Part of Hanna’s Tomato Tastings 2010

Yeah! I got a camera again so I can finish my tomato tastings. Well, actually, I got a smartphone, which is like a camera, a phone, a ball and chain and a very expensive toy rolled into one. But hey, $150 a month in phone bills is worth it for the ability to play Bejewled ANYWHERE, right? In all seriousness though, this phone will let me work anywhere I like, which is a really nice thing and worth the business expense of it. Not that I won’t be playing Bejeweled occasionally, but what Uncle Sam doesn’t know won’t hurt him.

So, we have this tomato. I have to admit that this tomato has turned into the red headed step child of my garden this year. Sort of in between sizes and having been somewhat awkward in when and how it ripened (more on that later). So, we will see what I think of it, because thus far, it has been a bit of a pain.

The description from the company I bought it from reads:

This very early variety bears loads of 2 to 4 oz. red fruit with terrific flavor normally found only in a huge beefsteak. The fact that its fruit is ripe up to a full month earlier than many beefsteak varieties makes Matina really special. Potato-leaved plants put on large clusters of abundant tomatoes, and even though they start early, continue to bear throughout a long season. Heirloom from Germany. Indeterminate

The Beauty Pageant:

Size: About the size of a racquetball (which is in between a golf ball and a baseball, for those of you who did not have a father who participated in the yuppie version of golf in the 1980s).

Shape: Mostly round with a divot at the stem top.

Color: Classic tomato red.

The inside:I was surprised at the size of the seeds, rather on the large side. They look like seeds from a much larger tomato. Core and walls are of a moderate thickness.

Texture: Smooth flesh with thick skin.

Tasting:

Off the Vine Tasting: Lots of tomato flavor. Nothing complicated. Both gel and flesh are almost equal in their flavors, which is what makes it rather uncomplicated on the flavor front.

Sliced and Salted Tasting: Salt makes this tomato no more complex but does make it a smidge sweeter.

Cooking Thoughts: This is such classic tomato flavor, thatjust about any recipe that calls for uncooked tomatoes would work.

Growing Notes:

Sigh. This is why I do these. This tomato did not produce early. It did not produce all summer long. In fact, if it were not for the fact that it was listed as indeterminate, I would have sworn to you that it was determinate. It was prolific, however. A rush of little red tomatoes that all ripened in the span of 2 weeks. We were getting a little sick of eating Matina tomatoes after that, as I could not really sauce them due to the seed size, skin and modest amount of flesh.

Will Hanna grow this one again:

No. Flavor wise, this is a standard homegrown tomato. Great for some, but with a world of tomato flavor out there, why would you grow these. Beyond that, the growing habit being so different from what was described kinda pissed me off.

Part of Hanna’s Tomato Tastings 2010

This was a run by purchase at a local nursery. Despite the fact that I grow a dozen varieties of tomatoes in my garden, I always panic that I don’t have enough (This fear permeates many parts of my life. A dinner party at my house for 6 looks more like I am trying to feed the Mongolian Hordes Martha style). So, I always end up picking up another tomato (or 6) when I am out shopping for other plants.

I can’t say I am attached to this one in one way or another. I just bought it because I have not tried it before. The name “Lemon Boy” implies a sour tomato but it could also mean that the creator was referring to the bright yellow color.

It is a hybrid, but a popular one that has been around for years so no threat of it vanishing.

The description from a place that sells them reads reads:

A popular hybrid tomato, particularly with commercial growers, known for its uniform, lemon-yellow colored fruit which generally grow to about eight ounces. Borne in clusters, the fruits are a treat to the eyes and have a nice mild, sweet, tomato flavor. The plants are vigorous and are resistant to several common tomato pests so they are quite easy to grow. The vines also tend to be quite productive.

The Beauty Pageant:

Size: A little bit smaller than a baseball.

Shape: Very round. Everyone is almost the same size. They do seem prone to cracking as every one has cracked at the top a little.

Color: Dayglo yellow with just a smidge of orange thrown in.

The inside:The seeds are on the larger side, but not startlingly so. Gel is loose. Core and walls are not thick or too thin.

Texture: The flesh is pretty smooth and the skin is rather thin, which means you barely notice it.

