January 2020 - 21

TOMATOES
Moonbeam adds a big bang of flavor to Galaxy tomatoes
By Blaine Friedlander
Cornell University
Fresh from Cornell AgriTech
in Geneva, New York, the newest
grape tomato - Moonbeam - has
joined a constellation of tasty, small,
heirloom-style tomatoes in the 2020
High Mowing Organic Seeds catalog,
released Nov. 1 to home gardeners and
commercial growers.
" Moonbeam is a very good eating
experience from start to finish ... from
first bite to aftertaste, " said Phillip
Griffiths, associate professor of
horticulture at Cornell AgriTech, who
started developing Moonbeam in 2006
and made it a selection in 2011.
Moonbeam is considered a white
grape tomato, with a citrus flavor.
It joins five other small tomatoes in
the High Mowing catalog's Cornelldeveloped
Galaxy Suite collection:
Supernova, a marbled mini-Roma;
Midnight Pear, a small, dark
pigmented, pear-shape fruit; Comet, a
plump, red grape tomato; Sungrazer,
an orange colored grape tomato; and
Starlight, a slender, finger-shaped,
yellow grape tomato.
The High Mowing catalog called
Moonbeam a " glowing white,
translucent grape tomato with oblong
frame and delicious, fruity bite. This
remarkable tomato has dramatic visual
appeal, especially when added to a small
tomato mix. Not only are these white
grape tomatoes stunningly unique,
they are packed with a tasty punch of
unbeatable flavor. "
Beyond taste, Moonbeam is a highly
productive grape tomato - with
outstanding texture and exceptional
looks - that is suited for home gardens,
commercial fields and high tunnels, said
Griffiths. It has a good shelf life and it is
less likely to split.
Tomato medleys - or variety packs
- are becoming popular. A decade ago,
attractive small tomato medleys were
only found in farmers' markets. Today
major supermarkets use medleys to
engage consumers who want different
shapes and colors, and smaller, bite-size
fruit, said Griffiths.
" If you look at a lot of medley
packaging, they tend to be focused
on yellow, orange or red. The color
groups are lacking in the white and
the black types, such as the Midnight
Pear tomato, " he said. " Tomatoes like
Moonbeam and Midnight Pear help to
contrast the medley groups and make
them more aesthetically pleasing. "
Griffiths started developing the
Moonbeam tomato 13 years ago, but
shelved it to pursue other varieties. In
2015, he reached back to his original
research and replanted them. " It was
then I realized how good a product it
actually was, " he said.
In 2017, consumer taste tests of the
Moonbeam with the home gardener
seed association groups were positive,
Contact Your Area
Territory Manager:
and it was integrated quickly into High
Mowing's Galaxy Suite pipeline.
Consumers can cook or roast the
Moonbeams, add them to pasta or toss
them fresh into salads.
" Integrating tomatoes of different
colors, different flavors and different
textures is something that makes food
more fun and entertaining. It adds
to the whole eating experience, " said
Griffiths. " Moonbeam is a really nice
addition to the Galaxy Suite. They're out
of this world. " VGN
Phillip Griffiths, associate professor of horticulture, inspects Moonbeam tomatoes at
Cornell AgriTech. Photo: Cornell AgriTech
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January 2020

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