Gardeners in the U.S. can get a taste of the pink tomatoes favored by the Japanese if they grow the new ‘Sweet Treats’ cherry tomato from Sakata Seed Company. I gave this variety a try this season and I have to say I’m tickled pink with the results.

Sakata Seed Company sent me a free packet of seeds early in the season with an invitation to try the new hybrid tomato. The promotional material touted this variety as “one of the first pink cherry tomatoes in the world.”

It was still cold and wintry around here when the seeds arrived, so it didn’t take much to convince me to try a new tomato. I eagerly anticipated seeing its “beautiful coloring” and savoring its “phenomenal flavor.”

I started the seeds indoors in early April and waited until the first weekend in June to transplant the seedlings outside. The plant took off almost immediately and the tomatoes that grew in clusters took less than 70 days to mature after planting. I started harvesting ‘Sweet Treats’ this week and I’m happy to say these sweeties live up to their billing.

The tomatoes are a nice pink color, globe-shaped and larger than a typical cherry tomato. I planted one tomato plant in a container for the patio and staked it with a tomato cage.

The vines grew easily and I didn’t notice any problems with the leaves or tomato cracking. Other than fertilizing several times with an all-natural soil conditioner tea, I didn’t do anything special to the growing environment.

This indeterminate plant seems like it will be a good producer and I anticipate picking tomatoes into the fall, depending on the weather.

These pink cherry tomatoes are thin-skinned and they have a good texture. One taster said, “They seem to have a big tomato taste concentrated into their small size. They’re perfect for snacking right off the vine.”

I’d recommend this cherry tomato to any gardener interested in trying a new variety for next season. Seeds and plants are available from a number of garden centers and online retailers. More information is also available from Sakata Seed America.

The advantage to growing ‘Sweet Treats’ from seed is that each packet includes a recipe for using these little gems.