Tasting:

Off the Vine Tasting: This is a subtle tomato. The flavor is there, but light. A bit on the sour side with a faint tomato flavor. It is not bad, just not strong.

Sliced and Salted Tasting: Salt brings up the flavor and makes it more complex. Still not sweet, but you no longer feel like you are searching for the flavor with the salt on the tomato.

Cooking Thoughts: This is a good tomato for those who do not like strong tomatoes all that much. It is not quite what I would call low-acid, but it is not as in your face as the average red tomato.

Growing Notes:

It took awhile for the plant to produce, but once it did, it has produced very consistently.

Will Hanna grow this one again:

No. It is not a bad tomato but it is not my kind of tomato. Others may like it, but it is not for me.

Part of Hanna’s Tomato Tastings 2010

I know I said that I would likely not be able to do a review of the reisetomate because my plant was dying. And this is true. My plant looks like Godzilla breathed on it and then wiped his feet on it. But, I grew more than one of these plants and distributed them among friends, family, civic employees and perfect strangers – really anyone who would take the tomato seedling that I foisted at them. So, when word got out that I was going to miss out on reviewing this tomato, one of my adoptive plant parents sent me one so I could still do the review. Yeah!

This tomato’s name translates to “travel tomato” and supposedly is called this because people grow it to travel with it. It is a pretty freaky looking tomato. Those are not bumps you see in the picture, they’re lobes. You can tear one of them off and barely nick the rest of the tomato.

Even the company that sells them says it is a pretty crappy tasting tomato, so why did I buy it? Because is just looks that damn neat.

The description from the place I bought them from reads reads:

The most novel tomato we have seen, this tomato is like a big bunch of cherry tomatoes all fused together: an amazing trait that had everyone here asking questions about the alien-looking, bumpy tomatoes. Bright red tomatoes taste–well, rather sour, strong and acid. The perfect tomato for those who love raw lemons, but who cares? They are still far-out and groovy.

The Beauty Pageant:

Size: slightly smaller than a fist.

Shape: It is shaped a lot like a head of garlic without the paper skin. The lobes are shaped almost exactly like garlic cloves.

Color: Bright red.

The inside:Each lobe is set up like its own tomato, with a core seeds and gel. Seeds are a medium size and the cores in the lobes are rather small.

Texture: Very thick skin, which makes sense as it was bred to travel well. Thick skin means less damage when bumped around and that it will keep longer. It is pretty mealy too.

Tasting:

Off the Vine Tasting: Not great but not as bad as I was expecting. Certainly, I have had worse. It is a STRONG tomato, with strong tomato flavor and a little on the sour side, but I would not say lemon sour as the description suggests.

Sliced and Salted Tasting: Salting reduces the sour flavor and makes this a much more plain jane flavored tomato.

Cooking Thoughts: This would make a super awesome “picnic” tomato for an artisanal picnic. You know, the kind with cheese, bread, fruit and the like. Perfect for that. Also fun for kids lunch boxes as it would be cool for them to pull it apart.

Growing Notes:

Mine is dead, dead, but my friend tells me his is growing well and is prolific.

Will Hanna grow this one again:

Probably not. Fun, undoubtedly, but I just don’t have room in my garden for fun tomatoes. But, I would recommend that everybody try growing these at least once, just for the novelty.

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.

Part of Hanna’s Tomato Tastings 2010

I bought the black cherry tomato because it combined by most favorite type of tomato (black tomatoes) with my least favorite (cherry tomatoes). I thought that in combination, I might find that final cherry tomato that I would really enjoy in the garden.

I can say that I am hopeful. These cherry tomatoes do certainly look like true black tomatoes. I just have to hope the flavor holds true to the color.

The description from the company I got it from reads:

It is not a plum, but a perfectly round cherry with classic black tomato flavor, sweet yet rich and complex. Fruit picks clean from the stem and is produced in abundance on vigorous, tall plants. These cherries are irresistibly delicious and a unique addition to the color spectrum of cherry tomatoes now available.

The Beauty Pageant:

Size: Slightly larger than a shooter marble but smaller than a golf ball. It is on the large side for a cherry tomato.

Shape: Very round. Near perfectly round, and I have harvested a good several dozen so far like this.

Color: Dusky pink on the bottom that gradually morphs into a dusky purple on top.

