The juicy, sweet taste of a freshly picked tomato is one of summer’s simple pleasures. The White Queen tomato delivers that experience in spades, with its low-acid, super-sweet fruits that offer a tropical twist on tomato flavor.
Honestly, the White Queen is one of the most luscious-tasting tomatoes you can grow. These ivory-colored beauties have a creamy texture and complex fruity flavors, unlike anything you’ve tried before.
If you want to sink your teeth into sweet, melt-in-your-mouth tomatoes straight from the vine, then the White Queen needs to be on your radar.
Let’s take a closer look at what makes this exotic tomato so special for home gardens.
History Behind the Unique White Queen Tomato
The fascinating story of the White Queen tomato began in the late 1980s when a home gardener sent in seeds from her orange and yellow Oxheart tomatoes to Gleckler’s Seedmen. To the company’s surprise, one plant produced big beefsteak fruits with creamy white skin and flesh – nothing like the other tomatoes!
Botanists concluded that a genetic mutation caused this unexpected tomato to emerge. The seed company recognized the novelty of this discovery and performed trials over several years to stabilize the genetics. By the 1990s, the new tomato variety was ready to be introduced under the fitting name “White Queen.”
With its regal title and striking appearance, the White Queen tomato quickly won over gardeners and cooks. This vintage 1990s tomato has enjoyed lasting popularity thanks to its crisp, sweet flavor and prolific yields. Bring a royal touch to your garden by growing the White Queen tomato this season.
Quick Fact:
- Color: Ivory white flesh and skin when ripe
- Size: 5-7 ounces on average
- Shape: Oblate, flattened globes
- Texture: Smooth, creamy
- Flavor: Sweet, fruity, low acid
- Plant Type: Indeterminate vines
- Maturity: Early season producer
- Yield: Very high, around 20 lbs per plant
- Hardiness: Grows well in zones 3-10
What you like
- Exceptionally sweet, fruity, tropical flavor
- Smooth, creamy texture with few seeds
- Resistant to cracking and splitting
- Excellent for eating fresh, not cooking
- Novel pale color adds interest to dishes
- Productive plants give high yields
- Tolerates cooler climates better than other tomatoes
What you don’t like
- Color is not ideal for sauces or canning
- Very short harvest window of only 2-3 weeks
- Prone to soil-borne diseases in humid climates
- Requires staking and pruning for best results
- Cooler nights can cause uneven ripening
Flavor&Texture of White Queen
Without a doubt, flavor is the premier asset of the White Queen tomato. Gardeners and foodies rave about its extraordinarily sweet, fruity taste.
Ripe White Queen tomatoes have a sugar content of around 5%, which gives them exceptionally low acidity compared to most tomatoes. You’ll immediately notice tastes of tropical fruit like pineapple and melon.
The thin skin offers little resistance to your bite. The interior flesh is lusciously smooth, with a custard-like quality that melts in your mouth.
In terms of sweetness and tropical flavor, White Queen is in a class of its own. It’s an exciting change of pace for those bored with typical tomato tastes.
When harvested fully vine-ripened, White Queen’s flavor needs little enhancement. A sprinkle of salt or a drizzle of olive oil is all it takes to maximize the sweetness.
For gardeners seeking a genuinely unique tomato-eating experience, White Queen delivers. The complexity of flavors is outstanding.
How to Grow White Queen Tomato Plants
Undoubtfully, The extraordinarily sweet White Queen tomato offers a wonderful burst of flavor but it does require some special care in the garden for best results.
When starting White Queen tomatoes from seed indoors, use a seed-starting mix and a propagation mat to provide bottom heat of 80-85°F for germinating the seeds. The gentle bottom warmth helps overcome the seeds’ tendency to be stubborn sprouts. The Jiffy Seed Starting Greenhouse is a good setup for starting the seeds 6-8 weeks before transplanting.
Once night temperatures are reliably above 50°F, the White Queen transplants can go into the garden. Space the plants at least 24 inches apart in full sun (8 hours minimum). To support the vigorous indeterminate vines, install 5-6 foot tall tomato cages like the Tomato Cage by Gardener’s Supply Company when transplanting.
White Queen tomatoes need consistent moisture, so apply mulch and use drip irrigation. The Garden Soaker Kit from Orbit provides adjustable drip watering right to each plant’s roots. Avoid overhead watering.
As the plants grow, prune back leaves and shoots to open up the plant for good airflow and light exposure. Watch for pests like hornworms and treat organically with BT spray if found. Pick ripe fruits when pale cream-colored and slightly soft.
With proper care, each White Queen plant can yield up to 20 pounds over the season! Enjoy this sweet tomato goodness while it lasts.
When and How to Harvest White Queen Tomatoes?
It takes patience for White Queen tomatoes to reach maturity, but the wait is worth it. Watch for these signs your fruits are ready to pick:
- Tomatoes are fully white, with a pale yellow blush on the blossom end
- Fruits feel firm yet yield slightly to gentle pressure
- Vines are still producing new flower clusters
- 80-85 days have passed since being transplanted outdoors
Use pruners or scissors for clean cuts when harvesting. Handle fruits gently to prevent bruising. Enjoy fresh right away, or store ripe tomatoes at room temperature for up to one week.
How to use White Queen Tomatoes?
With their outstanding flavor, White Queen tomatoes inspire creative uses in the kitchen. Here are some ways to put them to work:
- Caprese salad with mozzarella cheese and fresh basil
- Whipped into a tropical gazpacho soup
- Diced fresh over avocado toast
- Skewered with other fruits like peaches for the grill
- Layered between crusty bread for a tomato sandwich
- Blended into cream sauces for pasta or seafood
- Pickled into a chutney or relish
- Roasted with olive oil and Parmesan cheese
- Fried Green Tomatoes breaded with cornmeal
And of course, White Queen is deliciously eaten raw simply sliced or chopped over a salad. Let the flavor speak for itself!
When you work with White Queen tomatoes, keep the preparations simple to highlight their natural sweetness. They need little enhancement.
Where to Buy White Queen Tomato Seeds
As a hybrid variety, new White Queen seeds must be purchased each growing season. Here are some reputable sources:
- Burpee – Offers seeds of the classic White Queen hybrid
- Jung Seed – Carries seeds of an improved disease-resistant strain
- Tomato Growers Supply – Sells seeds of the original variety
- Johnny’s Selected Seeds – Provides seeds and data on performance
- Territorial Seed Company – Longtime supplier of White Queen seeds
- Tomato Fest – Specialty source for a wide selection of tomato seeds
When ordering seeds, look for packs marked for the current year. Tomato seeds keep viability for only a couple of seasons. I suggest buying from seed companies located closest to your region, as they select varieties tailored to local conditions.
Wrapping up!
For gardeners seeking unique tomato flavors, few rival the sweet tropical tastes of White Queen. These low-acid ivory fruits offer an extraordinary eating experience perfect for backyard growers looking for something new.
With proper sunlight, pruning, and harvest timing, White Queen tomatoes will reward you with a short season burst of luscious fruits. Just be ready to fend off beggars wanting to get in on the action!
If you crave sugar-sweet tomatoes minus the acidity, it’s time to acquaint yourself with White Queen. One bite will explain why people rave about its flavor.
So if you’re bored with typical red tomatoes, let White Queen spice up your garden and menu. The wonderful flavors of this exotic beauty are ready to be discovered and enjoyed!
