About This Variety
Cherokee Purple is one of the most popular heirloom tomatoes in the world, prized for its dark purple-pink skin and rich, sweet, complex flavor. An indeterminate variety maturing in 80–90 days, it produces large beefsteak-style fruits all season long. Its Cherokee Nation origins and distinctive dusky color make it a garden showpiece and a farmers' market favorite.
How to Save Seeds
- Pick fully ripe or slightly overripe fruit from your healthiest, most vigorous plants.
- Cut the tomato horizontally and squeeze the seeds and gel into a clean jar.
- Add a splash of water and let the mixture ferment for 2–3 days. Stir daily — a layer of mold forming on top is normal and expected.
- When the viable seeds have sunk to the bottom, pour off the mold, pulp, and any floating seeds.
- Rinse the good seeds thoroughly in a fine mesh strainer under running water.
- Spread seeds on a paper plate (NOT paper towels — seeds stick to them) and let dry for 5–7 days in a well-ventilated spot.
- Store dried seeds in a labeled envelope in a cool, dry place.
Pro Tip: Fermentation removes the germination-inhibiting gel coat surrounding each seed and kills many seed-borne diseases. Don't skip this step!
Cross-Pollination
Tomatoes are self-pollinating — the flowers fertilize themselves before they even fully open. This means cross-pollination between tomato varieties is extremely rare (typically under 2–5% even when plants are side by side). No isolation cages, hand-pollination, or separation distance is needed.
No isolation needed: Cherokee Purple can grow right next to your other tomato varieties with essentially zero cross-pollination risk. All five of your tomato varieties can be grown side by side and still produce true-to-type seeds.
