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applestar
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Tomato Tasting -- compare and share

In this thread, what I'd like to do is report on comparison tasting of different tomato varieties. It doesn't have to be terribly systematic, or you can rank them in as detailed way as you like. Including pictures of outer skin and cross cut interior if/when possible would be really helpful.

To start off, we had Pineapple Pig and Casey's Pure Yellow tonight.
The bottom half of Casey's Pure Yellow was deemed the tastiest, and overall CPY won out over Pienapple Pig.

(1) CASEY'S PURE YELLOW
Casey's Pure Yellow - described as blushes pink on blossom end when ripe... Didnt expect this gorgeous streaking
Casey's Pure Yellow - described as blushes pink on blossom end when ripe... Didnt expect this gorgeous streaking
Semi-bicolor on bottom half close to the skin, but mostly solid yellow inside
Semi-bicolor on bottom half close to the skin, but mostly solid yellow inside
(2) PINEAPPLE PIG (14.5 oz)
Pineapple Pig has green striped skin that becomes less obvious when ripe and a hint of pink blush
Pineapple Pig has green striped skin that becomes less obvious when ripe and a hint of pink blush
Flesh is lighter yellow than Casey's Pure Yellow
Flesh is lighter yellow than Casey's Pure Yellow
ETA 7/28: had another Casey's Pure Yellow. Meaty firm textured -- not crunchy or mushy/mealy when ripe -- like a melon. Juicy. Sweet at first bite, then overwhelming tomato flavor spreads through your mouth, then comes the lingering acid bite that keeps you tasting the tomato in your mouth even after you swallowed. GREAT in a sandwich -- not compromised by the bread at all.
Last edited by applestar on Sun Jul 28, 2013 10:33 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Reason: Additional Casey's Pure Yellow taste details

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applestar
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Last night's taste comparison results (sorry no pics)

#1 Spudakee
#2 Big Cheef
#3 Sinister Minister F4
#4 Tasmanian Chocolate

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TheWaterbug
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Here's a plate of Lemon Boys and Cherokee Purples:

Image

Here they were, before I got to them with the knife:

Image

The red ones without the purple shoulders are Brandywine Pink.

My wife would rank them Brandywine, Lemon Boy, Cherokee. She values sweetness over tomato flavor.

I would rank them Cherokee, Brandywine, Lemon Boy, as I'm the opposite (though I do like a sweet tomato).

I suppose it depends a lot on the dish, too.

Mister Stripey is sweet enough to eat by itself, like an apple, as a dessert tomato.

evtubbergh
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You must eat a lot of tomato!

JayPoc
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I don't know how you know when anything is ripe. I have a hard time dialing into peak ripeness and pretty much all I grow are red/pink when ripe....with all the yellows, oranges, greens, etc. I couldn't keep up....

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Am NOW. :lol:

Had a Casey's Pure Yellow and a Big Cheef tonight.

Surprisingly, Caseyls Pure Yellow has more depth and complex flavor than the mahogany colored green-gel Big Cheef. It's good, just not *as* good.

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ReptileAddiction
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Does anyone know if pineapple pig is a different variety than pineapple? It seems kinda silly to name them such close things.

Waterbug, that looks awesome! I love that dish. I might make that with some of mine! Except yours will be a lot prettier than mine because all my tomatoes this year are red.

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Tatiana lists 11 varieties with "pineapple" in the name
:arrow: tatianastomatobase.com/w/index.php?search=pineapple&fulltext=Search&title=Special%3ASearch

Simple comparison:

Grubb's Mystery Green vs. Cherokee Green
-- Cherokee Green is sweeter with more depth in flavor.
(1) Cherokee Green
(2) Grubb's Mystery Green

Cherokee Green vs. Vorlon
-- Cherokee Green is sweeter, Vorlon is "sour" (more acid bite) with smokey flavor
...I'm not sure yet if I would put one over the other yet, but my DD prefer's CG.
-- I have to say, though -- I had a sandwich with 1/2" slices of medium size Cherokee Green, Vorlon, and KBX arranged in a Kaiser Roll. That was absolutely delicious. :()

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:x :? Am I the only one eating tomatoes this summer? :P :wink:
-- I'm hoping to plug the results in some kind of an analysis diagram -- maybe a simple competition ladder, unless someone has a better background at this and knows a better way -- so :!: please :!: feel free to post your findings. 8)

:() :() :()

Had the giant triple fused Wes last night and two regular sized Wes that developed green shoulders this morning. I waited until the green shoulders had turned to dark yellow and there was almost soft give when held since Wes is said to be best eaten when somewhat overripe.

