Sungold cherry

Sungold is the orange cherry tomato that wins taste tests so routinely the result is barely news. It holds one of the snacking slots here and re-earns it every July without apparent effort.

Growing

It runs with the cherries: sown in late March, buried to its first leaves at transplant, happy in a 10 gallon bag with a tall stake, since the vine passes six feet by August. First fruit lands in July and the run continues to frost if the suckers get pruned and the picking keeps up. Splitting is the flaw: ripe fruit cracks after heavy rain, so pick hard ahead of storms and be philosophical about what the rain claims.

Varieties

Sungold is itself the variety, an F1, so saved seed will not come true. Buy fresh packets and skip the open-pollinated imitations, which are pleasant and not the same thing.

In the kitchen

Most of the harvest is eaten within reach of the plant. Survivors go on toast with salt, or into a hot pan just long enough to burst.