New Cherry Tomatoes Have a Thick Skin

January 29, 2021/Agnes Guillo

Although cherry tomatoes are a popular agricultural product, these fruits can be challenging to grow as their thin skin is highly prone to cracking during heavy rainfall seasons, while in the field, and even post-harvest. To combat these agricultural challenges, Cornell AgriTech has developed a new cherry tomato variant.

The Cherry Ember is celebrated for its rich taste, growing ease, extended shelf-life, and crack-resistant skin. Created by Phillip Griffiths, an associate professor of Horticulture at Cornell University’s School of Integrative Plant Science, the Cherry Ember was derived through heirloom tomato crossbreeding. With a firmer composition, thicker skin, and meatier flesh, this cherry tomato variant is protected from skin cracking. Furthermore, “the increased shelf-stability is a very important attribute of this variety,” Griffiths adds.

These tomatoes are regionally adapted and grow well in the climate of New York State. Mature at just sixty-five days post-planting, the Cherry Ember will grow continuously from mid-July until the first frost.

The Cherry Ember tomato is now being sold by the Naples, New York based, organic seed company, Fruition Seeds.

Read more about the Cherry Ember in CALS online news.

Agnes Guillo

Agnes is a Senior in CALS studying Animal Science with minors in Spanish and Entomology. Hailing from Brooklyn, NY, Agnes has been interested in agriculture and small-scale farming from a young age. Since arriving at Cornell, she has spent much of her time working with sheep, including most recently a research project investigating sheep grazing on solar panel arrays. More broadly, Agnes is interested in community-based farming, agriculture education and outreach, and supporting Spanish speaking farmers.
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