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Writer's pictureThe Collected Seed

My favorite tomatoes: Sun Gold cherry

Updated: Mar 2, 2020




If tomatoes can have a personality, these definitely do with a cheery and vibrant persona that reflects their taste.

 

I first discovered Sun Gold tomatoes about 5 years ago under the name "Sun Sugar" which I later learned is the near-identical nursery variety. I try a lot of tomatoes and varieties tend to rotate through my garden, but this one has been a staple every year!


Cherry tomatoes are great for small spaces and containers

I normally grow more cherry tomatoes because I have a smaller garden, nestled onto a small lot in suburbia, and because I have the heaviest of heavy clay soil, which forces me to grow in containers.


Cherry tomato plants need about as much space to grow as beefsteak or slicing tomatoes, but they do a million times better in containers. The reasons for that are a post for another day (making a mental note to come back and do that), but I've been doing this a long time and I can attest to how much simpler it is to care for cherry tomato plants in containers.


I was suckered by their sunny tomato faces

After moving back to Oklahoma in 2014, I was shopping for plants to fill my first garden back in this state and found myself strolling through the offerings at a little local garden nursery - that has since become my favorite.


I came across a cute little variety Sun Sugar (Sun Gold) and it's bright yellow face called to me from the plant tag. These tomatoes seemed like a far cry from the mealy, flavorless red lumps sold in the grocery store. I just had to try them.


The other varieties didn't call my name, so I filled my tomato garden with six Sun Gold plants and had the sweetest, juiciest little treats overflowing in my kitchen for almost the entire growing season!


The heat of summer did set back their production a little bit, and following that, the fruits they produced were smaller, but they were always delicious and prolific. I almost struggled to find ways to use all of them.


Yellow tomatoes are still acidic

Something that draws me, and a lot of people, to the flavor of yellow tomatoes is the sweeter notes they leave on my palate. This is very true of Sun Gold tomatoes.


The acidic notes are less present in their flavor but if you're on an acid restricted diet don't let this trick you. Yellow tomatoes have the same Ph, or acid content, as any other tomato, regardless of how they taste.


Why I love Sun Gold tomatoes

  • They have a less acidic taste

  • The sunny color adds a bright pop to meals

  • Just like all tomatoes, their antioxidant properties are good for me

  • They're prolific

  • Oklahoma summers might set them back but they can withstand it

  • They have a thin skin and are juicy, not mealy


Yes, Sun Gold tomatoes have a few cons

  • Their thin skin means they can be prone to cracking. This makes it important to harvest if heavy rain is coming.

  • The birds are also big fans of their flavor, so you'll have competition. The plants produce so well, it's okay to lose a few to birds though.

  • I sometimes have more than my family and I can eat. (If you can call that a con.)

Sun Gold Tomato Facts

  • Indeterminate growth habit

  • Cherry type (about 1 ounce)

  • Hybrid (saved seeds won't produce plants/fruit like the parent next year)

  • 65 days to maturity/DTM



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