I didn't take cut up photos of Wes, but it is MEATY with narrow seed cavities. I had trouble collecting seeds from the 1 lb. 3 oz. mega Wes. I skinned and cut it up into chunks that filled a dinner plate, but DH and I concluded that this is a tomato better suited for thick slabs in sandwiches.
-- Intensely flavored but mild t the same time
-- MEATY and juicy
-- definitely a keeper :D ... Will try to compre with other varieties with similar attributes

***** correction *****

I'm beginning to suspect that the green shouldered fruits I had this mrning are Amos Coli. If so, they had a more intense flavor and somewhat more open seed cavities than the Wes from last night.



-- note to self -- in the future, don't plant varieties with any kind of similar fruits next to each other. My other mistake was planting Tasmanian Chocolate and Rosella Purple next to each other.
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WES 1 Lb. 3 oz.
WES 1 Lb. 3 oz.

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This morning's comparisons:

Vorlon vs. Big Cheef (vs. Spudakee)

I had a ripe Vorlon waiting for me on the counter this morning. I had trouble with the last one I was going to taste, so I was really looking forward to this.

*** I wrote a long and involved comparison and the new browser I'm trying out lost the entire thing when I tried to post. :evil: ***
Trying to remember what I wrote now....

-- Vorlon surprised me, not sweet, but complex "salty" -- "smokey?" -- flavor with intense richness spread in mouth, tangy finish that lingers. Tried to detect sweetness, but that wasn't what was registering even though it was "OMG what is this flavor it taste amazing" I'm wondering if that was "umami".

-- Big Cheef opens with sweet -- very difficult to compare with Vorlon as they are not same flavor. Not as sweet as some others, but has that saltiness and pleasant tangy note. I think I said something else here but can't remember.

-- Spudakee still leads with intense flavor package that immediately takes over and makes my taste buds sing

(1) Spudakee
(2) I rated Vorlon and Big Cheef tied for second place in this comparison


Victorian Dwarf vs. Manö vs. DonomaterF3#4

-- Victorian Dwarf has full classic tomato flavor -- not what I'd call sweet though sweetness is there along ith intensely tangy note. Very good.
-- Manö starts off strong with the tomato flavor, then some kind of herbal or exotic spice overtone spreads out. I kept trying to figure it out and ate three fruits, but I still can't say what it tastes like. Finishes up with a nice tang
-- Donomater opens with sweetness and deceptive mildness. I was thinking it might be suffering from comparison with the other intensely flavored varieties, but after the pieces were swallowed and gone, this strong acid sensation spread through my mouth. I this this might be a good salad and salsa variety. Also, Donomater in the ground is growing much larger fruits right now -- as big as cue balls/salad size as compared to the other two which are saladette to as small as large cherry sizes.

(1) Manö
(2) Victorian Dwarf
(3) DonomaterF3#4

...hmmm experiencing technical difficulties -- will com back and fill in the rest later... :?
Attachments
Clockwise from 12 o'clock:<br />Stump of the World<br />Vorlon<br />Tasmanian Chocolate (as labeled)<br />*mystery* - presumed Tasmanian Chocolate<br />Big Cheef<br />Soldacki<br />Center is Amos Coli
Clockwise from 12 o'clock:
Stump of the World
Vorlon
Tasmanian Chocolate (as labeled)
*mystery* - presumed Tasmanian Chocolate
Big Cheef
Soldacki
Center is Amos Coli
80c0a3e05b5948eb330614e29ee15691.jpg

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applestar
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BTW, I would say I'm not experiencing any loss in flavor by harvesting the tomatoes at full blush --

By "full blush" I mean the skin color turns from green to pale green then glossy and lightly colored all over (Texture is still firm at this point and if you were to cut them open at this stage, they would be crunchy), then letting them fully ripen in the kitchen.
JayPoc wrote:I don't know how you know when anything is ripe. I have a hard time dialing into peak ripeness and pretty much all I grow are red/pink when ripe....with all the yellows, oranges, greens, etc. I couldn't keep up....
I consider them fully ripe -- and ready to eat/process -- when the skin becomes satiny and the surface "gives" slightly when picked up or poked. Think ripe peach or pear. Some varieties hold at fully ripe stage for several days, others will become blotchy almost immediately.

