I expect this tomato to be sweet, because why else would you name a tomato (or anything really) after a dessert if it was not sweet. I mean it would be just a cruel trick to name a vegetable after a luscious dessert if in fact it was not sweet.

Plus, this is another black tomato. Num-num-num. But, knowing that, I am confused. Black tomatoes do not normally bill themselves as sweet tomatoes. They tend to lean towards the savory end of things. Maybe that is about to change. We will see.

The description from the company I bought this tomato from reads:

This variety produces pretty, globe shaped fruit of medium size. They are a stunning deep caramel color with hints of red and chocolate. The flavor is rich, sweet and full-bodied, and the texture is tender and smooth. An attractive tomato that is great for both home and market.

The Beauty Pageant:

Size: About the size of a baseball.

Shape: Mostly round. Slightly flattened sides.

Color: Deep brick red with deep green shoulders.

The inside:Multi-chambered with very loose gel and large seeds.

Texture: Smooth and silky.

Tasting:

Off the Vine Tasting: It is sweet, but not dessert sweet. More like melon sweet. But it also has the typical black tomato savoriness. It is an interesting combination and I am not certain how I feel about it.

Sliced and Salted Tasting: Salt give it a more distinct melon flavor.

Cooking Thoughts: Certainly a complex tomato flavor, so would be fun for a slice and serve side dish.

Growing Notes:

Healthy enough with medium production.

Will Hanna grow this one again:

Probably not. But not because it is a bad tomato. The flavor just does not sit well with me. It is interesting, complex and certainly unique – just not a combination I want in my tomatoes. I would recommend that others try it though.

Ohhh… A black tomato. I love, love, love black tomatoes and am always keen to try new ones. I have to say that this one I bought for the name. What’s not to love about a tomato called “Southern Night”. It brings to mind sultry, steamy nights in New Orleans or Atlanta. Rich, thick and languid darkness filled with mystery and beauty. Well, it does right up until you learn that this tomato was developed in the USSR. Oops… I guess they had a different Southern Night in mind, but I can still dream that some cold and lonely Soviet plant breeder was dreaming of the warm and sultry US South when he named it.

The description from the company I bought this tomato from reads:

An attractive “Black” tomato developed in the old Soviet Union. Great tasting fruit are dark and intensely colored, being a deep maroon. Very sweet and luscious, these are hard to not eat right in the garden. A classic that is well worth growing if you like real flavor.

The Beauty Pageant:

Size: About the size of a baseball.

Shape: Mostly round. There was cracking on the top as well.

Color: Deep reddish brown through the tomato with dark green shoulders.

The inside:Multi-chambered with slightly loose gel and rather large seeds.

Texture: Just a smidge mealy, but not enough to really be that bad.

Tasting:

Off the Vine Tasting: This is a good tomato. It starts out with very strong, deep tomato flavor and progresses into a savoriness that is reminiscent of beef. Plus, it has a wonderful aftertaste that stays with you, again, as though you have just taken a bite of steak.

Sliced and Salted Tasting: Salt just turns all the flavors up and makes a party in your mouth.

Cooking Thoughts: This is a classic side dish tomato. Perfect for when you want to showcase to your friends what makes heirloom tomatoes awesome.

Growing Notes:

This has not been a big producer in my garden. Great tomatoes, but not many of them. As it is a Russian tomato and it is now getting cool outside, I may see an uptick in production now.

Will Hanna grow this one again:

Yes, with a caveat. Certainly, the flavor of this tomato is a keeper, but if the production is not better, I just don’t have room for it. But, plants went in way late this year so that might be the reason for its under production. I will plant it again and give it another chance. Well worth it for the flavor.

This is a Russian tomato, which means it should do well here because Russian tomatoes are bred to be fast growing in cold weather. I say should because in theory, Cleveland is suppose to be a rather cool place. In reality, we have a shortish growing season that consists of going from snow and 30F weather to drought like sun and 90F weather in a matter of weeks. Spring does not really happen here.

These tomatoes are suppose to be “early” type tomatoes. But, not surprisingly, these tomatoes did not really perform for me until the weather got cooler. Russian tomato like cool weather and these showed that.

I am a fan of Russian tomatoes. They tend to be good tasting. Which also makes sense, because let’s face it. If you are going to put that much effort into creating a tomato that can actually grow that close to Santa’s Village, it does not hurt to put in a little extra effort to make sure they taste good too.

The description from the company I bought this tomato from reads:

Great Russian tomato perfect for cooler/shorter growing regions. Sturdy plant produces abundant clusters of 4-oz., bright-red, round, juicy fruit that is surprisingly flavorful for a cooler ripening variety.

The Beauty Pageant:

Size: Slightly smaller than a baseball.
Shape: Slightly oval shaped with just a hint of ruffle on the shoulders. They were surprisingly uniform in shape and size.

Color: Solidly red with just a hint of pink.

The inside:3 chambers with rather large seeds. The gel is very tight.

Texture: Pretty smooth meat. Skin is not thick. Seedscan be a bit of a distraction.

