Blueberry Tomato
The Blueberries Tomato is from the Indigo series. As of the 2012 growing season, Oregon State University made commercially available a unique tomato seed variety known as "Indigo Rose." These tomatoes are distinctive for their captivating blue hue, mainly resulting from the presence of anthocyanin pigments on the fruit's outer skin, particularly in areas exposed to direct sunlight. Indigo Rose represents a pioneering achievement from a program at Oregon State University, aspiring to breed tomatoes with elevated levels of antioxidants. This variety is designed for both home gardens and the fresh market, and its seeds are readily accessible through seed catalogs. It's noteworthy as the world's first improved tomato variety featuring anthocyanins in its fruit.
The primary objective for OSU breeders has been to cultivate tomatoes with enhanced antioxidant potential through the presence of purple anthocyanins in the fruit. This endeavor has the potential to enhance our understanding of how antioxidants manifest in tomatoes and how they might contribute to human health. "If you're looking for a truly purple tomato, one that can be as dark as an eggplant, give Indigo Rose a try," suggests Jim Myers, a professor in the OSU horticulture department. He emphasizes that compared to other so-called purple and black tomatoes, which often retain green flesh genes resulting in brownish hues when combined with carotenoids, Indigo Rose delivers a genuinely vibrant purple. Anthocyanins, a subgroup of flavonoids found in various fruits, vegetables, and beverages, have drawn considerable interest due to their potential health benefits, particularly as powerful antioxidants. However, it's still unclear whether they have the same antioxidant effect in the human body.
The inception of Indigo Rose traces back to the 1960s when two breeders, one from Bulgaria and the other from the United States, initiated the process by crossbreeding cultivated tomatoes with wild species from Chile and the Galapagos Islands. Some wild tomato species naturally exhibit anthocyanins in their fruit, but up to this point, tomatoes grown in home gardens have only featured these beneficial pigments in their leaves and stems, which are inedible. Graduate students, under Myers' guidance, carefully combined the lines carrying genes from these wild tomato species to establish the population from which 'Indigo Rose' was ultimately selected.
In Oregon, 'Indigo Rose' is a full-season cultivar, typically producing its first ripe fruit around 91 days after transplanting. This timeframe is about 13 days later than 'Siletz' and eight days later than 'Early Girl.' While its fruit yield is similar to the heirloom cultivar 'Black Prince,' it's significantly lower than 'Early Girl' and 'Siletz,' though it still outperforms other cultivars in the trial. Importantly, Indigo Rose is released as an open-pollinated variety, meaning seeds saved from self-pollinated plants will grow true to type, and no genetic engineering techniques have been used in their development. But how does this unique variety taste? As Myers emphasizes, people are passionate about their tomatoes, and while the purple color naturally piques interest, it's also associated with high expectations for flavor. Fortunately, Indigo Rose doesn't disappoint. It balances sugars and acids well, offering a taste similar to a regular tomato. Remarkably, anthocyanins themselves are essentially tasteless.
However, Myers offers a word of caution: don't pick these tomatoes too soon. Indigo Rose needs to ripen fully to develop its sugars and acids. Visual cues may not be as reliable with these tomatoes, as they change color from a shiny blue-purple to a dull purple-brown as they ripen. Their texture will soften, resembling that of regular tomatoes, and the bottom will transition from green to red when they're ready to be picked. Anthocyanin pigments only develop in areas exposed to sunlight, so if a portion is shaded by a leaf or near the base, the purple pigment may not emerge. However, if you pluck an Indigo Rose and expose the uncolored area to sunlight, it should transform into purple within about a week. Indigo Rose stands as a unique tomato variety offering not only a captivating blue hue but also the potential for elevated antioxidants. Its development is a testament to careful breeding techniques and a dedication to exploring the health benefits of this extraordinary fruit.
The Blueberries Tomato is from the Indigo series. As of the 2012 growing season, Oregon State University made commercially available a unique tomato seed variety known as "Indigo Rose." These tomatoes are distinctive for their captivating blue hue, mainly resulting from the presence of anthocyanin pigments on the fruit's outer skin, particularly in areas exposed to direct sunlight. Indigo Rose represents a pioneering achievement from a program at Oregon State University, aspiring to breed tomatoes with elevated levels of antioxidants. This variety is designed for both home gardens and the fresh market, and its seeds are readily accessible through seed catalogs. It's noteworthy as the world's first improved tomato variety featuring anthocyanins in its fruit.
The primary objective for OSU breeders has been to cultivate tomatoes with enhanced antioxidant potential through the presence of purple anthocyanins in the fruit. This endeavor has the potential to enhance our understanding of how antioxidants manifest in tomatoes and how they might contribute to human health. "If you're looking for a truly purple tomato, one that can be as dark as an eggplant, give Indigo Rose a try," suggests Jim Myers, a professor in the OSU horticulture department. He emphasizes that compared to other so-called purple and black tomatoes, which often retain green flesh genes resulting in brownish hues when combined with carotenoids, Indigo Rose delivers a genuinely vibrant purple. Anthocyanins, a subgroup of flavonoids found in various fruits, vegetables, and beverages, have drawn considerable interest due to their potential health benefits, particularly as powerful antioxidants. However, it's still unclear whether they have the same antioxidant effect in the human body.
The inception of Indigo Rose traces back to the 1960s when two breeders, one from Bulgaria and the other from the United States, initiated the process by crossbreeding cultivated tomatoes with wild species from Chile and the Galapagos Islands. Some wild tomato species naturally exhibit anthocyanins in their fruit, but up to this point, tomatoes grown in home gardens have only featured these beneficial pigments in their leaves and stems, which are inedible. Graduate students, under Myers' guidance, carefully combined the lines carrying genes from these wild tomato species to establish the population from which 'Indigo Rose' was ultimately selected.
