 10 ounces.
Black Prince
Dark brown to black with a deep red tinge and a dark red interior. These are in the medium-sized range producing tomatoes around 5 ounces. This is one with a better cold tolerance than most varieties.
Japanese Black Trifele
These have a deep brown hue and are in the medium range producing tomatoes that weigh between 4 to 6 ounces. Unique to this heirloom is its pear shape.
Black Sea Man
This is among the darkest tomatoes in the medium to large range, producing fruits that weigh around 8 to 12 ounces. These are slightly more flat on top rather than traditional round shapes making them a superb choice for recipes requiring sliced tomatoes.
What to Know about Black Tomato Problems and Diseases
Black tomatoes are still tomatoes and so are susceptible to all the problems that tomato growers contend with, such as Tomato Mosaic Virus (ToMV), Anthracnose and Septoria Leaf Spot.
However, black tomatoes are more susceptible to these….
Fusarium Wilt and Verticillium Wilt
These are fungal diseases that favor wet and warm conditions. To mitigate the risk, use a straw mulch. The symptoms of both fungal diseases are wilting and discoloration of the oldest leaves first.
With fusarium wilt, the leaves turn yellow on one side, and shrivel up, but remain attached to the plant. Black tomato plants affected with Verticillium wilt show a “uniform yellowing” of the leaves, eventually turning brown, then dropping from the plant.
Blight
Black tomatoes can be more prone to early and late blight. The symptoms of this are dark brown lesions on the leaves. The leaves will turn yellow and then drop. Heirloom varieties are more susceptible than hybrid black tomatoes that have been bred to have disease resistance.
When to Pick Black Tomatoes
Black tomatoes are technically green fruits until they ripen. When they first grow on the vine, they’re green. Then they turn black. They aren’t ripe when they’re black. They’ll be too hard.
As they ripen, they go from black, deep purple, or maroon coloring (depending on the variety), and then the skin gets a blush of reddening. The more of a red tinge black tomatoes get, the riper they are.
Of note is that black tomatoes take longer to ripen than the red varieties. The simplest way to gauge if a black tomato is ripe is to feel it. It gets softer as it ripens.
Growing up with a mom who filled her home (inside and out) with all sorts of plants, Lisa got her start in gardening at a young age. Living now on her own with a home and yard full of plants (including an indoor greenhouse), she shares all the gardening tips she’s gained over the years.