anyone had a real jersey tomato yet?

[zoe b]

I have!

Picked up my Mom in Columbus on Friday and someone had a little honor stand in front of their house so we got a small basket of tomatoes--was kind of doubtful about the authenticity this early, but they are good.

Maybe they have a greenhouse--I don't know what kind they are--a cross between plum and regular--they have a nipple-like bump on the top end.

So far we've had them sliced with OO and basil, on english muffins with jarlsberg cheese broiled and melted on top, in a salad, a BLT is next for tomorrow.

They aren't the best tomatoes I've ever had, but still, after a year of waiting, I'm not complaining--especially since our plants in NW NJ just have blosssoms on them, still--at least the ones the deer haven't eaten.

Zoe

[Jason Perlow]

Sure. But there's no such thing as a "Jersey" varietal for the most part. There are varietals that have been come to be known as ones that are cultivated in NJ but there is no such tomato as a "Jersey".

[zoe b]

yeah, I know, Jason--i just meant a tomato grown in NJ--a "real" tomato, in other words--not some foreign inferior tomato.....hehe

[rlibkind]

Sure. But there's no such thing as a "Jersey" varietal for the most part. There are varietals that have been come to be known as ones that are cultivated in NJ but there is no such tomato as a "Jersey".

←

True, but how about a Rutgers Beefsteak? Can't think of a more Jersey tomato than that!

[Holly Moore]

Sure. But there's no such thing as a "Jersey" varietal for the most part. There are varietals that have been come to be known as ones that are cultivated in NJ but there is no such tomato as a "Jersey".

←

Yeah? Next you're going to tell me there is no Santa Claus.

I believe in Jersey tomatoes. I have always believed in Jersey tomatoes. I will always believe in Jersey tomatoes.

There are agri-manufactures that are doing their best to breed the flavor out of Jersey tomatoes, but as long as Jersey has small farms and roadside stands there will aways be Jersey tomatoes.

[Cook456]

Sure. But there's no such thing as a "Jersey" varietal for the most part. There are varietals that have been come to be known as ones that are cultivated in NJ but there is no such tomato as a "Jersey".

←

True, but how about a Rutgers Beefsteak? Can't think of a more Jersey tomato than that!

←

You read my mind..

[Lreda]

They were available at The Farmers Market in Morristown yesterday. I bought Jersey Heirloom tomatoes off different sizes and colors.

[menton1]

Depending on the rainfall that year, they usually appear around the 1st week of August and hang around until the end of September. Still a little early.

I love 'em just plain with a little Brittany fleur de sel. Yum!

[Jason Perlow]

Sure. But there's no such thing as a "Jersey" varietal for the most part. There are varietals that have been come to be known as ones that are cultivated in NJ but there is no such tomato as a "Jersey".

←

True, but how about a Rutgers Beefsteak? Can't think of a more Jersey tomato than that!

←

You read my mind..

←

The Rutgers is one of those, but I think its cultivated in other states besides Jersey.

The Jersey fresh signs were out in force last friday at the Englewood Farmers Market. Most of the ones they had out were greenhouse tomatoes grown locally. The real "Jersey" tomatoes don't appear for several weeks yet and the best ones don't come out until August. Sometimes you see things like Early Girls and some of the smaller varieties come out earlier. The big beefy ones take a long time to mature.

Edited July 11, 2006 by Jason Perlow (log)

[tommy]

Depending on the rainfall that year, they usually appear around the 1st week of August and hang around until the end of September.  Still a little early. 

I love 'em just plain with a little Brittany fleur de sel.  Yum!

←

my little heirloom grape tomatoes have been bearing some fruit. just had some tonight. wonderful wonderful wonderful. and since they're grown in jersey, they're "jersey tomoatoes" to me! little pic here. little basil, little chive, splash of vinegar, drizzle of EVOO, pinch or 3 of salt, twist or 2 of pepper, you get the idea. but yeah, a bit of kosher or sea salt and you're good to go.

[markabauman]

Had some the other day from Rea's Farm in West Cape May and in Louisa's in Cape May. Not bad; probably Early Girls as you mentioned.

[Rachel Perlow]

I've got lots of small green fruit on my tomato plants, but no ripe fruit yet. But the mesclun mix lettuce patch has been busy providing salads.

[chefdavidrusso]

My mom also lives down by Columbus, and she just brought up some tomatoes last week that were FANTASTIC! Don't know where she got them, but her sig. other knows alot of the farmers down there. I'm sure they were just from a local stand.

She also brought corn on the cobb that had been picked fresh for her that morning. HOLY $@%!? was it good!

[Jason Perlow]

She also brought corn on the cobb that had been picked fresh for her that morning. HOLY $@%!? was it good!

Yep, Jersey corn is just starting to make its appearance as well. At this point the husks are small, but it's very sweet, especially the white varieties.

[Jason Perlow]

Depending on the rainfall that year, they usually appear around the 1st week of August and hang around until the end of September.  Still a little early. 

I love 'em just plain with a little Brittany fleur de sel.  Yum!

←

my little heirloom grape tomatoes have been bearing some fruit. just had some tonight. wonderful wonderful wonderful. and since they're grown in jersey, they're "jersey tomoatoes" to me! little pic here. little basil, little chive, splash of vinegar, drizzle of EVOO, pinch or 3 of salt, twist or 2 of pepper, you get the idea. but yeah, a bit of kosher or sea salt and you're good to go.

