Red Grape Tomato Varieties

Variety Names

• In terms of nomenclature, naming tomatoes is complicated. The botanical name of the cultivated tomato is currently accepted as Solanum lycopersicum, although because it was once placed in the Lycopersicon genus it is still synonymous with Lycopersicon esculentum Miller. Because of this, cultivars like the grape tomato are assigned various names. To add to the confusion, the grape tomato has the same name cultivar name as the cherry tomato: cerasiforme. Technically, the official name for the species known as grape tomato is Solanum lycopersicum L. var. cerasiforme, but you may also find it expressed as Lycopersicon lycopersicum, Solanaceae Lycopersicon esculentum or Lycopersicon esculentum, sometimes followed by the name of the specific variety.

Characteristics

• The grape tomato is essentially an elongated version of the cherry tomato, but has thicker skin with a flavor similar to the Roma tomato. Because it has a lower water content, it typically stores longer than other tomatoes. There are slight differences in size between red grape varieties. The standard red grape tomato, for example, averages 1 inch in length, while Juliet and Juliet Roma red grape are usually 1 ½ inches long. The standard grape tomato forms compact vines, but some varieties like Juliet spread. Red grape varieties are usually indeterminate, which means they set fruit continuously throughout the season instead of all at once.

Specific Varieties

• The Santa variety (F1) red grape is a specialized hybrid that produces up to 50 fruits per truss. This variety is reputed to have a long shelf life and sweet flavor due to a higher sugar content than most other varieties. This variety is determinate, however, meaning all the fruit appears on the vine at about the same time. Sweet Heart grape produces bright red fruits all season long and boasts resistance to cracking, leaf mold, wilt and other diseases that commonly affect tomato plants.

Harvesting

• Like other tomatoes, red grape varieties are ready to harvest at different times. Sweet Heart is ready to harvest in early to mid-season, while Santa is ready in about 75 days. Jelly Bean is another variety of red grape tomato that is resistant to disease and cracking. This variety sets determinate fruit ready to harvest within 65 to 75 days.