Tasting:

Off the Vine Tasting: Good, very strong tomato flavor, especially in the meat. The gel has a strong sour, citrusy flavor that goes nicely with the tomato flavor in the meat.

Sliced and Salted Tasting: Salt removes the tomato flavor on the initial bite, though it comes back as you swallow. The sour flavor is as strong as it is without salt. There is also just a hint of sweetness.

Cooking Thoughts: Good frying tomato. It will hold up well to frying in mouth consistency and flavor. Would also do for salsas and other tomato salads.

Growing Notes:

Was not an early producer in my garden, but now that the weather has cooled down, I can see this as the savior of my fall garden as I see it producing well until a hard frost takes it out.

Will Hanna grow this one again:

Maybe. This is a pretty good tomato. The amazing uniformity of size and shape has some possibilities and the flavor is really nice.

This tomato has eluded me since 2008. Every year I have planted the seeds and every year, disease, weather or my own stupidity took away my chance to add this tomato to my formal tomato list. But not this year, damn it. I have learned to label well, I have finally figured out how to rotate without spreading disease and a watering system has spared me most of the grief that weather can bring. This tomato is finally laid to rest on the tomato tasting list on this day. BTW, the seed viability shelf life on this tomato is outstanding.

The description from the company I bought this tomato from reads:

French heirloom. Produces dependable heavy, clusters of 6-ounce deep red, slightly flattened, oblate fruits that are meaty, lightly lobed and contain an excellent, complex, slightly tart taste. I’ve found that this variety also does well in the cooler summer conditions of California’s bay areas. An all-’round great tomato for slicing.

The Beauty Pageant:

Size: As wide as a baseball, but just a smidge taller than a Krispy Kream donut (Mmmm… donuts).

Shape: The is a pretty flat tomato. Ruffled shoulders, but not dramatically so.

Color: Pretty red but with some small splotches of orange, particularly around the shoulders.

The inside:Loose gel with medium seeds. Multi chambered with thin walls and a thick core.

Texture: Silky meat and gel. Skin is a bit thick but not terribly so. Definitely a messy tomato, though. Juice everywhere.

Tasting:

Off the Vine Tasting: Very strong savory flavor from the gel. Almost like a meat savory. There is a subtle sour flavor as well as just a little hint of sweetness. Nice solid tomato aftertaste.

Sliced and Salted Tasting: Salt really tones down the sour, which leaves behind that sour and savory flavors. Really nice combination.

Cooking Thoughts: This is a good but messy sandwich tomato. I had juice all over me at the end of the tasting. But, I am thinking that it would be a great tomato to use for bruchetta. That juice would mingle, make friends and soak into the bread. Heaven.

Growing Notes:

Healthy… this year. It has succumbed to disease pretty quickly in the past.

That being said, the plant has grown well and is healthy this yera. Looks to be producing well, too.

Will Hanna grow this one again:

Maybe. Flavor is robust and complex. Texture is nice. But it does concern me that it took 3 years for me to get this tomato to a tasting. I don’t have enough room in my garden to wait 3 years for a pretty good tomato.

I don’t have too much to say initially about this one, other than to say I was not really all that impressed with how “early” it produced. Yes, it was among the first to ripen, but was not the first and there were several other plants in the garden that were also producing. I’m hoping its taste makes up for its marginal on-timeness.

The description from the company I bought this tomato from reads:

Brilliant red, 6-9 ounce slicing type fruits are produced even in the face of cold wet, springs or hot, dry summers. Reselected from the original Earliana in the early part of the 20th century by famed breeder Albert F. Yeager, working at North Dakota State University. Yeager was working to develop early maturing tomato varieties that would be reliable in North Dakota

The Beauty Pageant:

Size: Pretty uniformly about the size of a baseball.

Shape: Roundish on the bottom, flatish on the top.

Color: Orange-ish red with orange shoulders. It does occasionally get a dark red stippling on a few spots on the skin.

The inside:Somewhat firm gel with seeds that are on the small side. The walls are a bit thin but the core a pretty wide and makes up for that. It is multi-chambered, which is pretty standard for a slicing tomato.

Texture: Firm meat and the gel falls apart well while you chew it, which mean that you get the impression of a juicy tomato without the mess. The skin is thin enough that it is not really noticeable while you chew it.

Tasting:

Off the Vine Tasting: Strong sour tomato flavor. Not complex, but nice. The gel is more sour than the meat.

Sliced and Salted Tasting: Salt just gives it a hint of sweetness and not much more. It is still pleasantly sour.

Cooking Thoughts: This is a great tomato for sandwiches. It gives a great mouth feel of being juicy without the mess. Perfect for a tomato sandwich or on a burger.

Growing Notes:

As I said, I was not terribly impressed with this being an “early” tomato. Conditions here have to be better than in North Dakota, right? So you think that would have played into its favor on being early.

That being said, the plant has grown well and is healthy. Looks to be producing well, too.

Will Hanna grow this one again:

No, but not because it is a bad tomato. It a nice tomato, but I like a little more complexity in my tomato flavor.