Washingtonians

[HoneysuckleHills]

Quote:
I'd love to know which ones you like best for fresh eating and which ones for sauce making.
I like Momotaro for fresh (and, of coure, Sun Gold to give the kids instead of candy) but I haven't settled on a sauce variety.
The San Marzanos I've grown just aren't all that good. (I've only tried the seed from Territorial.)
For that matter, my Brandywines simply don't have the time they need in my microclimate. (Wish I had a green house!)
And let me just add, I love the photos you've posted!

 

[HoneysuckleHills]

Quote:

this video might be helpful...

 

[Mia_]

Anyone want some free pullets? http://seattle.craigslist.org/see/pet/2605336075.html

 

[Illia]

Quote:
I'd love to know which ones you like best for fresh eating and which ones for sauce making.
I like Momotaro for fresh (and, of coure, Sun Gold to give the kids instead of candy) but I haven't settled on a sauce variety.
The San Marzanos I've grown just aren't all that good. (I've only tried the seed from Territorial.)
For that matter, my Brandywines simply don't have the time they need in my microclimate. (Wish I had a green house!)
And let me just add, I love the photos you've posted!

I don't do hybrids, in case you didn't know.

Sauce making - Speckled Roman. (also known as Striped Roman) Though I also like Green Sausage and Orange Banana, the Speckled Roman is the most traditional and richly TOMATO flavored one of them. It's also a great producer of big sausage shaped, beautifully bi-colored tomatoes. Oh and it's indeterminate, making it a continuous grower and producer which sounds bad for sauces, but the size of each tomato makes up for that.

Fresh eating for sandwiches, etc - It depends on your taste preference. My favorite is White Tomesol however my mood changes. Pineapple is a wonderful, beautiful bi-color with a rich, sweet, almost pineappley flavor, and then there's the Paul Robeson which besides being an awesome color reminiscent to Marans eggs, it has a wonderous dark, deep, earthy, smokey flavor. It is also superb for mild, cool summers like what we have. White Tomesol though I love because it's mild (not very sweet, I'm a little sugared out) but has a very tomatoey flavor. Reminds me a lot of eating delicious, buttery mashed potatoes or something.

Fresh eating plain - Goes to the Orange Banana. A nice, neat little bright orange, sausage shaped one that is very sweet, very fruity, and very addicting. It's like eating dessert! It always reminds me of eating a cross between a peach and a good tomato. Orange Bananas also prefer cooler weather too, and they're super producers.

Fresh eating Cherry - Well this is a category that has a lot of winners, but I must give my hands out to the following three: Snowberry, Black Cherry, and Green Grape. Snowberries are very sweet, very refreshing, and not comparable to the sweetness you find in Sungolds. They're very different, really, but I LOVE em. Black Cherries are all the amazing depth and smokiness of a purple tomato like Paul Robeson, but packed into a cherry tomato. Green Grape is an amazing, out of this world one I can't describe too well. It's slightly sweet, a tiny bit tart, and just very complex, tomatoey, and delicious. And green!

There's so many others I love too, but a lot of them I find too sweet for my taste. (After eating so many tomatoes this year, I find I prefer less sweet ones unless they're a unique sweetness) If you like sweet but also like the thought of a purple tomato - the Carbon is a good choice for you. If you like a traditional tomato flavor but also sweetness, the Brandywine is an excellent choice.


If you like very ornate tomatoes, love a good smokey, tomatoey flavor, and don't mind a mealy texture - the Orange Fleshed Purple Smudge is an awesome one that will always be in my favorites list! Everyone else hates it, and most people do, because it is kinda mealy in texture, but I love it and ignore that because its aftertaste is just plain heavenly!! It's very mild, hardly sweet, somewhat tomatoey, but the end flavor and aftertaste is amazing and smoky/meaty, like you soaked the tomato in good burger fat or something.




The only tomato I mentioned in bold that requires longer seasons is probably the White Tomesol. The others I'd imagine do well in our short, cool season. But remember - I grow all my babies in a greenhouse now!

