Favourite Varieties of Tomatoes

[Muddypause]

When I was about 12, my grandparent's next door neighbour gave us a bowl of fresh picked tomatoes; they were delicious - I'd never tasted a tomato like those before, and I don't think I have since. But the neighbour wouldn't tell us what variety they were. As I remember, they were deep red, juicy, sweet, with a mild peppery taste, and the flavour lingered in your mouth.

I've grown various different tomatoes since then, but have never managed to match that flavour. This year's 'taste of the mediterranean' - Roma - are a bit of a disappointment so far, but may need a little longer on the vine to ripen.

So, what are your favourite tomatoes, for flavour?

[Millymollymandy]

Oh don't, the blight here is spreading through 3 varieties and one of my Gardener's Delight has succumbed too.

Now left with a few cherries in pots away from the veggie patch although they don't look too good, but I'm just desperately hoping I'll get some ripe GDs as they are my favourite!

The plum/olivette that I grew ripened and they are disgusting and floury and hard and juiceless. No idea why but they are only fit for the bin. I give up as the last 3 years I've grown tomatoes I've had total failure due to drought and/or heatwave. One of the ones I grew in 2003 was Moneymaker and not a single one was edible either.

Never had a problem growing tomatoes in England.

[wulf]

Interesting - I'd have assumed that France would be better for tomatoes, being a little bit warmer. Of course, (understatement) it's a big old place so conditions probably vary from place to place!

The bush-habit cherry tomatoes I'm growing (and doing alright with) are called 'garden pearl'... although some of the plants I've got growing are survivors from last years compost - there's one that's definitely a beefsteak variety that's got some good (although still quite green) fruits on it.

Wulf

[Wombat]

Grosse Lisse - an old variety but popular here in Aus. I like Roma too, so I'm sorry to hear that you find 'em dissapointing 'Pause!

Nev

[Muddypause]

Grosse Lisse - an old variety but popular here in Aus. I like Roma too, so I'm sorry to hear that you find 'em dissapointing

Roma seem to be improving by letting them ripen a little longer. I've got a huge crop this year, but they all seem to be ripening very late. Mind, I said that last year, and probably the year before, too.

M3; Moneymaker, and Gardener's Delight have both been reliable and fairly decent here. I had blight one year when I grew then in the ground. I've used growbags since, and this year a raised bed filled with new soil. I'm told blight will stay in the ground for a long time (I guess it may even affect potatoes, too).

The anoying thing is, the most flavoursome tomatoes I've tasted in a long time came from the supermarket a few weeks ago. Can't remember the variety, but the were organic cherry plums, and little flavour bombs.

I wonder how much growing conditions affect the flavour, including things like the composition of the soil, and what you feed them on?

I'll have a look for Grosse Lisse and Garden Pearl next year, Nev and Wulf.

[Millymollymandy]

Next year my toms are all going in pots and not in the ground! Cross fingers my Gardeners Delight in pots are just starting to ripen and no sign of blight (my house is between them and the veggie patch), although the blight has spread to bush cherries in pots near the veg patch.

I really need to learn more about blight because I thought it was an airborne thing and didn't know it stayed in the ground!

I keep forgetting to look up the name of the yellow bush cherries (still a few in pots going strong) that we are eating at the moment but the packet is in my potting shed! They are OK flavour but not brilliant - still, miles better than bog standard supermarket tomatoes.

[ina]

I wonder how much growing conditions affect the flavour, including things like the composition of the soil, and what you feed them on?

It makes one heck of a difference how you grow them, I'd say at least as much as the variety! That's the problem with normal commercial stuff, they just grow them in some kind of growing medium, anything that'll keep them from falling over, really, and add the required nutrients, i.e. mainly NPK, but I believe the flavour (and health) is more influenced by trace elements (and probably other stuff that's in the soil).

It was a revelation when I tried some organically grown Golden Delicious apples once. Shop bought they taste of nothing; straight from the tree, not fertilised, and picked ripe, they are very nice indeed, and they have a reddish blush to them!

By the way, my tomatoes are not actually turning red yet, but showing signs of yellow... ! There's hope yet! I've got Ailsa Craig (thought I'd stick with a Scottish variety, as being more in tune with the conditions here), and one Gardener's Delight, and another one that I can't remember. Can't tell you anything about the taste as yet. Last year I only had green tomatoes; I'd planted them far too late.

Ina

[Millymollymandy]

Finally looked it up - my yellow bush cherry tomatoes are called Gold Nugget. Obviously not very blight resistant!!!

My Gardeners Delight have a few orangey coloured fruit now - really looking forward to eating one!

[ina]

Hey, I think I might almost beat you to it - some of my Gardener's Delight are quite red, and I think I'll have them at the weekend! The banana skin treatment must have paid off. All my colleagues know that they have to keep their banana skins out of the bin, as I need them.... Of course I did get funny remarks, like "didn't know tomatoes eat bananas... ", but what the heck.

Ina

[Wombat]

Onya Ina, that's great!

[sunpuppy]

My Gardener's Delights have been ripening for the last three weeks and, without wishing to make anyone jealous, they're delicious, very sweet and not at all like shop bought ones. There's just no comparison!

Unfortunately, I got a bit over enthusiastic when planting them and ended up with about 40 plants, which grew like triffids and are definitely too close together. Doesn't seem to have affected the crop much though - they just keep coming. I've got tomatoes coming out of my ears.....

Any ideas on recipes for fresh tomato sauce.....?!

[Muddypause]

_________________
It's impossible to run in flip-flops unless you're Jesus....

Now, I went to a Church of England school when I was a lad, but I can't immediately bring to mind any bible stories that mention Jesus running anywhere. However, we do know that he was a keen motorcyclist - there are a great many references to the Triumph of Jesus.

[wulf]

... while the early Christians shared a car ("they were in one [Honda] Accord..." Acts 1:14). They obviously had a much greener outlook than the modern "let's drive miles to the church we like" church (*).

Wulf

(*) FWIW, a not entirely accurate caricature - I enjoy living two minutes walk from my church and five minutes walk from where I work 8)

[wulf]

... while the early Christians shared a car ("they were in one [Honda] Accord..." Acts 1:14). They obviously had a much greener outlook than the modern "let's drive miles to the church we like" church (*).

Wulf

(*) FWIW, a not entirely accurate caricature - I enjoy living two minutes walk from my church and five minutes walk from where I work 8)

[Jo]

If there is a petrol shortage as is being predicted, we might all be walking to church and work anyway.

Jo