In Oregon, 'Indigo Rose' is a full-season cultivar, typically producing its first ripe fruit around 91 days after transplanting. This timeframe is about 13 days later than 'Siletz' and eight days later than 'Early Girl.' While its fruit yield is similar to the heirloom cultivar 'Black Prince,' it's significantly lower than 'Early Girl' and 'Siletz,' though it still outperforms other cultivars in the trial. Importantly, Indigo Rose is released as an open-pollinated variety, meaning seeds saved from self-pollinated plants will grow true to type, and no genetic engineering techniques have been used in their development. But how does this unique variety taste? As Myers emphasizes, people are passionate about their tomatoes, and while the purple color naturally piques interest, it's also associated with high expectations for flavor. Fortunately, Indigo Rose doesn't disappoint. It balances sugars and acids well, offering a taste similar to a regular tomato. Remarkably, anthocyanins themselves are essentially tasteless.
However, Myers offers a word of caution: don't pick these tomatoes too soon. Indigo Rose needs to ripen fully to develop its sugars and acids. Visual cues may not be as reliable with these tomatoes, as they change color from a shiny blue-purple to a dull purple-brown as they ripen. Their texture will soften, resembling that of regular tomatoes, and the bottom will transition from green to red when they're ready to be picked. Anthocyanin pigments only develop in areas exposed to sunlight, so if a portion is shaded by a leaf or near the base, the purple pigment may not emerge. However, if you pluck an Indigo Rose and expose the uncolored area to sunlight, it should transform into purple within about a week. Indigo Rose stands as a unique tomato variety offering not only a captivating blue hue but also the potential for elevated antioxidants. Its development is a testament to careful breeding techniques and a dedication to exploring the health benefits of this extraordinary fruit.
The Blueberries Tomato is from the Indigo series. As of the 2012 growing season, Oregon State University made commercially available a unique tomato seed variety known as "Indigo Rose." These tomatoes are distinctive for their captivating blue hue, mainly resulting from the presence of anthocyanin pigments on the fruit's outer skin, particularly in areas exposed to direct sunlight. Indigo Rose represents a pioneering achievement from a program at Oregon State University, aspiring to breed tomatoes with elevated levels of antioxidants. This variety is designed for both home gardens and the fresh market, and its seeds are readily accessible through seed catalogs. It's noteworthy as the world's first improved tomato variety featuring anthocyanins in its fruit.
The primary objective for OSU breeders has been to cultivate tomatoes with enhanced antioxidant potential through the presence of purple anthocyanins in the fruit. This endeavor has the potential to enhance our understanding of how antioxidants manifest in tomatoes and how they might contribute to human health. "If you're looking for a truly purple tomato, one that can be as dark as an eggplant, give Indigo Rose a try," suggests Jim Myers, a professor in the OSU horticulture department. He emphasizes that compared to other so-called purple and black tomatoes, which often retain green flesh genes resulting in brownish hues when combined with carotenoids, Indigo Rose delivers a genuinely vibrant purple. Anthocyanins, a subgroup of flavonoids found in various fruits, vegetables, and beverages, have drawn considerable interest due to their potential health benefits, particularly as powerful antioxidants. However, it's still unclear whether they have the same antioxidant effect in the human body.
The inception of Indigo Rose traces back to the 1960s when two breeders, one from Bulgaria and the other from the United States, initiated the process by crossbreeding cultivated tomatoes with wild species from Chile and the Galapagos Islands. Some wild tomato species naturally exhibit anthocyanins in their fruit, but up to this point, tomatoes grown in home gardens have only featured these beneficial pigments in their leaves and stems, which are inedible. Graduate students, under Myers' guidance, carefully combined the lines carrying genes from these wild tomato species to establish the population from which 'Indigo Rose' was ultimately selected.
In Oregon, 'Indigo Rose' is a full-season cultivar, typically producing its first ripe fruit around 91 days after transplanting. This timeframe is about 13 days later than 'Siletz' and eight days later than 'Early Girl.' While its fruit yield is similar to the heirloom cultivar 'Black Prince,' it's significantly lower than 'Early Girl' and 'Siletz,' though it still outperforms other cultivars in the trial. Importantly, Indigo Rose is released as an open-pollinated variety, meaning seeds saved from self-pollinated plants will grow true to type, and no genetic engineering techniques have been used in their development. But how does this unique variety taste? As Myers emphasizes, people are passionate about their tomatoes, and while the purple color naturally piques interest, it's also associated with high expectations for flavor. Fortunately, Indigo Rose doesn't disappoint. It balances sugars and acids well, offering a taste similar to a regular tomato. Remarkably, anthocyanins themselves are essentially tasteless.
However, Myers offers a word of caution: don't pick these tomatoes too soon. Indigo Rose needs to ripen fully to develop its sugars and acids. Visual cues may not be as reliable with these tomatoes, as they change color from a shiny blue-purple to a dull purple-brown as they ripen. Their texture will soften, resembling that of regular tomatoes, and the bottom will transition from green to red when they're ready to be picked. Anthocyanin pigments only develop in areas exposed to sunlight, so if a portion is shaded by a leaf or near the base, the purple pigment may not emerge. However, if you pluck an Indigo Rose and expose the uncolored area to sunlight, it should transform into purple within about a week. Indigo Rose stands as a unique tomato variety offering not only a captivating blue hue but also the potential for elevated antioxidants. Its development is a testament to careful breeding techniques and a dedication to exploring the health benefits of this extraordinary fruit.