Discover Green When Ripe Tomatoes GWR
“It’s Not Easy Being Green”
The Sublime Tomatoes That are Often Ignored…
When it comes to growing tomatoes and ordering seeds for various varieties, what qualities do you tend to look for? Are you looking for beefsteaks, cherries, saladette, or romas as far as size? Are you looking to grow indeterminate, determinate, dwarf, or micro dwarf plants?
And flavor….do you chase sweet, tangy, bright, crisp, umami, or citrusy notes?
Well the good news is, you can find ALL of these things in GREEN tomatoes!
Otherwise known as GWR (green when ripe), green varieties are often overlooked both at farm stands and by gardeners when choosing next year’s lineup. I hear time and time again from both vendors and farmers that they just can’t sell the GWR varieties. Even when I give away my extra seedlings each spring, very few people are willing to take a chance on the many green varieties I offer.
What I find in my tomato ‘travels,’ chatting with other growers who have yet to taste a GWR, the same misconception keeps popping up…..they assume it will taste like an unripe tomato which makes you pucker and lacks any depth of flavor.
The truth is that green tomatoes DO very often look the same as unripe ones, and since we eat with our eyes first, it can be a complete paradigm shift to expect this unripe-looking tomato to taste like anything else.
This is such a shame, because they are completely missing out on some of the most delicious tomatoes that are out there in the tomato-verse! I often wish I could hand skeptics a blind taste test. I’m convinced most would be instantly sold on these flavor bombs the moment they took a bite!
Many years ago, my husband and I had purchased tomato seeds online from a farmer, and they included a variety as a free gift they called “Malachite.” I wrote to them to ask what type it was, and they told me they hadn’t grown it themselves but were told it was a red tomato. We couldn’t find any information on it on the internet at that time, so we took a chance and grew it! Much to our surprise, the fruits never turned red. (In hindsight, the clue was in the name, as “malachite” is a green gemstone!) It was a classic Russian GWR variety called Malakhitovaya Shkatulka…known in English as Malachite Box.
We waited until the fruits softened and shifted from neon green to a subtle amber, then tasted one cautiously. The flavor was unlike anything we’d ever experienced: fruity, tangy, rich, and explosively intense. After two decades of growing tomatoes, this one rewrote the tomato rule book for us!
From that moment on, Malachite Box became our all-time favorite, and I’ve been
obsessed with hunting down and trialing other GWRs ever since.
Of course, taste is subjective. My husband and I gravitate toward loud, lingering, sweet-tart
intensity with deep richness, and so many GWRs deliver exactly that. (There are also gorgeous tri-color varieties with green flesh marbled with yellow/cream and pink/red streaks that come close, but I’ve yet to find one that matches the sheer power of a pure GWR… though I’m still looking!)
So why do GWR tomatoes often pack more punch than red ones? There’s actual science
behind it. Because their exterior color doesn’t change dramatically as they ripen, GWR fruits skip (or greatly reduce) the acid-reduction phase that turns many red tomatoes mild and mellow. They retain higher levels of malic and citric acid at maturity, keeping that bright tang, while still developing excellent sugar (glucose and fructose) levels. The result? A vivid sweet-tart balance and flavor intensity that’s hard to beat. In thirty years of growing tomatoes, I rarely find a red variety that can match the depth of a top-tier GWR.
The question I get asked the most from those tomato heads who haven’t yet tried green
when ripe tomatoes is how to tell when they are ripe. Sometimes it’s obvious, sometimes it’s tricky….it depends on the epidermis. Many of my favorites (Malachite Box included) have a yellow epidermis, so they shift to a yellowish-amber when ready. Others have a clear epidermis, making the change subtler. The foolproof method for either type: give them a gentle squeeze. Unripe fruits are rock-hard with almost no give. As they ripen, they soften and feel slightly springy or squishy. You also may notice the matte skin turns glossy as ripeness approaches.
There are some truly outstanding green when ripe tomatoes out there that I encourage you to try! If you are curious to add a GWR variety to next season’s garden, there are so many great ones to choose from! I have yet to recommend Malachite Box to anyone who didn’t agree with me that it is incredible! And if you’re looking for a great GWR dwarf, give Dwarf 622-08 a try…it is absolutely delicious!
Expand your horizons and give a GWR tomato a spot in your garden! I bet it will absolutely
surprise you and earn a permanent spot in your garden for years to come!
Peace, love, gratitude….and GO GROW TOMATOES!
~Lauren
Known as Mrs. Tomato Head, Lauren Blanchard Zalewski has spent over 30 years growing, tasting, and celebrating tomatoes with her husband Rob (Mr. Tomato Head). She founded the community “Tomato Lover’s Collective & Swap” on Facebook and hosts a lively and interactive weekly YouTube show called “Lauren’s Tomato Awesomesauce!!”, where she spotlights extraordinary cultivars from around the world. She is also the co-host of the monthly “Tomato Talk Live” with Jen Joy and is a passionate grower and educator in the wonderful world of tomatoes!
You can find her on IG and YouTube at: @mrandmrstomatohead
Join her community at: Tomato Lover’s Collective & Swap