-- great ones taste great, mediocre ones are the way they are. So grow better tasting varieties if you are dissatisfied :wink:

Also, I have finally realized :oops: that if you touch the fruits when your hands are sloppy with juices from other tomatoes, they seem to start spoiling in the next few days from where you touched. Only touch, pick up, and inspect fruits with clean, dry hands.

Oh, and also, I rinse off the fruits in a bucket of water after harvesting. I have finally confirmed that some of them will split if you put hot from the sun fruit in a bucket and run the faucet of cold water until they are submerged.

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:bouncey: We have an upset :bouncey:

DH had an after dinner tomato tasting, and despite his grumpy complaint that he didn't want to judge but just enjoy, he did render a decision for --

VORLON vs. MYSTERY/TASMANIAN CHOCOLATE* vs. CHEROKEE GREEN vs. SPUDAKEE

it must be noted that he ate them in the above listed order.

-- He started off saying Vorlon was "very good." He agreed with me that it doesn't have any real sweetness to the flavor, "but it still tastes good."
-- Tasmanian Chocolate (presumed) elicited an "Mmm!" when he put the first piece in his mouth, then his expression of delight waned and a puzzled look appeared. 2nd piece, 3rd. "it starts off with really good flavor, then it turns blah." I agree -- it lacks a strong finish and is missing an undefinable "something" at the end.
-- Cherokee Green -- "Is it ripe?" "Is it good?" He really looked at the brightly colored green pieces with suspicion. But on tasting them, he initially rated it between Vorlon and Tasmanian Chocolate. By the time he finished the plate, he was saying "You know this is actually really good ... Surprisingly...." and rated it "better than Vorlon."
-- I saved a Spudakee for last as a reward for trying so many, and he eagerly ate it, but I caught him making a face. When I asked, he said it didn't taste as good after that one (Cherokee Green), and declared Cherokee Green better than Spudakee. (I find Cherokee Green to have a strongly lingering acid finish that stays with you.)

(1) Cherokee Green
(2) Spudakee
(3) Vorlon
(4) Tasmanian Chocolate (presumed)

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Only unripe tomatoes here. Check back in a couple of weeks.

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just a few of the smaller variety's ripening Coyote, Chocolate Cherry lots of tomatoes but few ripe two to three weeks for most mine....but I do love the Chocolate Cherry one of my all time favorites. also the Coyote tomato it is a small currant sized yellow tomato and has surprisingly big tomato flavor.

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I don't know if this would interest anyone but since I did it, I thought I'd pass it along. I grew three popular varieties this year and I have decided on a favorite. I took notes, which you can hopefully read in the photo if it is enlarged. I have decided on Mortgage Lifter as my favorite in this group because of its high yield, early ripening, ease of growing, and deliciousness. My only complaints about it are the relatively small fruits and deep, woody stems. The fruits aren't really small but next to the giant Brandywines, they seemed small. All of them were good and the Brandywine was my favorite flavor, but I took the whole package into consideration.

My overall favorite tomato is the German Johnson and I can't wait until I can get my hands on one to compare to the Mortgage Lifter.

See photos. The samples pictured were not completely ripe. They look much better inside and taste much better when ripe.

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There is a thread started by applestar just for this sort of thing just below...

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I just saw the other thread. Can somebody move this into that one?

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Done! Thanks for posting a great comparison of these popular varieties :D

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MONOMAKH'S HAT

My Monomakh's Hat has been done for a couple of weeks now, but it was very productive.
Here's a picture of the upper truss -- lower truss was equally loaded:
Image

I found the pink heart-shaped fruits to be thin skinned, meaty and well textured (not mealy or mushy), sweet but mild/not full flavored, lacking the acid afterburst that I actually like. Some huge fruits compared to other varieties that matured during the same timeframe early in the season. It did not keep well once fully ripe and needed to be eaten or processed right away.

I just discovered that the milder tomatoes taste great when cut up (peeled or not) and simply baked with a little salt and olive oil at 350°F for 15-20 min, garnished with chopped fresh basil and oregano at serving. I didn't get to eat MH this way, but I exepect it would be good. The result is sort of fresh stewed tomatoes -- lots of tasty clear broth in the bottom, flavor-concentrated warm tomato chunks to eat with a spoon.