The inside:Medium size walls for a cherry tomato. Small seeds with rather firm gel. The core is almost as round as the outside of the tomato.

Texture: The skin is just thick enough that the cherry still has the ‘eyeball” effect, but it is certainly not as bad as some other cherry tomatoes I have tried. Once the skin pops though, the texture is smooth and silky. The seeds are small enough that they do not feel like seeds in the mouth.

Tasting:

Off the Vine Tasting: I like the flavor and it is almost exactly like they crossed a black tomato and a typical sweet cherry tomato and the fruit is the perfect balance of the two. It is interesting when you taste it, because your tongue is hit with both a deep, rich flavor and a sweet flavor at the same time. The flavor persists through when you swallow.

Sliced and Salted Tasting: Salting intensifies that dichotomy of rich and sweet. It is almost like the two ends of the flavor spectrum are pulled even further apart which make for an even more complex flavor.

Cooking Thoughts: It is a good salad tomato, but to be honest, I have been serving these as a side dish. Some nights we have them just plain and whole, and on other nights, halved, salted with some chopped basil thrown in. This is a great appetizer tomato. Just the right size.

Growing Notes:

Very vigorous vine, in both shape and production. I have had enough from this plant to keep tomatoes on the table every other night, despite the fact that my “big” tomatoes are under producing.

Will Hanna grow this one again:

Most likely yes. I love the flavor of this cherry tomato and my kids love the flavor as well. Which is important, because it make a good side dish that they will eat and would not just be a snitching and snacking tomato in the garden, which is what many other cherry tomatoes I have grown have turned into.

Part of Hanna’s Tomato Tastings 2010

Avast, ye maties. This blog post will be taking us well into the treacherous waters outside of the land of tomatoes. So, our tastie buds had better be ready. Savvy?

Ok, so I need to work on my pirate speak a lot before the next Talk Like A Pirate Day. But the point I am trying to make is that these little cherries’ name was the one and only reason I bought them. There I was sailing down the plant isle and I see a sign that says “Black Pearl Tomatoes.” Since I am a HUGE Pirates of the Caribbean fan (translation, I think Johnny Depp is really hot), I had to have these tomatoes. And since Rowena (from The Proud Garden) made the same comment about the name, I feel that this was a blatant marketing attempt on the part of the breeder. This is a hybrid, but I am not that kind of tomato snob (I am another kind of tomato snob, but if you have read long enough, you know what that is). Needless to say, the breeder’s marketing ploy has worked and I (along with most likely 100s of others) bought this tomato purely based on the name.

The description from the company I got it from reads:

A true treasure, ‘Black Pearl’ is two different flavors in one cherry tomato. Enjoy right off the vine, but be sure to put a big bowlful in the refrigerator for a special treat. When chilled, ‘Black Pearl’ has a unique, extra sweet, ‘Concord’ grape flavor. Indeterminate vines produce 1 ½ inches, purplish black fruits in abundance until fall. A rare pearl!

The Beauty Pageant:

Size: The size of shooter marbles

Shape: Mostly round but with just a bit of a flattened area on the top of the tomato. Uniform in shape and size.

Color: Deep orange-red on the bottom with classic green-brown black tomato shoulders. The shoulders fade down over the side to about midway down.

The inside:Thin walls and a moderate size core for the size. Seeds are very small. Gel is very loose and watery. Two chambers hold the seeds and gel.

Texture: The texture is pretty liquid. The gel is so loose, that it floods your mouth when you bite the tomato. The skin is thin along with the walls, which means that this does not have “pop” like eating an eyeball that you normally get with other cherry tomatoes.

Tasting:

Off the Vine Tasting: The flavor of this is really very interesting. It starts out really, really tart (which is the gel flooding your mouth), but the flesh is really, really sweet, so you get this cool melting from one extreme to the next.

Sliced and Salted Tasting: Salt really cranks up the tartness, but does nothing for the sweet. This means that the really nice flavor balance from before is completely thrown out of whack and that is not all that good.

Special Tasting: Since the seller claims that these tomatoes taste good cold, I am going to give this a try. I find this an interesting claim because normally you are told not to because it destroys some of the flavor chemicals in tomatoes. Maybe, for this tomato, it kills the right ones, which changes the flavor in a positive manner.

