Banana Legs Tomato

Another in the ongoing series – Exploring Tomatoes

This low acid novelty looks a bit like a banana, well, kinda sorta – a 4 inch long bright yellow banana with a point at one end and very pale green stripes running the length of the fruit. Like I said, kinda sorta. This is one dependable and remarkably disease resistant plant. It is a determinate variety, and as such all its fruit will ripen at once, beginning at about 75 days and continuing over a two week period. The plant will then be “finished.” Known as “bush tomatoes” because of their low compact habit, determinate plants stop growing once the fruit on the top (or “terminal”) bud has set. These are not plants that will reward you with fruit all season long. Keep the determinate vs. indeterminate factor in mind when planning your tomato garden.

As its name states, Banana Legs is a bit leggy, but requires very little staking. The fruit has a mild taste and meaty flesh. Sliced or cut into a perfect brunoise, Banana Legs are a striking addition to salads. Sliced lengthwise, they will brighten up any antipasto platter. The plants are prolific, and one or two will yield enough tomatoes to make an unusual and enticing Yellow Tomato Sauce that you can freeze or process for a blast of summer in the deepest winter. See my post on Golden Copper Tomato Sauce for pointers on how to make a truly unusual tomato sauce from the light side of the color spectrum.

Plants such as Banana Legs are called “novelty tomatoes” for a reason. Don’t try to build an entire garden around them – you will be disappointed. Lacking big tomato flavor, these members of the Solanaceae Family offer striking color and variety, mild taste, and are a stylist’s dream come true. Seen through the prism of the “Wow Factor”, they take the Blue Ribbon every time.

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I have no affiliation with any product, manufacturer, or site mentioned in this article.