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Tonight, we started the tasting with a Grandma Viney's Yellow & Pink and a Nature's Riddle.

For some reason, today's Grandma Viney's was a dud. Not outstanding flavor at all, and Nature's Riddle was similarly unimpressive. DH refused to eat either of them after trying a piece from each. So they were unceremoniously dumped in a freezer bag marked "Yellow tomtoes" for future cooking. :roll:

I then offered an orange KBX (Kellogg's Breakfast Potatoleaf), which I thought was better, but he was not appeased and they also went in the freezer bag.

"No more yellows. Yellows are NO GOOD." was his pronouncement, but he did want to eat some GOOD tomatoes, so after some thought, I gave him a Stump of the World. This was received well -- "MUCH better" he said. :lol: Sweet and full flavored with a tangy finish. He reluctantly gave back the bowl which was full of spilled juice and seeds, since I told him that I was saving the seeds. :wink:

Then I tried giving him a Pineapple Pig -- a nearly white tomato. It was REALLY ripe which brought out the sweetness and almost melon-like fragrance and flavor. It also has that tangy acid afterbite that makes me think "pineapple" is well named. He really liked it and finished the whole plate.

Tonight's rating:

(1) Stump of the World
(2) Pineapple Pig

-- DH would only line up the last three as equally unimpressive --
I guess if I were to rate them in order, I would say
(3) KBX
(4) Grandma Viney's Yellow and Pink
(5) Nature's Riddle

I'll have to try these three again because I know at least GVYP and KBX could taste better. This was the first Nature's Riddle though.
Attachments
Grandma Viney's Yellow and Pink
Grandma Viney's Yellow and Pink
Nature's Riddle
Nature's Riddle
Pineapple Pig
Pineapple Pig

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I've never found a yellow tomato I particularly liked.

I just had a tomato sandwich for lunch with one of my Sophies Choice tomatoes, fresh off the vine and dead ripe. It was wonderful! I ate one slice of it plain for the flavor and then made sandwich with the rest. A bit tart (which is necessary for me, I don't like sweet tomatoes), with very rich tomato-ey flavor and aroma.

Sophie's Choice is definitely grow again. Dwarf tomato plant that produces full sized very flavorful tomatoes.

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I cut up an Eva Purple Ball this weekend to use as a topping on pizza. And while I'm not a raw tomato guy (in the least), I figured I'd try it just to see how it was. And to my surprise, it was really good! Slightly acidic, but certainly sweet - it was kind of what I feel like a tomato should taste when you look at it. And the ratio of meat to goo was very high!

Right now, based on production so far this season (and taste), I'm leaning towards having a few EPBs and Amish Pastes in my garden next year.

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Never found a yellow that you liked, RG?!
applestar wrote:. . . "No more yellows. Yellows are NO GOOD." was his pronouncement. . .
Well!! I think my tastes almost run to a "never found a tomato that I didn't like!" But, I can't go that far. If Applestar's DH didn't like yellows because they tend to be mild I would understand him not liking a white but - that didn't happen! Tastes - difficult to account for them . . .

Okay, I didn't have internet connection for much of the last few days but it wouldn't have made a lot of difference in tomato taste testing. I have very few tomatoes to taste! The first fruits ripening, like Casey's Pure Yellow & a few others, don't always bear much similarities to those that show up on the same plants later in the season. BTW - I found Casey's to be quite mild flavored but - very early! That, in itself, is a real plus in my garden. Here are some yellows & pinks I grew in 2012 and I've got several of them this year:

Image
EG is just a standard-size Early Girl for size comparison.

I really like Woodle Orange but it wasn't "orange" in my garden! Still, I grew this little red tomato for several years but mostly because of qualities other than flavor. Dagma's Perfection fits in with the "non-flavor" factor group. Sure, it was tasty but very mild - great producer tho'! I've got the Perfection but not the Woodle this year.

No Tigerella either . . . I got kind of tired of the tuff skin :? . Really like the earliness.

Gary O Sena has a great flavor! I think of it as a "pink" tomato but it is classified otherwise by Tatiana (a purple). It has green shoulders until fully ripe. Gary O Sena is a little late for here, tho'. I have it again this year and I'm just hoping :) .

