Your top 10 best tasting tomatoes

[CtGrower]

Moskvich and Goose Creek are not my "must grow every year" list, but they were prolific like Fourth of July when I was in S. CA. You're right about large OP taste & look great, but since you're after quantity rather than the size & color, you may want to consider those two. I love Fourth of July for its production & low maintenance nature, and we probably could save seeds despite it's F1, but Moskvich and Goose Creek are definitely OPs. They are balanced rich tasting tomatoes (boring mid-size red).

Good to know your experience, Thanks! Taste is very personal and also a function of what your growing conditions are. I will probably try 4th of July next to Early girl just to gauge how it works in my conditions in the early season. I haven't heard of Red Penna. My personal experience with large heirlooms is that I get very few large fruit that taste great, but I wish for more quantity. I think there is a place for both types. It is certainly a consideration for folks who have limited space.

I wear 2 hats when it comes to tomatos. I manage the food pantry garden and want as many boring mid-size red tomatos as possible. When I come home, I like to experiment more and would like some knock-your-socks off tasting tomatos (with good production also). My favorites for taste at home are Cherokee Purple and Sun Gold. I think I'm going to try Stump of the World as well this year to try something different. Maybe also Marianna's Peace. I will include a reliable round red for production.

[karstopography]

Which tomatoes are the tastiest is tough to pin down. Ask my neighbor, he’d tell you heinz ketchup or something like that since he hates fresh tomatoes. I wonder if there are genes that control all of this? Like the cilantro tastes like soap for some people gene or the goat cheese tastes like wet fur gene my wife evidently possesses.

I’m always surprised when people don’t like red tomatoes, but like pink ones. Red Barn and Cuostralee tomatoes are some of the best, more flavorful tomatoes I’ve ever eaten. I kind of get the dark tomato hate a bit, although I like the undercurrent of mushrooms, decay, funkiness, smokiness, almost fishy like flavors dark tomatoes might tend to have to one degree or another. I like a summer warm to hot weather garden grown hybrid globe or beefsteak red, many of them anyway. Nothing really wrong with a peak of the season Celebrity, Big Beef, Better Boy, etc. and they certainly top the average gassed greenhouse tomato at the supermarket by a wide margin.

Texturally, that’s where tomatoes really run into problems for me. Mealiness means an instant spitter, too firm, that’s a big flaw, too much gel to meat ratio initiates the gag reflex, too seedy, why is there sand and grit in my tomato? and finally, goodness forbid crunchy, oh the horrors. I don’t think we can help what turns us on or off.

I think where beefsteak heirlooms shine especially is their sublime texture. I’ve yet to have a hybrid that comes even close to the melting, creamy, tongue coating texture of a perfectly ripe Pruden’s Purple or Dester tomato.

[CtGrower]

I don't think there will ever be a consensus! There are just too many tomatoes and everyone has their own personal tastes and opinions. If there are differences in opinions I just say you do you and I'll do me. I do appreciate hearing what works for everyone. There is obviously a lot of passion and knowledge from the folks here at TJ.

@karstopography Very descriptive about what doesn't work for you! I haven't thought about describing tomatoes in this way. Your description of PP and Dester has my mouth watering! I also agree that any tomato is better than the gassed ones in the supermarket!

[TerraCayda]

I think we have a similar taste. I love dark tomatoes, and the sweeter & juicier the better. This is the first year I'm skipping Cherokee Purple in who knows how many years.
I wish to find tomatoes that are all gel and no meat!

I wear 2 hats when it comes to tomatos. I manage the food pantry garden and want as many boring mid-size red tomatos as possible. When I come home, I like to experiment more and would like some knock-your-socks off tasting tomatos (with good production also). My favorites for taste at home are Cherokee Purple and Sun Gold. I think I'm going to try Stump of the World as well this year to try something different. Maybe also Marianna's Peace. I will include a reliable round red for production.

[habitat-gardener]

This has got to be the best description I’ve seen of what a « best tasting tomato » is for an individual palate.

I gravitate toward dark tomatoes, and what I taste is depth and richness of flavor. And I love crunchy grape/cherry tomatoes.

Which tomatoes are the tastiest is tough to pin down. Ask my neighbor, he’d tell you heinz ketchup or something like that since he hates fresh tomatoes. I wonder if there are genes that control all of this? Like the cilantro tastes like soap for some people gene or the goat cheese tastes like wet fur gene my wife evidently possesses.

I’m always surprised when people don’t like red tomatoes, but like pink ones. Red Barn and Cuostralee tomatoes are some of the best, more flavorful tomatoes I’ve ever eaten. I kind of get the dark tomato hate a bit, although I like the undercurrent of mushrooms, decay, funkiness, smokiness, almost fishy like flavors dark tomatoes might tend to have to one degree or another. I like a summer warm to hot weather garden grown hybrid globe or beefsteak red, many of them anyway. Nothing really wrong with a peak of the season Celebrity, Big Beef, Better Boy, etc. and they certainly top the average gassed greenhouse tomato at the supermarket by a wide margin.

Texturally, that’s where tomatoes really run into problems for me. Mealiness means an instant spitter, too firm, that’s a big flaw, too much gel to meat ratio initiates the gag reflex, too seedy, why is there sand and grit in my tomato? and finally, goodness forbid crunchy, oh the horrors. I don’t think we can help what turns us on or off.

