Mirabelle Blanche: Hanna’s Tomato Tastings 2007

Part of Hanna’s Tomato Tastings 2007

Do not adjust your screen.  This is not a color problem.  These are white cherry tomatoes.  As you may recall, I grew a white beefsteak tomato that I was not too impressed with.  That’s because white tomatoes tend to trade flavor for their goth like pallor.  But, they are fun to grow if for nothing else than the weird factor.

This was also one of my US Government Pilfered seeds that had to be sent twice from the UK. Let’s see if they were worth the trouble.

The description from the company I bought it from reads:

Described as a yellow version of Gardeners Delight, with long trusses of small pale yellow fruit, with a very sweet taste. 48 seeds.

The Beauty Pageant:

Size: Average cherry size.  Shooter marble size. 

Shape: Almost round.  While they may look round, they are slightly flat at the top and bottom so they are very easy to stand up, say on an appetizer plate.

The inside: Okay walls for a cherry tomato.  Not too much meat, but what can you expect from a cherry tomato?  Juicy though, if you look at the picture, you can see the cut one is dripping.

Texture: The skin is very apparent when you eat this tomato.  You feel like you are chewing on wet paper almost.  The meat is okay, not mealy but not silky.

Tasting:

Off the Vine Tasting: Oh my God!  And I don’t mean that in a good or bad way.  More of “Oh my God, I have never tasted a tomato that tasted like that.  That’s weird” The gel is SUPER tangy and sour.  But the meat is really sweet.  Almost like a sour patch kid candy.  I don’t know if I like it or not, but it is certainly unusual.  Had to try it twice just to make sure that was not just a fluke tomato. 

Sliced and Salted Tasting: Salt tones down the tanginess but not the sour.  Not too much difference though, with or without salt.

Cooking Thoughts: I would have to say that I would have to think long and hard to decide what to do with these.  The flavor is such a shock.  The would probably be good in a “high end” salad, where you have some odd flavor mixtures anyway.   

Growing Notes:
Big plant.  Lots of blossoms and fruit.  Has not been affected by any diseases so far.

Will Hanna grow this one again:
Gosh.   I am still trying to decide if I like the flavor.  But the texture of the skin is a bit of a turn off.  I doubt I will be.  But I will say that if you are looking for a “different” tomato to try, this would be it.