Green Moldovan Tomato: Hanna’s Tomato Tastings 2008

Part of Hanna’s Tomato Tastings 2008

“Dr. Jones, hand over ze Green Moldovan… or ve kill ze girl.”

Really, the name sounds like some kind of rare green jeweled idol that could lead to the end of humanity if it falls into the wrong hands. But no, this is a tomato. A true Green tomato meaning that when it is ripe, it still holds onto its green color. What makes this green tomato even better is that it also has the “green” shoulders, that in a red tomato produces a “black” tomato. Here, it just make a green tomato even greener.

The reason I bought this tomato is because it is among the harder to find tomato varieties. The rare and elusive Green Moldovan. If the world ends while I am in possession of it, I’ll let you know.

The description from the company I got it from reads:

Bright lime-green fruit have a tropical taste. This variety has round, flattened 10 oz. beefsteak-type fruit that are beautiful when sliced to reveal their lovely neon colored flesh. A very rare heirloom from Moldova that has been a favorite of mine for years. It was one of the first green varieties I grew.

The Beauty Pageant:

Size: Small beefsteak. True to the description, there is no way any of the fruit on the plant will hit a pound.

Shape: Wobbly, like a child tried to mold a tomato shape. No side is symmetrical and all are a bit lumpy. Slightly smashed.

The inside: Thick core with two narrow chambers down either side. Gel is loose but not sloppy. I am certain that this is a ripe tomato, but I would not term the inside as “neon”.

Texture: Silky and juicy, which surprising as it holds up nicely to slicing.

Tasting:

Off the Vine Tasting: Sour with a good strong tomato backbone. I can see why the description says “tropical” as the sour is reminiscent of citrus fruit. But there is plenty of tomato flavor to balance it.

Sliced and Salted Tasting: The salt tones down the sour on the first bite so you get a just slightly sweet tomato flavor. But as you chew and then swallow, the sour returns and you are left with a nice sour/tomatoey aftertaste.

Cooking Thoughts: This is a jewel on the plate and slices nice. Definitely one for a side dish. Would be great in a salad or sandwich or in salsa for some interesting color. Not sure you would want to sauce these though. The green color would be alarming.

Growing Notes:
Not the most productive plant, mostly due to the fact that it is pretty self contained. It did not branch much, so would do well in a square foot garden or somewhere where space was at a premium. All of the tomatoes on this plant have cracked (as you can see from the pic) We have had an incredible amount of rain this season, but these seem much more susceptible than others to cracking.

Will Hanna grow this one again:
Yes. While it is not as productive as I would like, it sets itself up as a gourmet tomato. A tomato I would reserve for company, to wow the dinner guests. The fun color, complex taste and nice texture make a good combination.