Ananas Noir: Hanna’s Tomato Tastings 2007

Part of Hanna’s Tomato Tastings 2007

I don’t recall how this tomato ended up in my cart when I was shopping for seeds. It may very well have been an accident. I suspect that the fact that it was labled a “dark” tomato had something to do with it, though the picture on the sellers site does not look dark at all.

The description from the company I bought it from reads:

Our most exciting new tomato this year, it is wonderful in every way. This unusual variety was developed by Pascal Moreau, a horticulturist from Belgium. The multi-colored, smooth fruit (green, yellow and purple mix) weigh about 1 1/2 lbs. The flesh is bright green with deep red streaks. Everyone loves their superb flavor that is outstanding, being both sweet and smoky with a hint of citrus. The yield is one of the heaviest we have ever seen! Be the first at your farmers market to have this new classic.

The Beauty Pageant:

Size: The one picture is medium size but the other that have come off the plant have been larger than this one. Somewhere between baseball size and two fist size.

Shape: Round but a little on the lopsided side. The larger they are, the more lopsided they become.

The inside: Medium walls, thick core. There are several chambers inside. This inside is striated with red and green, with some white. The gel is loose which makes this a rather sloppy tomato.

Texture: Smooth.

Tasting:

Off the Vine Tasting: Very, very, very sweet. This is sweeter than any cherry tomato I have ever tried. Not much tomato flavor, just sweet.

Sliced and Salted Tasting: The sweet flavor is turned down some, but not much with salt added. The salt does bring back some tomato flavor.

Cooking Thoughts: As I am not a big fan of sweet tomatoes I can’t think of much that I would want to cook with these. They are candy sweet. Maybe as a side dish? This would be a fantastic tomato to grow if you have a child who is not fond of tomatoes. The sweet flavor would introduce them gently to tomatoes.

Growing Notes:
Medium size plant. While I harvested a few tomatoes off this plant, this is the first one that I have been able to eat. These tomatoes rot incredibly fast, I suspect the high sugar content has something to do with that. Also, the seller had a picture of a near fluorescent green tomato with red striations. Not one of mine has had such coloration.

Will Hanna grow this one again:
I won’t but I don’t like overly sweet tomatoes. If you do like sweet tomatoes, than I would highly recommend this one. I have never tasted one that is sweeter.