- Cholocate Stripes Tomato: Profile
- History and origin of the beefsteak tomato
- Characteristics and taste of the ˈChocolate Stripesˈ tomato
- Special features of cultivation and care
- Harvesting and Using Chocolate Stripes
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The striped beefsteak tomato ˈChocolate Stripesˈ not only impresses with its appearance, but also with its delicious taste. Find out everything about the Chocolate Stripes tomato here.
Striped beefsteak tomatoes such as ˈChocolate Stripesˈ are rarely found and bring color to every bed and on the plate. In this portrait we present the tomato variety ˈChocolate Stripesˈ and give tips for successful breeding and a bountiful harvest of the beefsteak tomato.
Cholocate Stripes Tomato: Profile
| Fruit | Beefsteak tomato; dark red with green-brown stripes |
| Flavour | sweet, aromatic, slightly acidic |
| Maturity | medium late |
| Growth | Stick tomato, up to 2 m |
| Location | Greenhouse, foil tunnel, protected outdoor area, tubs |
History and origin of the beefsteak tomato
The 'Chocolate Stripes' tomato variety was bred by Ohio American John Siegel and was created in the early 2000s by crossing 'Shimmeig Creg' with a pink beefsteak tomato. Between 2006 and 2007, the new variety entered the seed bank Seed Savers Exchange (SSE) via Al Anderson, an association for the transmission and preservation of seed-resistant varieties. ˈChocolate Stripesˈ promptly won the award for one of the top three flavors at the Carmel TomatoFest event that same year and the following year. In Europe, the American variety is slowly but surely gaining ground and is enjoying growing popularity.
Characteristics and taste of the ˈChocolate Stripesˈ tomato
ˈChocolate Stripesˈ grows as a strong stick tomato up to 200 cm in height. In summer, after pollination, 7 to 10 cm wide, flat-topped beefsteak tomatoes develop. The variety ripens mid-late from August and can be harvested continuously until the end of October. When ripe, the fruit takes on a dark red color with green-dark brown stripes and weighs an average of 200 grams.
The taste of the Chocolate Stripes tomato is sweet and aromatic with a slight acidity. All in all, the beefsteak tomato offers a good balance of sweetness and acidity as well as a spicy, earthy aroma, which is typical of many darker tomato varieties, such as the ˈBlack Plumˈ. The ˈChocolate Stripesˈ is a seed-resistant tomato variety: It can therefore be propagated again using its own seeds. You can find detailed instructions for obtaining tomato seeds and storing them in our special article.
Special features of cultivation and care
The ˈChocolate Stripesˈ is ideal for cultivation in a warm greenhouse or polytunnel. If the variety is to be cultivated outdoors, rain protection and a warm location are required. The variety does not ripen reliably in places that are too unprotected, which cool down quickly in autumn - this reduces the yield. The ˈChocolate Stripesˈ can be grown in a large bucket on the warm balcony or terrace. Young plants can be planted in the greenhouse from the beginning of May and outdoors and on the balcony from mid-May after the last frosts of the Ice Saints.
First dig a deep planting hole or fill a pot with a capacity of at least 10 to 15 liters about a third full with a nutrient-rich potting soil such as our Plantura organic tomato and vegetable soil. In contrast to many other potting soils, it does not require any peat at all and stores water that is available for plants thanks to the high compost content. Put the tomato seedlings in so that only the top part of the plant is showing. In the coming days, new roots quickly form underground along the shoot, which can supply the tomato plant with water and nutrients. Remove all deep-seated leaves that would otherwise disappear below the surface of the soil and fill the planting hole or bucket with substrate. Press the soil lightly all around and then water vigorously. In addition, the ˈChocolate Stripesˈ should be well supported and tied with a stick.
As a beefsteak tomato, the ˈChocolate Stripesˈ bears large, heavy fruits and should therefore be pinched out well and regularly. In addition to the main shoot, a deep-seated side shoot can be left on beefsteak tomatoes. If this is also well staked and tied, the ˈChocolate Stripesˈ also bears its tasty fruits on this shoot. All higher seated axillary drives must be removed regularlyso that they do not rob the plant of too much energy for fruit formation. Otherwise, flowers and fruits would also form quickly on these thinner side shoots, but this slows down the development of all fruits on the plant and thus leads to small, late-ripening fruits. Therefore, these too weak shoots should be removed as soon as possible after they appear.
Tomato plants have a high nutrient requirement, they are among the so-called heavy consumers. Fertilization with an organic liquid fertilizer, such as our Plantura organic tomato & vegetable fertilizer, starting in June, brings the necessary supply of nitrogen, potassium and Co. About once a week, add 15 to 25 ml to 5 liters of irrigation water and fertilize in this way during of watering the plants. The nutrients reach the roots directly and can therefore quickly provide relief even in the case of acute deficiency symptoms.
Harvesting and Using Chocolate Stripes
From August the first fruits of the ˈChocolate Stripesˈ are ripe. They yield slightly when pressed with a finger and thus show that the aromatic pulp inside is already edible. As a firm tomato, ˈChocolate Stripesˈ is ideal for eating fresh with a snack or in a salad, but it can also be processed well and bring out its good taste in soups or sauces.
With some varieties it is not so easy to determine when the fruit is really ripe. Especially the rather inconspicuous but highly aromatic green tomato varieties unsettle some hobby gardeners. We introduce you to the best varieties and give tips on how to easily tell when such a tomato is ripe.