Matt’s Wild Cherry Tomato: Hanna’s Tomato Tastings 2008

Part of Hanna’s Tomato Tastings 2008

This is the last tomato tasting of the year. These were picked just a few days ago, right before the killing frost that finally came to Cleveland. That in itself is a testament to the growing power of these little cherry tomatoes, they were one of the first to produce and have produced all summer long.

They are the red cousins of the White Currant that I reviewed very first this year. I enjoyed those tomatoes but was disappointed that I would not be able to have more than in a taste due to the ill health of the plant. But, the Matt’s Wild Cherry more than made up for it. This tomato has produced hundreds of little tomatoes and is a simply massive plant.

I will say that this is the ultimate tomato plant for a gardener with children, grandchildren or even moderately rude neighborhood children who wander through your yard. I had a hard time keeping my kids from these tomatoes, which is impressive considering my kids are not fans of raw tomatoes (yet… their tastebuds are still developing). But with these tomatoes, they would literally snitch them. My original review date had to be set back due to the fact that my kids and their friends had stripped the plant of ripe tomatoes.

The description from the company I got it from reads:

This is a small red mini-marble cherry is so incredibly tasty. Everyone I know agrees that this tomato has “real tomato flavor”. You just have to try it to believe it. Grows extremely tall and/or wide. Ind. 65 days

The Beauty Pageant:

Size: A perfectly round currant size tomato.

Shape: You could use them to play marbles.

Color: Bright red.

The inside: Thin walls full of seeds, but what can you really expect from a tomato this small?

Texture: It pops. I mean literally. You put them in your mouth, bite down and there is a good pop as you bite down. This is a good sign for a cherry tomato.

Tasting:

Off the Vine Tasting: This one has a strong tomato flavor with a very sweet backbone. This is probably why the kids like them so much. They are much like candy.

Sliced and Salted Tasting: The salt brings the tomato up some and reduces the sweet. But to be honest, this tomato is better without salt, and let’s face it, how many of us wander around the garden with a salt shaker in hand… except for when we are hunting slugs, that is.

Cooking Thoughts: These are best as a snack while you work. You could use them in salad though. Your kids will love them in their lunches, but I suspect that they will eat more of them if they feel they are snitching them from the garden.

Growing Notes:
Massive, healthy plant. This one was huge!

Will Hanna grow this one again:
I think regardless of my answer, I will be growing this one again. I fully expect to see plenty of volunteers popping up next spring from this. But, all that aside, my kids loved it. I am not a huge cherry tomato fan, but I enjoyed snacking on it and if my kids love this one enough to strip it clean on a regular basis, it will be welcome in my garden.