Heirloom tomatoes

[viva]

Damn you Floridians!

<sob>

[weinoo]

At the farmer's market this week, there were some nice baskets of assorted small heirlooms - I hesitate to call them all "cherry" tomatoes, 'cause I'm pretty sure they're all not. Anyway, they looked like this:

Earlier in the season, I didn't think the heirlooms I was getting were that good - there was a lot of rain and maybe that led to a bit of a dilute flavor. But these, oh man, these were so good. Simply cut in half or quarters, a good splash of some tasty evoo, an ounce or two of a young pecorino, salt, pepper and along with a good handful of fresh basil, they turned into this:

[sadistick]

Great to see this topic rearing its head again.

Unfortunately this summer has been horrible for tomatoes up here in Toronto!

The huge rainfalls and lack of sun have not made for the greatest of growing seasons for our sun loving friends.

Thus each tomato is prized even more!

I still cant get over that box for $5.

We're growing that small red one with dark stripes as well weinoo...really tasty with some arugula and evoo.

[MikeHartnett]

Maybe I'll have to give them another try, but I haven't had a truly good tomato yet this year. I keep thinking about the delicious tomato salads I made last year and shuddering when I think about making them with the terrible tomatoes I've gotten so far this year.

[weinoo]

We're growing that small red one with dark stripes as well weinoo...really tasty with some arugula and evoo.

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Sadistick,

What's that variety called?

MikeHartnett - don't give up yet.

[sparrowgrass]

I tried a number of different varieties this year--the best tasting ones were Golden Sunray and Ananas Noir.

I also grew Egg Yolk, Green Zebra, Red Zebra, Sioux, St. Pierre, German Johnson, Sungold, and White Currant. And some others, but I don't have my list with me.

I have canned about 8 gallons of salsa (Christmas gift shopping is done!) and a couple batches of roasted tomato sauce, as well as freezing 6 one-gallon bags of whole tomatoes for my sister. (If you wash the tomatoes and remove the stems, you can just toss them into plastic bags. Come the snows of winter, just take out what you need, thaw them for a few minutes and the skins will pop right off. Chop the tomatoes and use them in your favorite recipe.)

[SobaAddict70]

These were on hand as of last Saturday. So beautiful. The Green Zebras are my favorite.

[annecros]

Those are just lovely! I'm not growing Green Zebra this year, mostly because I've got seed for so many new ones I want to try.

I've got 40+ plants in the ground this year, a dozen or so in containers, and getting good bloom and some fruit set already. The temps have finally cooled off enough so that the fruit will set well. The pests and disease have been minimal so far, so I am keeping my fingers crossed for a good growing season this Fall/Winter.

My grow list, and * for new to me:

*Albany Georgia Heirloom

Marianna's Peace

Earl's Faux

Aunt Gerties Gold

*Chapman

Cherokee Purple

Silvery Fir Tree

Kellogg's Breakfast

*Omar's Lebanese

*OTV Brandywine

Henderson's Winsall

*JD's Special C-Tex

*Black from Tula

Arkansas Traveler

*Tony's Italian

*Wes

Linnies Oxheart

*Thai Pink Egg

Opalka

*Beauty King

Constoluto Genovese

*Virginia Sweets

[Adam Balic]

Partly due to the drought and partly due to the soil quality the tomatoes grown in the ground failed last year, so this year everything will be container grown.

Varieties:

Galapagos*

Pisanello da Bruschetta (a selection of Costoluto Fiorentino)

Kellogg's Breakfast

Black Krim

Brandywine

Green grape

* A different species to the normal gardent tomato (Galapagos tomato is Lycopersicon cheesemanii rather then Lycopersicon esculentum). No idea how it tastes, growing it as a novelty.

[annecros]

Pisanello da Bruschetta (a selection of Costoluto Fiorentino)

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I haven't heard of this one. I have grown both Genovese and Firointino side by side in the past, and ended up preferring Genovese, but like to keep an open mind.

Have you already had some personal experience with it, and can tell me more, or is it new to you as well?

I grew Sara's Galapagos at another property, and it turned into a real weed, volunteering year after year. It became worrisome for seed saving because it will cross with your beefsteaks. Tiny fruit, but very big flavor. It is fun to have around for the novelty, and kids love them.

[Adam Balic]

Pisanello da Bruschetta (a selection of Costoluto Fiorentino)

←

I haven't heard of this one. I have grown both Genovese and Firointino side by side in the past, and ended up preferring Genovese, but like to keep an open mind.