Nope, that was a fail. Chilling just made this tomato taste like a run of the mill tomato. It loses its personality completely. It tasted more like grapes before I chilled it.

Cooking Thoughts: I think that these would be disrespected if they were served any way but in a bowl as an appetizer for your guests at a dinner party or at least as a nice afternoon snack. Served as is, without accompaniment, so that their natural flavor can be appreciated.

Growing Notes:

Typical cherry tomato vine. It is all over the place and is producing prolifically.

Will Hanna grow this one again:

I would love to, but and this is a big but, it is a hybrid. Because of this, I can only grow it as long as the seller sells it. The first year the seller decides it does not sell well enough, it is gone from the market never to be seen again. A shame really.

Part of Hanna’s Tomato Tastings 2010

I have talked about Micro Tom Tomatoes before, way, way, way back when this blog was relatively new. I grow them on and off as purely decorative plants, because they are damn cute and weird. I realized this year that I had never done a tasting on them though.

These tomatoes don’t have much of a yield. That’s the consequence of only growing about 5” high. That’s right, look at the picture. That is a quarter nestled in there. That’s as big as they get.

Freak plants tend not to produce good tomatoes. When more time is spent on making a tomato unusual rather than tasty, taste suffers. So, for the record, I am not expecting much.

The description from the company I got it from reads:

Tomato Micro-Tom. The world’s smallest tomato plant. Plant only grows between 6-8 inches in height. Fruit is red and one inch in diameter. Succulent sweet flavor. Excellent for hanging containers, pots, small gardens, or indoor window sill..

The Beauty Pageant:

Size: Roughly the size of marbles – mostly large marbles. The tomatoes actually look almost too large for the plant.

Shape: An off-center round shape. Like they are trying very hard to be round but have tried to get to the front row of a Bieber concert.

Color: Orangish –red.

The inside: Rather thick walls for the size of the tomato and rather large seeds as well. The result is each fruit only has maybe 4-5 seeds in it. Very little gel, and the gel that is there is clinging tight to the few seeds.

Texture: Pretty mealy, and the skin is surprisingly thick.

Tasting:

Off the Vine Tasting: Plain Jane tomato flavor. More tart than sweet, which is surprising for a cherry tomato.

Sliced and Salted Tasting: Salt makes this a much sweeter tomato. Still not quite a cherry tomato sweetness, but much closer.

Cooking Thoughts: I am going to leave this as a “growing for the kids to snitch” tomato. Salad tomato if I could get more than 3 tomatoes off the plant at a time. But since the yield is so low, I would rather just let the kids get them.

Growing Notes:
Teeny, tiny plant. You would not plant this in a traditional veggie garden. It belongs in hanging baskets, window boxes and kids’ gardens. They are a very compact plant, which does cause some fungus issues sometimes.

Will Hanna grow this one again:
Will I grow it again for flavor? No. Will I grow it again because it is a freak of nature? Yes. It will show up in decorative plantings on and off for years to come.

It is that time of year again. When the summer gods and goddesses converge on the garden and conspire to make the magic of garden ripe tomatoes happen. Actually, they are a little lazy this year in that regard. I think it is due to the heat. It is too hot for tomatoes to ripen, but I do have one plant with ripe tomatoes (out  of 18), so this sets off the season for Hanna’s Tomato Tastings 2010.

I know, I know that I dropped the ball on the 2009 season, but my tomatoes plants ended up being destroyed by a groundswell of critters in my garden.  Not only could I not get tastings done, I could not even get tomatoes for myself.  I was sad.

But this year, thanks to an ingenious obstacle course consisting of a series of buckets, pots and garden tools, the animals have stayed away and my tomato plants are heavy with… um… green tomatoes.  I am sure they will be turning soon…

So here is the list for this year:

• Micro Tom
• Rainbow
• Reisetomate
• Henderson’s Pink (crop failure)
• Juliet
• Violet Jasper (crop failure)
• Lemon Boy
• Matina
• Black Pearl
• Purple Smudge
• Black Cherry
• Aunt Ruby’s Green
• Chile Verde

As always, your opinions on the tomatoes are wanted and encouraged.  What may do well here may not do well where you are and vice versa.  These tastings are so that we can place a record of how a tomato really tastes out there in cyberspace.  I also encourage you to blog about your own tomato tastings experiences on your blog.  I will happily link to any tomato tastings that other people do as well.

