What tomato would you feed a friend who said all tomatoes are the same?

[o0sunsi0o]

I would give them carrots and peas.

Coffee-all=over-the-keyboard funny!

[o0sunsi0o]

I wonder if that is "Daniels" in the breeding line for Daniel Burson? I don't know of a variety named Daniel, but I grow Daniels just about every year.

For the original question, I would grow and serve 7 tomatoes to emphasize differences in flavor. I would start with Akers West Virginia because it has very good flavor intensity. Sungold because it is sugar sweet and smells somewhat like tropical fruit. Aunt Ruby's German Green because the flavor is sublime when picked at peak ripeness. Daniels for a large pink potato leaf slicer that produces loads of fruit and tastes as good as or slightly better than Brandywine Sudduth. Jaune Flammee for an orange tart tomato that can ripen into phenomenally good fruit when there is little rain. Then I would grow Lynnwood because it has arguably the best balanced flavor in a red tomato. Last but not least I would grow Brokenbar's Costoluto Genovese because it is hands down the most intense tomato flavor I've tried. Once he had tried Costoluto Genovese, I would then make a pizza with them and show him how much of a difference there is between a fresh tomato and the same tomato cooked slightly.

I've only grown 3 tart tomatoes (out of about 3500 varieties!): Jaune Flammee, Goose Creek, and Green Zebra. I'm going to try crossing Goose Creek with Eva Purple Ball to see if I can get that tart flavor into a larger tomato.

Hello, Fusion, I've ordered tomatoes from your website years ago and respect your expertise. Serving up 7 tomatoes of varying taste profiles would be a good way to open eyes through the taste buds, I agree. I bought, Brandywine Sudduth, for the first time this year and you said, Daniel, was as good or slightly better so I know it will be on my short list for next year! It's so help when you describe the flavor of those 7 varieties, that's what I loved about, Dr. Carolyn Male's, book too, the descriptive words made you feel like you were eating that tomato right along with her.

Goose Creek, is on my list for this year, one of my favorite tomatoes, I don't care where it came from, it's a great tomato. I'm curious what you are expecting with a cross with, Eva Ball Purple? I'm always looking for a tomato to replace, Jet Star, which I grow every year mostly out of caution because it taste good, productive and it's disease resistant.

So good to hear from you, thank you!

[o0sunsi0o]

one of the tomatoes from a store during the winter.

One of the stores I go to sells heirloom tomatoes all winter, thankfully. But I know what aisle the cardboard-tasting ones are at it's hard to believe some people think that's a tomato, so sad.

[o0sunsi0o]

I would give them carrots and peas.

I am always amazed by how much sweeter home grown fruit & vegetables are. Even cabbage, which from the supermarket tastes like nothing, has a great sweet flavour to it and all it needs is a little butter and salt.

Oh, I agree! Was never a fan of cabbage until I grew my own, wow! It was a learning curve growing them because apparently cabbage worms love them, too. I finally figured out how to get rid of them, those and flea beetles from my eggplants. Free-loaders!

[o0sunsi0o]

Here's one for you and I can guarantee they won't think they are all the same.
Even after a woman I have known for years had taste tested all of my many tomatoes she was in shock after this on.
Lime Green Salad picked just when it has a yellowish tent to it.
As a matter of fact many in my opinion of the smaller tomatoes have a great flavor difference.
Some times this difference can be picked up better when paired with something else.
Like a high quality olive oil.
Not expensive olive oil but high quality.
There is a huge difference.
Or it could be the texture of the salt you put on it.
The rage these day seems to be kosher salt.
This is a sure sign of someone that isn't well versed on salts.
A finishing salt is a much better choice.
Don't get offended but I'm seeing too many people dump kosher salt in water when they could just use regular canning salt or something else.
But no they have to sound fancy and say kosher salt like it's some sort of must have ingredient.
Most finishing salts are a true flaked salt.
Even the right grind of fresh black pepper could help bring out the different flavors of said tomato.
Temperature plays a huge role.
For me the best time is early in the morning.
I haven't tried MSG on one to see if that makes a difference one way or another but it's worth a try.
I have yet to figure out what to do with a grocery store industrial tomato.
They do all taste the same.
As for fruit I know I'm going to buy a cantaloupe before I even get close to them because I can smell them.
This doesn't happen often.

