White tomatoes? Purple Carrots? Odd...

annie1992

11 years ago

OK, so I like my garden and I grow my old favorites and heirlooms, but I like to "mix it up" too.

I always grow my favorite white tomato, and I save the seeds every year because I don't really know what it is, although I think it's Great White. I just toss them in with the red tomatoes, usually, although I make a great soup with just the whites. The latest picking looked like this..

Became this..

and ended up as this, my first (and probably only) batch of salsa this year. We just don't eat much of it and I made 14 pints.

I also grew Purple Dragon carrots, which are sweet and delicious, sweeter than the orange ones.

They are purple all the way through...

Their color leeches out into the canning liquid and comes out nearly black, it's so dark purple.

I also grew some Adirondack Blue potatoes, but they sure look purple to me. They also keep their color and make some really odd mashed potatoes, LOL.

Hey, all that work, I might as well have some fun with my vegetables! Not that I get the grandkids to eat them any more readily...

Annie

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Comments (15)

John Liu
11 years ago
I love purple carrots, purple potatoes, all funky colored fruit. You're lucky and wise to grow them.
surya55_gw
11 years ago
Different and quite impressive, your collection. That salsa looks so delicious. You can make purple potato chips; bet the grandkids would love them!
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annie1992
Original Author
11 years ago
Purple potato chips, now there's an idea for Halloween! I wonder how I can keep them fresh if I made them ahead of time....

John, sometimes I just like to surprise the grandkids, and they think it's far more fun to grow a purple carrot than a "plain old orange" one. I've even finally gotten Bud to take Sungold tomatoes to school for his "healthy snack", but it's mostly because he has a friend who loves them and he takes enough to share.

Annie
sleevendog (5a NY 6aNYC NL CA)
11 years ago
Love the variety. I do the same.
I am so deep in garden produce now...
I don't pull my carrots for a few weeks but the tomatoes
and the peppers are insanely prolific...
Made another fresh salsa batch and took it to work.
Smoked corn salsa.
Don't know the variety of my favorite tomatoes either...
but smear the seeds on a paper towel and let them dry.
(the stem end)...many seeds for next year.
dcarch7 d c f l a s h 7 @ y a h o o . c o m
11 years ago
White tomatoes are my favorite.

Those carrots are unbelievable. I got to try to grow some next year.

dcarch
annie1992
Original Author
11 years ago
dcarch, the Purple Dragons grew really well here and were so sweet I was surprised. Plus, they look really cool, LOL.

I also grew some white carrots, and they are good, but not as good as the purple.

The white tomatoes are my second favorite, after the pink Mortgage Lifter. The whites, though, are bigger, heavier, meatier, they have few seeds and lots of tomato. Should I save you some seeds? (I haven't figured out how to grow carrots and save seeds yet, or I'd offer you some of those, LOL)

Annie
Islay_Corbel
11 years ago
I was told that carrots were originally purple and it was the Dutch that bred an orange coloured one! Don't know if it's true...
Your veggies are fun.
Monkey_Princess_101
11 years ago
Purple Carrots Are Kind Of Good But Not As Good As Those Tigger Melons (lol)

#Monkey Princess
bettyd_z7_va
11 years ago
Annie,

Thanks for sharing. I'm dreaming of my seed order for next year. It's always wonderful to hear what others have tried & judged a winner.

I was eating one of my Cherokee Purple tomatoes today & DH asked me why I was eating a rotten tomato! I tried to get him to taste it, but he wouldn't.

I love to try lots of new & colorful fruits & veggies. It takes him a while. At least for purple tomatoes! Bless his heart!

Betty
anoriginal
11 years ago
Made me think of purple "green" beans. Interesting to look at, good flavor, but they immediately turn bright green when cooked or blanched.
writersblock (9b/10a)
11 years ago
>Interesting to look at, good flavor, but they immediately turn bright green when cooked or blanched.

Never grew any, but according to the folks in the FL garden forum, a dash of vinegar in the cooking water will keep the purple color.
lpinkmountain
11 years ago
Next year in my Children's Garden I may have to do a "purple patch." Tomatoes, carrots, beans, cabbage or kale, perhaps potatoes, or eggplant, although I don't like to grow them and tomatoes in the same bed, maybe some basil . . .
annie1992
Original Author
11 years ago
L, I think a purple patch would be a great idea.

This year's purple tomato was Indigo Blue Berry, which was a lovely dark purple on top and a dark maroon underside. The purple carrots were Purple Dragon, the potatoes were Adirondack Blue. I also grew Royal Burgundy beans, red cabbage, although it was really more purple and plain old eggplant, but these are all varieties that did well in Northern Michigan, so I'm sure they'll grow for you there.

Annie
lpinkmountain
11 years ago
I wonder if there are purple beets? Beets are so dang expensive at the store. $2.49 for a bunch of THREE beets that weighed a pound! Needless to say I didn't buy them. The farm market here is only open until noon on Sat. and I can never get my rear in gear to get over there on time!
annie1992
Original Author
11 years ago
L, I think Detroit Dark Red is as close to purple as you'll get, they are a rich burgundy color, although the Chiogga are neater, they have those white and red circles, like a candy cane.....

Annie

White tomatoes? Purple Carrots? Odd...

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