←

Nice. We didn't grow any grape tomato varieties this year. We went with Cherry, Early Girls, Big Boys, Celebrity Hybrid and two others I forgot the name of, I think one of them might be a Brandywine. We bought all the seedlings for the tomatoes from Home Depot which uses all Burpee Tomato Varietals. I'm leaving the Beefsteak varietals to the professionals, they are too hard to grow -- they get either engorged with water and explode or they rot too quickly. We can -buy- those.

Edited July 11, 2006 by Jason Perlow (log)

[tommy]

Nice. We didn't grow any grape tomato varieties this year. We went with Cherry, Early Girls, Big Boys, Celebrity and two others I forgot the name of. I'm leaving the Beefsteaks to the professionals, they are too hard to grow. We can -buy- those.

←

i never ate tomatoes for real until the past year or 2 (and certainly never grew them). when i say "grape" i might very well mean "cherry". not sure which is which. but regardless, the small guys are bearing fruit. yeah, i think they're categorized as "cherry" in fact.

Stop and Shop in ridgewood has "ugly" heirlooms. haven't tried them yet. i hope people aren't afraid of them and buy them so they'll carry more.

the names of heirlooms almost rival the taste.

[Jason Perlow]

Nice. We didn't grow any grape tomato varieties this year. We went with Cherry, Early Girls, Big Boys, Celebrity and two others I forgot the name of. I'm leaving the Beefsteaks to the professionals, they are too hard to grow. We can -buy- those.

←

i never ate tomatoes for real until the past year or 2 (and certainly never grew them). when i say "grape" i might very well mean "cherry". not sure which is which. but regardless, the small guys are bearing fruit. yeah, i think they're categorized as "cherry" in fact.

Stop and Shop in ridgewood has "ugly" heirlooms. haven't tried them yet. i hope people aren't afraid of them and buy them so they'll carry more.

the names of heirlooms almost rival the taste.

←

I think all small tomatoes are technically "Cherry" tomatoes as they are officially categorized. Within that you have varietal differences. The round globular ones are the ones typically sold as "Cherry" tomatoes in the supermarket, and the ovular ones are called "Grape".

[markabauman]

Despite all the rain, etc. we have been getting some wonderful, tasty, red ripe "Sweet 100's" off of our patio tomato plants- and that's in upstate NY, not Jersey.

[tommy]

I think all small tomatoes are technically "Cherry" tomatoes as they are officially categorized. Within that you have varietal differences. The round globular ones are the ones typically sold as "Cherry" tomatoes in the supermarket, and the ovular ones are called "Grape".

←

ah. mind are round.

more importantly, are you guys growing your "jersey tomatoes" from seed? or are you picking up little plants.

speaking of which, i saw a show on heirloom tomatoes last night (and yes, that'll get you hungry even if you're in bed and it's 10.30 pm). they said to dry out the seeds and plant 'em the next year. not sure if jersey's climate is ideal enough to handle this kind of approach though. i know i'm certainly not versed enough to try it yet.

[Jason Perlow]

No, no seeds. Never tried to do that before. We get seedlings which are usually just a few weeks old.

The mesclun lettuce mix we grew from seeds this year but it was a goof. They grew, though.

Edited July 11, 2006 by Jason Perlow (log)

[Jason Perlow]

speaking of which, i saw a show on heirloom tomatoes last night (and yes, that'll get you hungry even if you're in bed and it's 10.30 pm). they said to dry out the seeds and plant 'em the next year. not sure if jersey's climate is ideal enough to handle this kind of approach though. i know i'm certainly not versed enough to try it yet.

For the most part we've given up on trying to grow any kind of Heirloom tomato outside. You really need a year-long tomato growing season like in the South to be able to grow them effectively, or you need a greenhouse, where pretty much all of the heirlooms you buy in the Farmers Markets in NJ come from.

I think we have two heirloom varietals growing, the Brandywine and one other, but I'm not keeping my hopes up for them in terms of yeild. The various Burpee hybrid types really do tend to do the best in our climate.

[Arey]

My three Carmello tomato plants have decent sized tomatoes which are gradually losing their dark green coloration. I hope to be picking ripe tomatoes before the end of the month. In the meantime my basil plants are coming along well and I'll have to thin them soon.

I've grown Brandywines but they take forever to produce a small yield. Carmello is a French hybrid tomato which produces clusters of nice sized tomatoes. I purchased my plants from The tasty Garden, an Alabama nursery and they were nice healthy plants.

I also dug a new bed for the plants this spring in my backyard where they get sun almost all day, and are easy to water, and it's paying off. I don't use herbicides or pesticides in my back yard, and even have a Cardinal and its fledgling that come by on a regular basis to check out my tomatoes, parsley and dill for caterpillers.

[judiu]

I apologize to all you Jersey folk who might take offense, but my Grandfather's Long Island tomatoes were the absolute BEST., The water table out there is only 18" before you hit sea water, so the tomatoes come already salted, and gawd, are they good! Rich, sweet, eat 'em over the sink good. On the table, a bunch of slices takes a light sprinkle of sugar and a dab of mayo (yes, dammit, Hellman's) and it's too die for! (where's the droolie icon?)

[Jason Perlow]

Long Island's climate is very similar to Jersey's and thus yeilds similar results during the summer. Being a Great Neck boy myself, I used to remember going out to the North Shore with my parents and getting LI Tomatoes and Corn at the various farm stands on the old post road going out towards Greenport. They were very good.

[Josefinajoisey]

All my tomatoes are still green. This year I'm concentrating on different varieties of plum tomatoes...much better for salsa and sauces.