Cocktail Tomatoes

/ Bluebird Gardens/
Self-pollinating cocktail tomatoes deliver fruit all year. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Self-pollinating cocktail tomatoes deliver fruit all year. (Charlotte Ekker Wiggins photo)

Cocktail Tomatoes

Sounds like something one eats at a party, doesn’t it - cocktail tomatoes.

“Cocktail tomatoes” where the darlings of the COVID 2020 year. I saw them featured on blogs and home and garden centers, the perfect tomato for that apartment or small space. I picked one up at the end of the season and not for the original $18.95 retail price. I was curious to see how they would weather inside through a Missouri winter.

Cocktail Tomatoes grow 1 foot by 1 foot. They are small, semi-determinate tomatoes that provide fruit through most of the growing season without overwhelming the supply. If they like it inside, they are supposed to be constantly growing self-pollinated fruit.

Not a hybrid, they do grow true from their seeds. I used the last tomato to start some new plants I shared with friends earlier this spring.

In terms of taste, they are nicely flavored for salads and just plain straight munching.

I now have some growing in pots on my deck to see how well they make it through our Missouri summers. I planted them with compost at the bottom of the pot including crushed egg shells, and monitor for even watering.

They were back this year at a lower price point $14.95. The plant tag also had more information, confirming that this is an heirloom, not a hybrid variety.

This year’s cocktail tomatoes are less expensive. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

This year’s cocktail tomatoes are less expensive. (Charlotte Ekker Wiggins Photo)

Although my fruit are still green, you can see how once they ripen Cocktail Tomatoes have a nice small size.

Ripening Cocktail tomatoes at one of our local hardware stores. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Ripening Cocktail tomatoes at one of our local hardware stores. (Charlotte Ekker Wiggins photo)

I have grown a number of tomatoes over the years. This one has a lot of advantages starting with its size. It’s handy for small spaces while still providing fruit for salads and other uses. Besides cooking, these plants make for nice growing gifts that will keep on giving.

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Charlotte