I would say in my experience the Sungolds last about 7 to 10 days maximum from picking at an underripe blushing stage. Not really much time to pick, process, ship (they get crushed easily as well and require careful packing), and sell.... but it is possible!

I wouldn't believe it were possible to bring Sungolds from CA to FL but ... they're staring back at me and I'm impressed. I guess you're right about the shelf life, because I'd always waited till they were translucent (unlike other tomatoes, I prefer SG dead ripe). The Whole Foods bought Sungold tomatoes are now 4 days at home (basket at 85 degree day / 78 degree night temperatures in a plastic bag) and I'm finishing them today.

The skin got thinner and the taste is mostly there, and the color intensified orange normally, I think because it got thinner and clearer. They are in the super sweet soft stage I would pick/eat them -- but still none split. The only difference is that when I grow them when they ripen they get these translucent longitudinal lines (wish I knew a better term for that) and I don't see anything like that. They are organic ... and only one of a 50 or so tomatoes in the whole basket developed a bit of gray mold on the sepals. Never would have thought this possible :-)

Cheers

PC

What other national chain have you seen them in the wholesale, distribution and retailing coast to coast? Trader Joe's in Seattle? If you have a
link to a good thread, please share it here to see what was discussed as I haven't seen them. Definitely home-grown taste and as interesting as the introduction of sliced bread!

Cheers

PC

I've got to say, the late season Sungolds aren't doing so great. They are splitting like crazy on the vine, I would say half of them split before picking, and they do not last long inside and split/crush so easily - they are basically a pick and eat immediately treat right now. It can't be excess water, we are in a drought and I have not be watering a lot at all. Not that any of the tomatoes are producing an abundant crop at this point in the season, but it is not like they are needed at this point. :)

It's the same here Peter! I always wondered why people complained about Sungolds splitting because mine didn't. However, this year they do, despite having had no rain or watering in ages. Luckily, my dogs really enjoy them, so they get to eat the split ones!

As for ripe SG's it's my belief that they taste best when left to ripen on the vine. Other varieties are fine when they are picked early, but not SG for me.

Mine don't have any little lines on them, but they get a tiny bit of red on them around their belly button when they are absolutely ripe!

PC, I think it's wonderful that they can ship Sungolds! With any luck we will get them in the winter, and they will give Campari a run for their money, but right now I'm enjoying Sungolds fresh from the vine :-P

Linda

I can't complain about my Sungold plant - it was my first to give me the a 2015 crop in Mar or April, and also my last one so far to give up a tomato yesterday. I got the information for the Cali supplier of the organically certified Sungold F1s arriving here, thanks to the kind and helpful folks in Whole Foods Market for being open and honest with the provenance of their products. I wanted to provide the link to the Durst Organic Farms, Inc. website. I love their marketing approach: they sell tomatoes in two categories: heirloom and cherry.

Sungold F1

Funny thing is these look a little elongated in the photo, but this is exactly the packaging I saw on display.

It was also a sense of deja vu that came up with this as the farm is located in Esparto, California which I remember well as I had driven these same back roads many times myself oblivious to the tomatoes that might have been growing in the area at the time. I remember Esparto as a run down very small town at the end of the valley where the farm is, with several photogenic ruins in it and nearby, along with some modern scars on the landscape. I stopped by with my parents when I gave them the guided tour to Medocino Forest and on the way to some favorite scenic romping grounds that reserved California as a piece of heaven. But not Esparto at that time! If not for a handful of abandoned clapboard structures and the ruins of a church from a bygone era nearby, it might have been boring, but the place was more a throwback where I'd imagined a Ritchie Valens high school dance meeting a stand off at OK Corral. I'm so glad it has this sort of business now :-)

Linda and Peter, Hey split or not, it's definitely a crazy good tomato. I hope both of you can enjoy yours. I saw the display was back at Whole Foods two more consecutive weeks and sold out both times - the secret was free-samples, after which no one refuses -which was stopped after the first week just to moderate demand - and these are shipped, tasted and store bought from the display! I think the picture linked to above shows close timing to the harvest blush before shipping. Note the fresh calyxes in it vs the brown and dried ones being sold here. Sure nothing beats a perfectly ripened Sungold on the plant accompanied with a little morning dew. But these little fellows certainly give them a run for the money. There is a second picture in the gallery which has the SG's and here they look like the rounded ones in the grocery store display except for the fresher calyxes in the pic.

Whatever is going on with the splitting, there are clearly cultural practices than can successfully ship a tasty Sungold product out to my local store of a national supermarket ... 2500 miles away! To be fair, in the 3rd week's shipment, the maturity was further along, and too far if it were to last another day or two. An average of two per pint basket (4%) were split and they had the only rare incidence of disease ... a bit of grey mold restricted to the open split interiors. Not bad at all for an organically grown product!

Cheers

PC