I think where beefsteak heirlooms shine especially is their sublime texture. I’ve yet to have a hybrid that comes even close to the melting, creamy, tongue coating texture of a perfectly ripe Pruden’s Purple or Dester tomato.

[TerraCayda]

I never knew tomato sauce lovers could hate fresh tomatoes! I gave my handyman fresh cherry tomatoes last month as he loves marinara/meat sauces. It was an eye opening to learn he hates fresh tomatoes!
I'm not a bean lover. To me beans taste like dust or dirty rug.

Which tomatoes are the tastiest is tough to pin down. Ask my neighbor, he’d tell you heinz ketchup or something like that since he hates fresh tomatoes. I wonder if there are genes that control all of this? Like the cilantro tastes like soap for some people gene or the goat cheese tastes like wet fur gene my wife evidently possesses.

[Tormato]

I think we have a similar taste. I love dark tomatoes, and the sweeter & juicier the better. This is the first year I'm skipping Cherokee Purple in who knows how many years.
I wish to find tomatoes that are all gel and no meat!

I wear 2 hats when it comes to tomatos. I manage the food pantry garden and want as many boring mid-size red tomatos as possible. When I come home, I like to experiment more and would like some knock-your-socks off tasting tomatos (with good production also). My favorites for taste at home are Cherokee Purple and Sun Gold. I think I'm going to try Stump of the World as well this year to try something different. Maybe also Marianna's Peace. I will include a reliable round red for production.

All gel and no meat?

I'll eventually find my notes on very early tomatoes. But it is either Latah or Siletz, that in my garden produces loads of tomatoes, bags of seeds and gel, with almost no meat.

I'm just the opposite, looking for tomatoes that are nearly all meat, with almost no gel and seeds.

[Tormato]

I never knew tomato sauce lovers could hate fresh tomatoes! I gave my handyman fresh cherry tomatoes last month as he loves marinara/meat sauces. It was an eye opening to learn he hates fresh tomatoes!
I'm not a bean lover. To me beans taste like dust or dirty rug.

Which tomatoes are the tastiest is tough to pin down. Ask my neighbor, he’d tell you heinz ketchup or something like that since he hates fresh tomatoes. I wonder if there are genes that control all of this? Like the cilantro tastes like soap for some people gene or the goat cheese tastes like wet fur gene my wife evidently possesses.

Are you talking about dry beans? To me, plain, they taste like chalk.

As for fresh snap beans, most wax beans taste close to crunchy water, most round green beans taste OK, and several green flat podded Romano-type beans taste excellent. Also, pole beans are almost always superior to bush beans.

[BlackKrim]

1. Matt's Wild Cherry
2. Some potato leaf varieties.
3. "Honey" from Latvia.

JMO.

[TerraCayda]

I think we have a similar taste. I love dark tomatoes, and the sweeter & juicier the better. This is the first year I'm skipping Cherokee Purple in who knows how many years.
I wish to find tomatoes that are all gel and no meat!

I wear 2 hats when it comes to tomatos. I manage the food pantry garden and want as many boring mid-size red tomatos as possible. When I come home, I like to experiment more and would like some knock-your-socks off tasting tomatos (with good production also). My favorites for taste at home are Cherokee Purple and Sun Gold. I think I'm going to try Stump of the World as well this year to try something different. Maybe also Marianna's Peace. I will include a reliable round red for production.

All gel and no meat?

I'll eventually find my notes on very early tomatoes. But it is either Latah or Siletz, that in my garden produces loads of tomatoes, bags of seeds and gel, with almost no meat.

I'm just the opposite, looking for tomatoes that are nearly all meat, with almost no gel and seeds.

I bite into a tomato, suck all gels out wishing I didn't have to eat the rest. Ever since I was a child. I got enough of my favorites for this.

For dry tomatoes, ASMX sent me excellent paste tomato seeds years ago (I used to can cases and cases of tomato sauce). Goldman's Italian American and Liguria. They made excellent sauces. A friend who thinks Roma is the best thing in the world nearly cried. Even I though they tasted darned good raw.

[TerraCayda]

I never knew tomato sauce lovers could hate fresh tomatoes! I gave my handyman fresh cherry tomatoes last month as he loves marinara/meat sauces. It was an eye opening to learn he hates fresh tomatoes!
I'm not a bean lover. To me beans taste like dust or dirty rug.

Which tomatoes are the tastiest is tough to pin down. Ask my neighbor, he’d tell you heinz ketchup or something like that since he hates fresh tomatoes. I wonder if there are genes that control all of this? Like the cilantro tastes like soap for some people gene or the goat cheese tastes like wet fur gene my wife evidently possesses.

Are you talking about dry beans? To me, plain, they taste like chalk.

As for fresh snap beans, most wax beans taste close to crunchy water, most round green beans taste OK, and several green flat podded Romano-type beans taste excellent. Also, pole beans are almost always superior to bush beans.

Yes, dry beans. I only eat soy beans and red beans. Cooked all kinds of beans for my bean-loving husband, but I didn't like any of them. I felt the same about peas but learned to love them once I started growing my own and eat them raw right off the vine to quench thirst.