"But no they have to sound fancy and say kosher salt like it's some sort of must have ingredient." I agree!


"Lime Green Salad", I'm just getting started with GWR tomatoes this year. I'll be growing Aunt Ruby's German Green, it was the spicy description that caught my eye. I just googled the Lime Green Salad tomato and it seems to have the same flavor notes so hopefully, if I like Aunt Ruby's, then I will put Lime Green Salad, on my short list next year. I can't wait to try these green tomatoes!

[o0sunsi0o]

I make all my hamburgers big enough to cover the tomato. Now the problem is too small bread. Does anyone else remember Burger King's jingle "it takes two hands to handle a whopper". Have you really looked at the size of a modern whopper? That jingle was true for the day, back in 1977/78. Now you get 1500 calories in a hamburger you can hold on the palm of your hand.

I suggest Worth grow a Shackleford Giant Pink to see if his hamburgers are up to snuff. Suggest growing one for this person who thinks all tomatoes taste the same.

Just read the history about, Shackleford Giant Pink, at Victory Seeds, how did I miss this one. Craig LeHoullier, gave them a sample of seeds for it, the pictures show a boat-sized tomato with wonderful, sweet flavor. Thank you, so much for pointing this tomato out, most certainly on my grow list for next year.

I agree about the size of Whoppers these days, I have a friend in Kazakhstan where they just opened a Burger King in his city and he was so excited to try this American burger. Then he sent me a picture and I was so embarrassed at the size, he even asked me are they supposed to be this small. I had no answer to give...I just asked how it tasted.

[worth1]

@o0sunsi0o
Lime green salad is a little different from others.
It's also very early and an almost can't possibly fail variety to grow.

[slugworth]

one of the tomatoes from a store during the winter.

One of the stores I go to sells heirloom tomatoes all winter, thankfully. But I know what aisle the cardboard-tasting ones are at it's hard to believe some people think that's a tomato, so sad.

[slugworth]

I once stripped the tomato off a BK whopper hamburger and grew it.
Nothing to write home about even home grown picked when ripe.
Just a conversation piece.

[worth1]

one of the tomatoes from a store during the winter.

One of the stores I go to sells heirloom tomatoes all winter, thankfully. But I know what aisle the cardboard-tasting ones are at it's hard to believe some people think that's a tomato, so sad.

Hollywood tomatoes.
All glitz and glamour but no real taste and totally fake.

[worth1]

I once stripped the tomato off a BK whopper hamburger and grew it.
Nothing to write home about even home grown picked when ripe.
Just a conversation piece.

I grew one from some unknown store bought tomato and the fruit believe it or not never turned red they turned white and was the size and hardness of a golf ball no matter how long they stayed on the vines.

[Fusion_power]

Grocery store tomatoes are often hybrids with one line containing either nor or rin (non-ripening or ripening inhibitor). Either will extend shelf life of the hybrid significantly. Growing seed from a commercial tomato has a 1 in 4 chance of getting a double dose of the gene and the resulting fruit will appear either pale green or whitish green. They will stay rock hard and won't turn red no matter how long you wait. If you want an OP version, try Giraffe from sandhill preservation.

Shackleford Giant should be on more people's radar.

Why breed with Eva Purple Ball? Because it conveys one veeeery important trait. EPB has enhanced fruit set which shows up in the hybrid offspring. The best I've had was a hybrid made by Randy Gardner from one of his high producing disease tolerant lines crossed with Eva Purple Ball. F1 plants averaged 80 pounds of ripe fruit each. While there are a lot of other considerations, I consider high production to be one of the most important goals a breeder can attain. It helps that EPB is also a decent tasting pink tomato and is somewhat tolerant to early blight and septoria.

