🍅 Quick take: Rainbow Jazz Heart is a breathtaking indeterminate, mid-season striped oxheart bred by the late master breeder Fred Hempel of Artisan Seeds. The vigorous vines yield dense, pointed heart-shaped slicers adorned with a pearlescent sheen and fiery ribbons of raspberry-pink and golden-yellow. Inside, the marbled flesh offers an intensely sweet-tart tropical punch, combined with a firm texture that gives it exceptional counter shelf life unlike typical soft heirloom hearts. Full summary ↓
Growers’ Notes and Photos (USDA Zones 4-5 Experience)
A variety bred by Fred Hempel (Artisan Seeds). Strong, vigorous indeterminate vine. Hand down one of the most stunning varieties in the garden: the fruits are striped hearts with a pearlescent, metallic sheen and fiery streaks of raspberry-red and golden-yellow.
The interior flesh is marbled, with a rich sweet-tart flavor layered with notes of exotic tropical fruit. The fruits are firm and hold up remarkably well on the counter after picking.
The interior flesh is marbled, with a rich sweet-tart flavor layered with notes of exotic tropical fruit. The fruits are firm and hold up remarkably well on the counter after picking.
Lena 👋 What a gorgeous stunner 🤩 an absolute dream!
Lena, could you clarify its maturity window for me, please?
Lena, could you clarify its maturity window for me, please?
True mid-season maturity. It looks gorgeous even when completely green on the vine before it breaks color.
Full Summary: Plant, Yield, Taste and Storage
- 🌿 Plant & Habit: Indeterminate vine with strong, robust growth habits capable of supporting dense clusters of heart-shaped fruit. Regular leaf foliage. Mid-season maturity.
- 🎨 Visual Appeal: Highly ornamental throughout its life cycle. Unripe green fruit displays contrasting emerald striping, which matures into fiery ribbons of gold and raspberry-pink with a characteristic glossy, metallic sheen.
- 👅 Taste & Texture: Dense, marbled interior flesh balancing vibrant sweetness with pleasant fruity acidity and tropical aromatic notes.
- 📦 Storage: Unlike many traditional oxhearts that have thin skins and soft, fragile flesh, Rainbow Jazz Heart has firm walls and durable skin, giving it excellent post-harvest shelf life and good transit durability.
- 🌎 Who Reviewed It: Cultivated by veteran growers in cool northern climates (Ryazan Region and Saint Petersburg, USDA Zones 4 and 4/5).
🍅 Grown Rainbow Jazz Heart? How did its tropical flavor notes and production perform in your garden? Share your photos and thoughts in the comments below!
👨🌾 Editor’s Note: The Artisan Seeds “Jazz” Lineage
Rainbow Jazz Heart was developed by legendary California breeder Fred Hempel (Artisan Seeds / Baia Nicchia Farm). It forms part of the celebrated “Jazz” breeding project (alongside Jazz, Orange Jazz, and Sunrise Jazz), which combined beefsteak sizing with vibrant metallic striping and elevated sugar/acid ratios. A key achievement of this heart selection was pairing classic oxheart meatiness with the firmer skin and superior counter shelf life typical of modern Artisan Seeds releases.
Rainbow Jazz Heart was developed by legendary California breeder Fred Hempel (Artisan Seeds / Baia Nicchia Farm). It forms part of the celebrated “Jazz” breeding project (alongside Jazz, Orange Jazz, and Sunrise Jazz), which combined beefsteak sizing with vibrant metallic striping and elevated sugar/acid ratios. A key achievement of this heart selection was pairing classic oxheart meatiness with the firmer skin and superior counter shelf life typical of modern Artisan Seeds releases.
