I wouldn't be too concerned-I think you made a great choice. CP is one of my personal favorites. I can't tell you how many times over the years, the first few tomatoes I pick don't particularly have the best flavor. I can't give you a scientific explanation, but I can assure you that future tomatoes will be better flavored.

The first tomato off the vine is not always a true indicator of flavor. As the season progresses, you may find them more to your liking.

Agree with the others. I had my first CP of the season earlier this week and it was not that great. CP is one of my favs along with Brandywine. Trying some new varieties this year.

Thank you everyone SO MUCH. What a delight to get all these responses. This was (1) my first post here on GardenWeb in years and (2) the first time I've ever grown tomatoes. And I grew them from seed, so it's a real pleasure to see them bearing fruit so nicely.

In the meantime, a couple of additional tomatoes are just about ripe, ready to be #2 and #3 of the season.

Chances are...you will end up liking CP quite a bit. As dig said, and I agree...I never really considered CP to be an unusually sweet fruit. I do not prefer the sweet or bland tasting maters. Complex flavors bordering on "tangy" is my preference. I actually like lots of seeds and gel...which many people do not care for. Like wine...if you like it: it is a good wine/mater.

A bit later into the harvest ...

I think I would say the taste has gotten better over the last week. Actually, it's delicious.

Am I correct that the Cherokee Purples are ripe and ready to harvest even when the shoulder is still green? (as long as the tomato is fairly soft)

As I remember CP, when ripe does not have green shoulder like BK.

ok, this is something to ponder because it seems that even when my tomatoes are fully ripe, or even over-ripe, they never seem to lose their green shoulder. I'll check in the next few days to make sure I'm remembering correctly. Thanks for the note.

Mine never lose their green shoulders either,. The green deepens when ripe but is always there.I think that is a characteristic of CP.. It never loses it's green shoulders.

jennie

The picture that I posted was from internet.

I found this picture of my own. It was taken in 2014.

Sey

I store my tomatoes shoulders down while ripening. I checked the ripe ones this morning and some still have green shoulders, although very dark and faint and a couple look like yours Sey, with no discernible green. So I was wrong, they don't always have green shoulders when ripe. Yesterday I picked one that had definite stripes with no green shoulders! I have been saving seed from this plant for years, but it may be time to buy some fresh seed!

Jennie

Here is a better picture. Wonder what caused the stripes?

So you pick them slightly under-ripe and then ripen them indoors? I was under the impression that that's something only commercial growers do since they have to ship them long distances, and that the best flavor comes from ripening them on the vine? Thanks for your help -- this is all new (and exciting) to me.

Those almost look like Arbuznyi tomatoes since they have stripes jenniedhs_7b_nc. They have stripes like your picture and stay somewhat green at the shoulders. Obviously not since it is seed you have saved for years...could be cool to save seeds from that one and see if it happens again. :)

From what I know of Cherokee Purple (I am growing for the first time this year but have bought at farmers market quite a few times) it typically has dark shoulders which in my experience are more brown than green. I will have to pay close attention to mine as they ripen to fully weigh in.

Ricky, many choose to ripen indoors to save the tomato from pests or varmints that might like a nice juicy ripe tomato just as much as you. Squirrels are a big problem for my neighbors...they for some reason leave me alone, but she always picks hers right when she sees the first hint of color and lets them ripen inside. I do a little bit of both. I typically leave my cherry tomatoes on the vine until ripe...mostly because they go straight off the bush into someones mouth ;) And larger tomatoes I will pick when they start to turn color. This gives the plant more energy to devote to the other tomatoes, and takes some weight off the branches. Some tomatoes benefit from vine ripening...but most are just as tasty when they are picked early and left to ripen on the counter. However, that question is a bit like the chicken and the egg...there is no right answer and can be debated for hours. Try both ways, and decide which one you like best!

Just picked three of my tomatoes -- quite soft but with a definite green shoulder.

Rick, they look almost ripe, if not ripe! Most of mine have green shoulders that get darker as they ripen. Here are two of my ripe ones. They look a deeper color in real life. I think the camera flash made them appear pinker. Enjoy those Cherokee Purples!

Jennie

Thanks, Jennie -- yep, the three tomatoes I picked yesterday were definitely soft, and therefore ripe to slightly overripe, but they kept their green shoulder even in that state.

They were delicious!

They were delicious!

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

That is what it counts to me.

But when I see your pictures w/ cracked maters, with green shoulders , remind me of Black Krim.. I am not saying what you've got is not CP.

I think a lot of OP/Heirlooms have several strains. Also growing conditions might make a difference in visual appearance.

When I posted my Black From Tual pictures (below)

Some of you mentioned that it is not like yours. I can't wait til they get ripe to find out.

Sey