[Tormato]

@o0sunsi0o
Cool. Chapman is a good one. It gets huge fruit, too.

FYI, just for the record, there are some in that list that I don't recommend (even though they don't take like others in the list).

There are so many I want to try, but next year I hope to have Chapman on my short list. I have heard good reviews especially back in the day at T'ville (was away for a while and can't seem to login there anymore, miss it and so happy I found this forum). Barlow Jap, is another one I want to try always heard raves reviews on it, too. I go more for the old time tomatoes rather than the newer ones. I hear people talking about the fancy colors, but when they don't mention anything about taste it's a dead give away, to me at least.

Thank you, for your list, Shule, a lot of older, but untried varieties that catch my eye. I wouldn't mind an acre for just tomatoes!

My recommendation is Stump of the World for the top of your list, next year.

And, if you want an extra meaty, solid tomato, with firmer flesh, along with the old timey taste, Seek-No-Further Love Apple would be my other recommendation.

[Tormato]

I once stripped the tomato off a BK whopper hamburger and grew it.
Nothing to write home about even home grown picked when ripe.
Just a conversation piece.

I grew one from some unknown store bought tomato and the fruit believe it or not never turned red they turned white and was the size and hardness of a golf ball no matter how long they stayed on the vines.

Worth,

When living next to a driving range, never pick up tomatoes from off the ground.

[Tormato]

I wonder if that is "Daniels" in the breeding line for Daniel Burson? I don't know of a variety named Daniel, but I grow Daniels just about every year.

For the original question, I would grow and serve 7 tomatoes to emphasize differences in flavor. I would start with Akers West Virginia because it has very good flavor intensity. Sungold because it is sugar sweet and smells somewhat like tropical fruit. Aunt Ruby's German Green because the flavor is sublime when picked at peak ripeness. Daniels for a large pink potato leaf slicer that produces loads of fruit and tastes as good as or slightly better than Brandywine Sudduth. Jaune Flammee for an orange tart tomato that can ripen into phenomenally good fruit when there is little rain. Then I would grow Lynnwood because it has arguably the best balanced flavor in a red tomato. Last but not least I would grow Brokenbar's Costoluto Genovese because it is hands down the most intense tomato flavor I've tried. Once he had tried Costoluto Genovese, I would then make a pizza with them and show him how much of a difference there is between a fresh tomato and the same tomato cooked slightly.

I've only grown 3 tart tomatoes (out of about 3500 varieties!): Jaune Flammee, Goose Creek, and Green Zebra. I'm going to try crossing Goose Creek with Eva Purple Ball to see if I can get that tart flavor into a larger tomato.

You've never tried Aunt Gertie's Gold?

It isn't entirely tart. Underneath the intense flavor, there are barely perceptible semi-sweet undertones.

[slugworth]

garden peach
although last year because of the heat? they didn't have any fuzz at all.
not worthy to bring to picnics,just a boring yellow tomato unless it is hirsuite.
more like bikini bare.

[Tormato]

I would give them carrots and peas.

Did you hear the one about the unsanitary chef who cooks carrots, and peas in the same pot?

[Fusion_power]

Aunt Gertie's gold is grow every 3 or 4 years for me. For a good yellow tomato, Yoder's German Yellow, Nebraska Wedding, and Manyel are my top flavors. Lillian's Yellow Heirloom is more of a creamy pale yellow and also superb flavor. I grow Yellow Brandywine Platfoot and Aunt Gertie's Gold for good tomatoes with the slight golden tint.

[o0sunsi0o]

I once stripped the tomato off a BK whopper hamburger and grew it.
Nothing to write home about even home grown picked when ripe.
Just a conversation piece.

What a great novelty, I would've never thought to do that. Stay curious, makes life more interesting!

[AlittleSalt]

Without reading anything but the thread title - PORTER! It's the best 100%.