Have you already had some personal experience with it, and can tell me more, or is it new to you as well?

I grew Sara's Galapagos at another property, and it turned into a real weed, volunteering year after year. It became worrisome for seed saving because it will cross with your beefsteaks. Tiny fruit, but very big flavor. It is fun to have around for the novelty, and kids love them.

←

I think that the Galapagos I have might be a different variety or strain as it is larger then a currant type, but I will post some images in a few months to comfirm (it is Spring here, plants have just gone into the ground). As it is drought and salt resistant I wouldn't mind a few hybrids for my parents farm.

I'm not sure that Costoluto Fiorentino and Genovese are related, both a ribbed (hence the name) but not sure about any further relationship. What I am looking for is a tomato type sold extensively around Florence for Bruschetta and panzanella and also cooking. Very soft texture, tending towards a paste tomato. It has the propery of melting easily, so works well for certain dishes fresh dishes and in cooking.

Last year the growing tomatoes was a disaster, the plants self destructing due to heat stress, the few fruit that survived were terrible no matter what that variety. I was disapointed in the Pisanello (the few fruit I got were not ribbed at all), so this is it's second and last chance.

[annecros]

Finally! January in South Florida! The small ones in the middle are Thai Pink Egg (Hubby loves this one, though I can take or leave it). Clockwise from about noonish, the big pink beefsteak is Albany Georgia Heirloom, then JD's Special C-Tex, Kelloggs Breakfast, a mix of pink and red beefsteaks (Marianna's Peace, Earl's Faux, Brandywine OTV, Omars Lebanese, some other misc canners), two lonely Cherokee Purples, and Aunt Gerties Gold.

Just about prime season here, a tiny bit past maybe. Some rebloom and new fruit set now.

Three batches of salsa, unknown quarts of tomato sauce, innumerable salads. Give away to neighbors and even have a chef buying.

Life is good.

[helenjp]

Anne, how did those Black from Tula turn out?

I stumbled upon 2 seedlings at the garden center this year, and have been very favorably impressed. Mine are in big garbage containers, in an area that doesn't get a huge amount of sun, and have set a very nice quantity of fruit (the one that gets more sun is producing much, much more than the one that gets and hour or two less sun each day).

The color is not especially dark, but the flavor is good and a nice, complex balance. The fruit are prone to splitting, but are very meaty, with only a negligible amount of seed pulp. To me, they are kind of Momotaro gone over to the dark side...

[annecros]

I enjoyed Black from Tula, but JD's Special C-Tex (another "not really black") did better for me as far as disease resistance is concerned. JD's actually survived long enough to give me three big flushes of fruit (LONG growing season down here) last season. It didn't have quite the flavor that BFT did though. JD's isn't commercially available, but if you are interested in starting from seed, send me a PM. I have my seed laid out all over the kitchen table right now, because it is time to start. It is a mid to late season, not as early as BFT.

Best varieties for me last year:

Aunt Gertie's Gold (perennial favorite for flavor, but I wish it would set more)

Albany Georgia Heirloom (Robust, productive, and very good flavor)

Earl's Faux (Outstanding flavor and producer, go to slicer)

Won't be back:

Kellogg's Breakfast (but I am trying KBX this year, a potato leaved Kellogg's Breakfast)

Cherokee Purple (JD's Special C-Tex is taking this place)

Beauty King (I haven't found a decent bi color that will do well in my climate)

Virginia Sweets (Ditto)

I have quite a few new ones I am trialing this year. Will put up my 2009/2010 grow list when I figure out what makes the cut and what doesn't!

[annecros]

Seed sown, and very interesting things going on this season.

*new to me

**will sow two weeks from now, because they need less time in the pot

Cherries:

Black Cherry

Galinas

Pinks/Reds:

Earl's Faux

Albany Georgia Heirloom

*German Johnson Potato Leaf (double sown)

*Cuostralee

Blacks:

Paul Robeson

J.D.'s Special C-Tex

Yellow/Orange:

Aunt Gertie's Gold

*Orange-1

*KBX (Kellogg's Breakfast Potato Leaf)

Bicolor (would really like one that does well for me in my climate):

*Marvel Striped

*Hillbilly

Fun:

*Berkely Tie Dye (technically, actually a tri-color)

Hearts/Pastes:

**Linnie's Oxheart

**Tony's Italian

Opalka

That's it, I think.

Of course, I reserve the right to sow again in a week or two.