Crème Brûlée Tomato

Why I chose it

I'll admit the name probably had something to do with this one making the cut. Crème Brûlée is a dark, richly coloured tomato producing substantial reddish-brown to almost black fruit. I haven't grown it before, but interesting dark tomatoes rarely require much persuasion to find their way into my garden.

At a glance

Type: Slicer / beefsteak
Growth: Indeterminate
Open-pollinated: Yes
Fruit: Medium-large, flattened, dark reddish-brown
Position: Full sun
Support: Sturdy support required

In the kitchen

A fleshy slicing tomato with rich colouring inside and out. This is one I'd use fresh where its colour and texture can actually be appreciated — thickly sliced in sandwiches, salads and platters, or simply eaten fresh from the garden.

In the garden

Crème Brûlée is a mid-season, indeterminate tomato, so it continues growing and producing rather than setting one concentrated crop. Plants can reach around 1.8 m and produce fruit around 280 g, so give them decent support from the outset. Rutgers Cooperative Extension

Care

Grow in full sun in fertile, well-drained soil. Water consistently as the fruit develops and feed during flowering and fruiting. Tie new growth to sturdy support as it grows and protect from frost.

What you'll receive
One healthy, established  tomato seedling grown here at A Garden Between. Plants naturally vary in size and shape and may be supplied in reused nursery pots or growing bags — perfectly useful plastic doesn't need replacing simply because it doesn't match.