Are you looking for a petite, cherry-variety tomato still packed with amazing flavor? You’re going to want to search for the Sungold Tomato!
The Sungold is growing rapidly in popularity everywhere, and it’s no surprise. Their flavor is rich, growing them is a cinch, and they’re versatile enough to be used in many different recipes!
If you’ve never heard of them, don’t worry! No need to rush to Google; we’ll go over everything you need to know about these beautiful tomatoes right here.
Want Sungold Tomatoes of your own? Check availability.
Characteristics of the Sungold Tomato
Let’s begin with the Sungold’s appearance, taste, and traits!
The Appearance of the Sungold Tomato
The Sungold Tomato is aptly named. When you first catch sight of these little fruits, it’s easy to mistake them for droplets of sunlight!
These tomatoes lean more orange than gold, so you might not think of true sunlight at first glance. Still, these orange tomatoes have a golden sheen that resembles a sunset’s light.
As mentioned previously, these are cherry tomatoes, so don’t expect them to get any bigger than a couple of inches.
However, while the plants stay compact, their plants can grow quite tall! You can expect the tomato plants to reach up to five feet tall!
Taste of Sungold Tomatoes
The taste of a Sungold can’t be competed against. If you harvest early, you’ll find your lips puckering a bit—newly mature Sungolds start out with an acerbic, biting, almost citrus-like flavor.
But the longer you let them ripen, the sweeter they get! By full ripeness, they’re so sugary-sweet that people have described the flavor as candy-like.
Sungold Tomato Plant Traits
Sungolds are indeterminate, which means they continue to grow and bear fruit until the first frost of the next season.
This gives the Sungold the potential to be higher-yielding than other tomato varieties. However, this only comes into play if you live somewhere with a longer growing season or you bring your plants indoors before that first frost!
Remember that the Sungold tomato is vulnerable to certain diseases, specifically blossom end rot. Hoss Tools recommends preventing this issue with your plants by adding pelletized gypsum to the base of your plants!
It takes about ten weeks for Sungold tomato plants to reach maturity, so keep that in mind when starting your seeds! You’ll want to time it according to when you hope to be harvesting.
Uses for the Sungold Tomato
There are several ways you can utilize this versatile fruit, including…
Snacking
Have you ever been tempted to pluck a few tomatoes off the vine and pop them straight into your mouth? Sungolds are the perfect choice for snacking! (Though, please wash them first! Pesticides—or, on the other hand, garden bugs—don’t make for great seasoning.)
These cherry tomatoes also make a great addition to other snacks, such as a side salad, a veggie tray with hummus, and even tomato salsa to spread on your avocado toast!
Cooking
One of the most popular uses for Sungold tomatoes is as the base for a pasta sauce. The sweetness pairs perfectly with more savory ingredients and brings balance to the dish as a whole.
Sungolds are also a popular addition to Caprese salads, tacos, and…well, just about any tomato-friendly dish!
No matter your favorite tomato recipe, you can swap out your usual tomatoes for Sungolds without too much trouble. Just keep the adjusted flavor profile in mind.
Canning
Canning cherry tomatoes is a great way to extend their shelf life, especially with higher-yielding plants such as the Sungold.
If you have more tomatoes than you know what to do with and don’t want to waste them, canning will ensure you enjoy them for quite a while…even through the winter!
Imagine having Sungold tomatoes on hand for your holiday recipes…maybe even your favorite chili. That touch of summer sweetness will be a welcome treat in the colder months!
When is the Sungold Tomato in season?
As mentioned previously, Sungolds take about ten weeks to mature; if you start them indoors before the final frost, you could see tomatoes as early as May or June.
Because they continue to fruit throughout the year, their “season” continues until about mid-autumn, when the frost returns.
Growing Sungold Tomatoes at Home
Sungolds do best when started indoors; this is also a good move for you, as it means you can start harvesting earlier!
When growing tomatoes, you’ll want to invest in tomato cages. These plants struggle to stand up straight on their own and thrive best with support.
Tomatoes are a popular food for insects and other garden pests. We suggest investing in a good pesticide to avoid having your plants devoured by anyone other than you!
Tomatoes require plenty of sunlight to thrive. Be careful not to plant them in a shady or easily flooded backyard.
Where to Buy Sungold Tomato Seeds
Our favorite place to buy Sungold tomato seeds is Hoss Tools. Buying seeds online can be risky, and you don’t want to have an empty garden full of dud seeds.
Reputable seed retailers can be hard to find, but we always recommend these retailers! Plus, the convenience of having your seeds show up on your doorstep can’t be beaten.
Grow Your Own Sungold Tomatoes!
Now you know everything you need to know to grow, store, and cook with your own Sungold tomatoes. Trust us, when you invest in these sweet sun drop-like fruits, you won’t have any regrets!
For more information on different tomato varieties, how to care for tomato plants, and more, check out our tomato section now!
- About the Author
- Latest Posts
Cassidy Eubanks is a proud Michigander, an avid reader, a lover of colorful gardens, and a writer for Minneopa Orchards.
After earning her bachelor’s in Creative Writing (partially through virtual learning, thanks to the pandemic), gardening gave her an excuse to get outside and get away from all the screens. With a particular love for decorating with colorful flowers, using herbs grown in her own garden, and finding creative ways to build big gardens in small spaces, Cassidy enjoys helping others learn about growing their own food, flowers, and trees through Minneopa Orchards!