 

[HoneysuckleHills]

Quote:
I'd love to know which ones you like best for fresh eating and which ones for sauce making.
I like Momotaro for fresh (and, of coure, Sun Gold to give the kids instead of candy) but I haven't settled on a sauce variety.
The San Marzanos I've grown just aren't all that good. (I've only tried the seed from Territorial.)
For that matter, my Brandywines simply don't have the time they need in my microclimate. (Wish I had a green house!)
And let me just add, I love the photos you've posted!

I don't do hybrids, in case you didn't know.

Sauce making - Speckled Roman. (also known as Striped Roman) Though I also like Green Sausage and Orange Banana, the Speckled Roman is the most traditional and richly TOMATO flavored one of them. It's also a great producer of big sausage shaped, beautifully bi-colored tomatoes. Oh and it's indeterminate, making it a continuous grower and producer which sounds bad for sauces, but the size of each tomato makes up for that.

Fresh eating for sandwiches, etc - It depends on your taste preference. My favorite is White Tomesol however my mood changes. Pineapple is a wonderful, beautiful bi-color with a rich, sweet, almost pineappley flavor, and then there's the Paul Robeson which besides being an awesome color reminiscent to Marans eggs, it has a wonderous dark, deep, earthy, smokey flavor. It is also superb for mild, cool summers like what we have. White Tomesol though I love because it's mild (not very sweet, I'm a little sugared out) but has a very tomatoey flavor. Reminds me a lot of eating delicious, buttery mashed potatoes or something.

Fresh eating plain - Goes to the Orange Banana. A nice, neat little bright orange, sausage shaped one that is very sweet, very fruity, and very addicting. It's like eating dessert! It always reminds me of eating a cross between a peach and a good tomato. Orange Bananas also prefer cooler weather too, and they're super producers.

Fresh eating Cherry - Well this is a category that has a lot of winners, but I must give my hands out to the following three: Snowberry, Black Cherry, and Green Grape. Snowberries are very sweet, very refreshing, and not comparable to the sweetness you find in Sungolds. They're very different, really, but I LOVE em. Black Cherries are all the amazing depth and smokiness of a purple tomato like Paul Robeson, but packed into a cherry tomato. Green Grape is an amazing, out of this world one I can't describe too well. It's slightly sweet, a tiny bit tart, and just very complex, tomatoey, and delicious. And green!

There's so many others I love too, but a lot of them I find too sweet for my taste. (After eating so many tomatoes this year, I find I prefer less sweet ones unless they're a unique sweetness) If you like sweet but also like the thought of a purple tomato - the Carbon is a good choice for you. If you like a traditional tomato flavor but also sweetness, the Brandywine is an excellent choice.


If you like very ornate tomatoes, love a good smokey, tomatoey flavor, and don't mind a mealy texture - the Orange Fleshed Purple Smudge is an awesome one that will always be in my favorites list! Everyone else hates it, and most people do, because it is kinda mealy in texture, but I love it and ignore that because its aftertaste is just plain heavenly!! It's very mild, hardly sweet, somewhat tomatoey, but the end flavor and aftertaste is amazing and smoky/meaty, like you soaked the tomato in good burger fat or something.




The only tomato I mentioned in bold that requires longer seasons is probably the White Tomesol. The others I'd imagine do well in our short, cool season. But remember - I grow all my babies in a greenhouse now!

Oh, this is a great list for next year!
I usually only grow 8 to 10 varieties.
I've made a note of your recommendations!
Thanks!

 

[HoneysuckleHills]

Illia,
Just read your review of orange fleshed purple smudge on Baker Creek website.
No kidding, mixed reviews!
Thanks again.

 

[Illia]

Hey, they finally published my reviews!

 

[Chicken Rustler]

Thanks SF and HSH for your help and the links!!

Illia did you see the link I posted the other night about the green houses I visited ?

 

[Illia]

No. Post 'em again.

 

[Chicken Rustler]

www.allseasonfruitcompany.com some very cool ideas here