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Scarlet Sunrise: New grape tomatoes developed at Rutgers greenhouse
Rutgers University Professor and Researcher Peter Nitzsche joins Good Day Philadelphia to debut the Scarlet Sunrise, a new version of tomato.
PHILADELPHIA - New Jersey, known for having some of the best tomatoes in the country, is sprouting a new type of grape tomato packed with one-of-a-kind flavor.
Researchers at Rutgers University are celebrating the development of the Scarlet Sunrise grape tomato!
What we know:
Rutgers University Professor and Researcher Peter Nitzsche said the Scarlet Sunrise tomato took a decade to develop.
"It's a lot of work," Nitzsche told Thomas Drayton and Alex Holley on Good Day Philadelphia.
Nitzsche said he and his team grew hundreds of plants over the last 10 years in order to develop the Scarlet Sunrise tomato.
"We decided that we wanted to get a unique grape tomato," Nitzsche said. "We wanted one that consumers could identify in the market."
Nitzsche said he Dr. Tom Orton identified an heirloom tomato called Isis Candy and crossed it with a commercial grape tomato.
What they're saying:
The Scarlet Sunrise is said to be very different in both color and flavor to other tomatoes currently on the market.
"It's all different," Nitzsche said. "It's got a great sugary start and then a little bit of acid to make it exciting."
The reddish-orange huge of the Scarlet Sunrise tomato is one thing that makes it unmistakably identifiable.
"It gets the scarlet red blush as it ripens," Nitzsche said.
What you can do:
If you're eager to treat your taste buds to the Scarlet Sunrise grape tomato, you're in luck!
There's an open house at the Rutgers University Snyder Research and Extension Farm in Pittsgrove on Wednesday.
A $10 registration fee includes tomato tastings from over 50 varieties of heirloom and hybrid tomatoes.
Nitzsche said Rutgers is working with a seed company in hopes to deliver the tomato seeds to farmers and growers by next spring.