Juliet Tomato: Hanna’s Tomato Tastings 2010
Part of Hanna’s Tomato Tastings 2010
It’s a true tomato garden tragedy. Hybrids on one side, Heirlooms on the other. And two star crossed tomato plants caught in between. “Oh Reisetomate, Reisetomate. Where for art thou, Reisetomate? Deny thy breeding and refuse thy heritage. Or, if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love, And I’ll no longer be a Hybrid. ”
Unfortunately, this tragedy ends nearly the same as the Shakespearian one based on over hormonal children. My Juliet tomato is dying, as is the Reisetomate next to it. Tis a poison wilt that has taken them both (fortunately only manifesting in a bed with only a few tomato plants). So, what you see on that plate in the picture is all there will be. I am not sure the Reisetomate will produce at all.
Because this tomato plant is failing, I will state upfront that this tasting is suspect. Stressed plants do not produce the best of fruit.
I am embarrassed to say that, while I grew these plants from seed, I have no idea where I got them from. The packet I had them in is long gone, though a tickle at the back of my head tells me they were a seed trade.
The description from a place that sells the seeds reads:
Plant produces high yields of glossy red grape shaped tomatoes. Tomatoes are very sweet and perfect for salads and gourmet dishes. Grows in clusters like grapes too. Holds on the vine longer than any other cherry tomato.
The Beauty Pageant:
Size: Inch to inch and a half long.
Shape: Grape shape with a nipple on the end. I also have to say that they have a very pronounced sepal (that green thing at the top) that reminds me of a feminized Kermit the Frog collar.
Color: Solid red.
The inside:Thin walls with small seeds and a lance like core down the center. Almost no gel to speak of.
Texture: Very thick skin which is very noticeable when you eat it. Other than that, the texture is smooth and you can’t even feel the seeds.
Tasting:
Off the Vine Tasting: Very solid tomato flavor. Not at all sweet. The tomato flavor is very condensed and not at all complex. Not my cup of tea, but some people like a straight on tomato and this is one of those.
Sliced and Salted Tasting: Salting develops the pure tomato flavor of this tomato. It makes it more tomato-y and since it was pretty tomato-y before, this just makes it more in that realm.
Cooking Thoughts: A salad tomato if I ever saw one. I am not so keen on these for muching on their own as that skin is pretty distracting.
Growing Notes:
As stated, this is dying from wilt. It is suppose to be pretty disease resistant, but I can say that it has succumbed to the wilt in the bed as fast as the heirlooms did.
Will Hanna grow this one again:
Probably not. While I might give it a whack again just to see if the flavor gets more complex when not affected by disease, the skin on these is pretty icky.
I am growing the Reise Tomato, though it is the most badly affected of my Tomato plants(by Potato Aphids and maybe the Russet Mites).Btw… I got my Reise Tomato seeds from Baker Creek
A shame for both tomatoes and I am more alarmed for that villain that lays in hiding in the tomato bed. Out, damn’d spot! Out, I say!
My Dad lives in Brimfield and has a huge plant that is loaded with these babies. I like to dry them. Just got done making tomato jam with them today…it’s pretty tasty.
I am excited to grow some of my own!I bet they are still yummy!
What a good idea to share your tastings on different varieties of tomato. There really is a lot of variation. Sorry your plant is sick. What a shame 🙁
I will never again grow Juliets. Every time I served them, people asked if this was a tomato or what? I was accused of serving potato fruit. They were strong and bitter, and very tough-skinned.
I have a hot, challenging climate, which is why I specialize in the cherry/grape tomatoes. Maybe these babies don’t like heat.
Juliet is one of my standard favorites and I have grown them now for 5 years running. Perhaps they like a cool climate and some fog…We are North East coastal and the land of blight. They always produce huge amounts of saladette size fruit which are great sliced in half and used as a dipper (crudite to all the foodies out there).They did have the blight in 2010 (as did most of my varieties), but still managed to produce more fruit than any other type except the cherries.
We don’t care for the Juliet when eaten raw. But I’ve found that when they are split and sprinkled with salt, chopped fresh thyme, olive oil and a bit of balsamic vinegar then roasted…they become heavenly. While they are still warm from the oven, I whirl them in a blender and they make a wonderful sauce for pasta.