First time growing Black Beauty tomatoes, some of them have turned a deep purple/black on top but still look a little green underneath. Are they ready to pick, or should I wait a bit longer?

by Felixdai1999

12 Comments

  1. Dry_Difference_4250

    WoW! Very impressive 👏 👌 👍 Enjoy!

  2. From my experience, they shouldn’t be picked yet. They seem to take forever to actually ripen. Black beauties turn black quickly but won’t soften and be ready to eat for like a month or so

  3. little_cat_bird

    Purple shoulders have nothing to do with ripeness. They’ll be softer when ripe, and Black Beauty will be a deep wine red where they aren’t purple/black.

  4. Horror_Structure603

    Look at the bottoms not the tops to gauge ripeness on something with dark shoulders. If it’s still light green it’s not ready. Most dark varieties will change to a very dark red when ripe and they won’t be so hard either

  5. thekazooyoublew

    No. Disregard the black, wait for the green to turn deep red. You’re in for a treat

  6. warinthegarden

    I have grown them twice and have found they take forever to ripen. I had to go by touch/squeeze to confirm they were ready. I have switched to the blue beauty variety and would highly recommend them to anybody looking for a robust harvest and sweet taste. Wishing you good luck and tasty 🍅s

  7. similarities

    Are these all single leader plants or do you have multiple leaders?

  8. CappaValley

    Looks too early, but, you could always pick one, try it out and learn first hand if it’s ripe. Gardening is all about life long learning.

  9. tobiasmaximus

    Wait until the red shows up on the bottoms.

  10. WildBoarGarden

    Black beauty is deep burgundy red inside, and also the lower half of the exterior, and you will see the color begin to flush from the flower end first

  11. Murky_Substance_3304

    They look lovely!!
    I’m growing them this year also!
    What zone are you in? Mind are just starting to flower.

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