How To Know When To Pick Cherokee Purple Tomatoes

You know it’s time to pick Cherokee Purple tomatoes when they develop a deep, dusky purple-pink color and give slightly to gentle pressure.
 
Knowing when to pick Cherokee Purple tomatoes isn’t complicated, but it does require you to look beyond the standard red-ripening cues you might use for other varieties.
 
If you’ve been watching your garden and wondering when to harvest Cherokee Purple tomatoes, you’ve come to the right place.
 
In this post, we’ll break down exactly how to tell when Cherokee Purple tomatoes are ready, what visual and tactile signs to look for, and how to ripen them indoors if you pick them a bit early.
 
Let’s dig into the details so you can pick Cherokee Purple tomatoes at their absolute peak of flavor.
 
The trick is that these beauties don’t turn bright red like typical slicers, so you need a different checklist to know when to pick Cherokee Purple tomatoes.
 

How to Know When to Pick Cherokee Purple Tomatoes

When to pick Cherokee Purple tomatoes comes down to a mix of color, feel, and even a little bit of patience.
 
Here’s the simple answer to knowing when to pick Cherokee Purple tomatoes.
 
These heirloom tomatoes start out green with a bit of purple tinting at the shoulders, and as they mature, that purple deepens and spreads down the fruit.
 
The bottom of the tomato will shift from a pale green to a rich rosy-pink or brick-red color, while the top stays a smoky purple-brown.
 
That combination of dusky purple on top and pinkish-red on the bottom is your first huge clue for when to pick Cherokee Purple tomatoes.
 

Color Is Your Best Friend

If you want to know when to pick Cherokee Purple tomatoes, start by checking the shoulders, the area near the stem.
 
On a ripe Cherokee Purple, those shoulders will be a deep, earthy purple that almost looks like it has been dusted with cocoa.
 
The bottom half of the fruit should no longer show any green at all, instead, you want to see a warm salmon-pink or even a deep red tone.
 
When you see that olive-green color fade completely into a pinkish blush, you’re getting close to the perfect time to pick Cherokee Purple tomatoes.
 
If the fruit still has a greenish-white cast near the blossom end, give it a few more sun-filled days on the vine, because that’s a sign it’s not quite ready.
 
Another color indicator for when to pick Cherokee Purple tomatoes is the overall dulling of the skin’s gloss.
 
A ripe tomato loses that shiny, tight appearance and takes on a slightly matte look, which is your plant’s way of saying now’s the time.
 

The Gentle Squeeze Test

Knowing when to pick Cherokee Purple tomatoes also involves a very light touch with your fingers.
 
You want to cradle the tomato in your palm and press very gently, if it yields just a little under pressure, like a ripe peach, it’s ready.
 
If it feels rock-hard, then you definitely shouldn’t be picking Cherokee Purple tomatoes yet.
 
On the flip side, if it feels mushy or overly soft, you’ve waited too long, and that tomato will be better suited for sauce than fresh slicing.
 
This tactile test is critical when you’re trying to figure out when to pick Cherokee Purple tomatoes because color alone can sometimes trick you.
 
You see, the purple pigmentation on the shoulders can appear fairly early, but that doesn’t mean the inside is fully ripe.
 
So combine that visual check with the squeeze test to know for sure when to pick Cherokee Purple tomatoes.
 

Time Since Fruit Set

You can also estimate when to pick Cherokee Purple tomatoes by counting the days from when the flowers were pollinated.
 
Cherokee Purple tomatoes typically take about 75 to 90 days from transplanting to reach maturity, but the fruit itself needs roughly 30 to 40 days from fruit set to full ripeness.
 
If you keep a garden journal and mark the date when you see tiny green marbles forming, you can count forward to know when to pick Cherokee Purple tomatoes with confidence.
 
That said, weather plays a big role, so use this as a baseline, not an absolute rule.
 
In extreme heat, they may ripen faster, while cooler cloudy stretches will slow the process down, so stay flexible on when to pick Cherokee Purple tomatoes.
 

What Happens if You Pick Cherokee Purple Tomatoes Too Early?

If you’re unsure when to pick Cherokee Purple tomatoes and grab them while they’re still mostly green, don’t panic.
 
You can absolutely pick Cherokee Purple tomatoes early and let them ripen indoors, they won’t be as intensely flavored as vine-ripened ones, but they’ll still be tasty.
 
The real danger with picking Cherokee Purple tomatoes too early is losing some of that complex, smoky sweetness they’re famous for.
 
A tomato that ripens fully on the vine develops more sugars and aromatic compounds, so the longer you wait, the better the taste.
 
But life happens, maybe a storm is coming, or you just can’t wait any longer to eat that gorgeous fruit.
 
If that’s the case, pick Cherokee Purple tomatoes that show at least a hint of pink or purple at the blossom end, those will ripen fine on your counter.
 

How to Ripen Them Indoors

If you do pick Cherokee Purple tomatoes a bit early, place them stem-side down in a single layer on your counter.
 
Avoid the fridge, because cold temperatures destroy the flavor and turn the flesh mealy.
 
Instead, keep them at room temperature out of direct sunlight, and they’ll continue to color up over the next few days.
 
You can also place them in a paper bag with a banana or apple to speed things up, since those fruits release ethylene gas.
 
Even so, the best time to pick Cherokee Purple tomatoes is always when they’re already fully ripe on the vine, so aim for that whenever possible.
 

Why Timing Matters for Flavor

The whole reason you’re asking when to pick Cherokee Purple tomatoes likely relates to taste, and that’s totally fair.
 
Picking Cherokee Purple tomatoes at the right time means you get that perfect balance of sweetness and acidity.
 
These tomatoes are famous for their rich, almost wine-like flavor with smoky undertones, but that magic only appears when they’re fully mature.
 
If you pick Cherokee Purple tomatoes too early, you’ll get a more acidic, less sweet tomato that just won’t blow your mind.
 
The sugars need time to develop, and the acids need to mellow out, which is a delicate dance that only happens in the final days before picking Cherokee Purple tomatoes.
 

Watch the Weather Forecast

One more tip for knowing when to pick Cherokee Purple tomatoes is to pay attention to upcoming rain.
 
Heavy rain can cause ripe tomatoes to crack, so if you see that your Cherokee Purple tomatoes are close to ripe and rain is coming, go ahead and pick them.
 
They’ll finish ripening indoors just fine, and you’ll avoid losing your harvest to splitting skins.
 
Similarly, if temperatures are predicted to drop below 50°F at night, that’s another nudge to pick Cherokee Purple tomatoes before they get chilled.
 
Cold weather halts the ripening process and can damage the texture, so timing your harvest around the forecast is smart.
 

So, When Should You Pick Cherokee Purple Tomatoes?

You should pick Cherokee Purple tomatoes when they show a deep purple shoulder, a pinkish-red bottom, and a slight give under gentle pressure.
 
Picking Cherokee Purple tomatoes at that precise moment gives you the best flavor and texture every single time.
 
Remember, these tomatoes won’t turn fully red like standard varieties, so trust the purple-pink color combo rather than waiting for a uniform hue.
 
Now that you know when to pick Cherokee Purple tomatoes, head out to your garden, give those beauties a gentle squeeze, and enjoy the ultimate homegrown tomato experience.
 
Your patience and attention to these signs will reward you with the most delicious, juicy Cherokee Purple tomatoes you’ve ever tasted.