Three Reasons Why I Prefer the Green Giant Heirloom Tomato
August 20, 2018The first year I offered the Green Giant Tomato at my annual heirloom plant sale I couldn’t give them away. People were completely turned off by the idea of a green tomato. The typical refrain went something like this: “A green tomato? No thanks. How do I know when it’s ripe?” Needless to say, on the last day of my sale, I had plenty of beautiful Green Giant plants remaining so… I planted a couple of them. As a result, Green Giant remains one of my favorite heirloom tomato varieties and here’s why:
1) Fruit Size and Productivity
Once this plant gets established it reliably produces dozens of 1 lb. slicing tomatoes until the first frost. Don’t let the green skin fool you though, this tomato, like most large slicers, takes 80+ days to fully mature. But well worth the wait.
Green Giant tomatoes on the vine
2) Shape and Beauty
The inside of the Green Giant is beautiful emerald green and really pops when plated alongside a red variety. The tomatoes themselves have a very uniform shape and this variety suffers very little in the way of cracking or splitting. Also, I have yet to encounter any cat-facing or zippering with this variety. In terms of overall coloring, as the fruit ripens, it develops a beautiful yellow tint as evidenced by the picture below. If you’re unsure as to whether or not the tomato is ripe, give it a gentle squeeze. Softness in the skin signals that the tomato is ripe and ready!
Ripe Green Giant tomatoes. Notice the yellow tint.
Plated Green Giant Heirloom Tomato Alongside a Mortgage Lifter
3) Taste
The real fireworks happen when you bite into this tremendous fruit. The complex flavors caught me by complete surprise. This slicer has it all! Super meaty and juicy, wonderful tang and just the right amount of sweetness. Green Giant comes extremely close to being the “perfect tomato”. I typically use it on hamburgers or sandwiches as a replacement for the usual red slicers. Green Giant also makes a marvelous tomato salad when paired with other varieties. If you close your eyes you would think you’re eating a Brandywine or Mortgage Lifter. Yeah, it’s that good!
Heirloom Tomato Salad with Green Giant, Kellog’s Breakfast, Black Cherry and Blondkopfchen tomatoes
Conclusion
As a grower, I tend to lean on unusual and hard to find heirloom varieties when I plant my garden. Green Giant found its way into my garden by pure happenstance but has become a staple as a result. Everyone has their own favorites for their own reasons, but who’s to say that your favorite won’t change if given the chance?