Here are links to previous years:
Hanna’s Tomato Tastings 2006
Hanna’s Tomato Tastings 2007
Hanna’s Tomato Tastings 2008
Hanna’s Tomato Tastings 2009

Part of Hanna’s Tomato Tastings 2009
As far as yellow tomatoes go, well for me they are hit or miss. I have tried some really great yellow tomatoes, and others, well, not so much. The reason yellow tomatoes are so ambiguous on the flavor scale is the fact that yellow tomatoes are either full flavored or “mild” flavored (read no flavor). Hearing that a tomato is mild flavored is like hearing your blind date has a mild personality. That’s the first sign that your evening will end early and that you should probably check your local TV listings for something more scintillating to spice up the rest of the night, like golf. So it goes with yellow tomatoes. Mild is not a word I like to hear associated with a tomato.

The description from the company I got it from reads:

This potato leaf heirloom originally from an old British seed company produces bright yellow golf ball sized, thin skinned, tangy, and delicious fruits. They are very unique in taste! Indeterminate. 75 days.

The Beauty Pageant:

Size: About the size of a golf ball is right. Bigger than a cherry tomato, but not by too much.

Shape: Very round.

Color: Bright, bright yellow. Like highlighter yellow.

The inside: Medium walls for this size tomato. Rather large seeds with juicy gel. There is a core that is also medium sized.

Texture: Rather on the soft and mealy side.

Tasting:

Off the Vine Tasting: As I feared, this is a “mild” tomato. Low acid in it makes for weak tomato flavor.

Sliced and Salted Tasting: Salt gives this tomato a little more personality (kind of like a shot of tequila does for that blind date) but you can only work with what you have.

Cooking Thoughts: This is a salad tomato if I ever saw one. Too small for anything else, really. It would be good on salads and used for appetizers. But, I would not pair it with any flavors that it would have to compete with. Otherwise it would just get lost.

Growing Notes:
Rather large plant and produces well. It looks like it may have late blight (judging by the bottom leaves) but it seems to keep going like a trooper.

Will Hanna grow this one again:
No. Just not my style of tomato. If you are looking for something “mild” (and there are lots of people who are) this is a good tomato, but I like a tomato with a little more force.

Part of Hanna’s Tomato Tastings 2009

This would be my freaky-deaky tomato of the season. It is a tomato that really, really wants people to think it is part of the very in hot pepper crowd. If you were not looking closely, you might mistake it for one. But even confused tomatoes can’t change who and what they are.

The description from the company I got it from reads:

The oblong red fruits are 3″ wide and 5″ long with orange and yellow stripes/speckles and decorative enough to keep in a basket on your kitchen counter until you are ready to cook with them. But, you will appreciate the hefty, meaty fruit with few seeds the most for the excellent flavor it has in sauce. You can also use these tomatoes fresh and sliced for sandwiches and hors d’oeuvres.

The Beauty Pageant:

Size: Anywhere from as long as my hand to as long as my finger. Somewhere as thick as two fingers and three fingers.

Shape: Long and pointy. Think a butch witch’s finger.

Color: Bright red with orange striation. The inside is a solid red.

The inside: Very few seeds with thin walls, but a thick core. Almost no gel.

Texture: This is a very mealy tomato, but fortunately, it has all the characteristics of a good sauce tomato.

Tasting:

Off the Vine Tasting: The flavor is straight tomato, and neither a strong nor a weak tomato flavor. Not all that memorable.

Sliced and Salted Tasting: Salt makes this tomato tangier. Gives it a little personality, like a shot of tequila gives a suburban housewife a bit more personality.

Cooking Thoughts: I don’t think that the feel of this tomato lends itself to appetizers, as the description suggests and has not enough unique flavor to eat on its own. But, it is a grade A sauce tomato.

Growing Notes:
Fairly healthy, but not robust. To tell the truth, from the time this tomato plant was a seedling, it always looked unhealthy. The leaves on this plant are naturally droopy. Every one of them I gave away elicited questions on their health because of the droopiness. It is hard to say if the adult plant is unhealthy or if it simply is just a perpetually sickly looking plant.

Will Hanna grow this one again:
No. Interesting tomato, but not enough production to make it a good choice for a saucing tomato.