I grew Kellogg's Breakfast for the 2nd time in 2012 but the darn things are sooo late that they didn't get into that September 9th picture. I do have a red KB potato-leaf cross that I have real hopes for. Not only is it very early ~ already had one ripen ~ but they are very healthy plants! I may have one that needs a name if I can get it stabilized (several normal-leafed offspring from my 2011 saved seed).

There was also Earl of Edgecombe last year and again in 2013. That is one fine & flavorful tomato! Once again, tho', it runs late. I have it this year and I should have some fruit from it. It is such a nice tomato, I may be willing to harvest both Earl of Edgecombe & Gary O Sena as mostly green fruits, just before frost.

That isn't the way I'd like things to work out but there are a few that ripen early. I mean, I've had a steady supply of golden cherries from Sungold & SunSugar over the last 4 weeks. Just a few at a time but they are really gettin' goin' now! The first of the Dr. Carolyn cherries today. Some of the hybrid slicers are just loaded with green fruit! There might be another 8 weeks to my season so - I can be happy with that!

Steve :D

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Ok...my first go at a taste test. We (me, my 8 year old son, and my 3 year old daughter) compared German Johnson, Cherokee Purple, Big Beef, and Prudens Purple.

The first three were all very tasty, and we all like the GJs the best. I prefer the Cherokee Purple over the Big Beef for second place, but it's close. The Prudens Purple have been very disappointing. They're quite pretty, but just very blah taste wise. Not much better than a typical out of season store bought tomato....

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Thanks for posting your taste reviews. This is great! Now I have a few more to add to my list. 8)
Do keep them coming -- I want to hear what everyone else is eating. :D

I'm really glad to hear Rainbowgardener liked the Sophie's Choice. I should compare that one with Manö and Kootenai, though Sophie's Choice is capable of producing larger fruits so that has to be considered. I wasn't going to plant it this winter because I have so many other varieties to try, but now I'm re-thinking that I want to start some so I will be able to compare their performances.

We had fully ripened Wes and Soldacki tonight.
It was a split decision between two judges -- DH and DD.... DD liked Wes better though she liked Soldacki as well, but DH preferred Soldacki for the sweeter flavor and declined to eat the less fully ripened upper half and shoulder portion of Wes. I think Wes has more of the full tomato flavor including the tangy finish, and agree that Soldacki presents with sweeter burst at first bite. It does not disappoint and carries through with strong finish though not as tangy as Wes.
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Wes
Wes

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applestar
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Impromptu tomato tasting by my 2 yr old nephew -- a young tomato connoisseur :D
He is used to eating Matt's Wild Cherry from his Mom's container garden.

I showed him a wooden berry basket of cherry tomatoes I brought -- varieties that I knew they didn't have.

He immediately picked out the green shouldered "black" (actually mahogany brown colored) plum cherry -- a F4 stage grow out of Sinister Minister, and started to walk away to play, munching -- and made a sudden U-turn to come back and cram the remaining two Sinister Minister in the basket in his mouth. :lol: I was worried about him choking, but my SIL assured me he was well practiced in eating them and she was quite right. :D

When he didn't find any more, he tried an orange Sun Sugar F3 segregate, but he was not interested in taking another one.

So we infer that Sinister Minister F4 tasted superior to Sun Sugar F3. :wink:

...

My SIL tried a Coyote and gave me a surprised smile -- "This tastes GOOD! Sweet!"
I then offered her a Snow White and she made a face. "That one (Coyote) tastes better," she said. I told her that was because she had the Snow White immediately after Coyote, so she tried another Snow White after a taste bud break. She conceded that it WAS good but still not as good, and declared she was going to save all the little ones (Coyote) for her baby and she will eat the big ones (Snow White). A mother's love is a great thing. :D

Coyote tastes superior to Snow White. 8)
(I think Coyote tastes sweeter and more intense, though Snow White when sampled independently of Coyote has wonderful flavors of its own.)

BTW Matt's Wild Cherry is not as sweet as Coyote but has a more tangy, lingering and mouthfilling flavor notes.

I posted more details about cherry tomato varieties I'm growing in another thread.
Attachments
Pear-shaped Sweet Beverley are ripe when orange. Snow White and Coyote turn light yellow. (Some ripe Snow White and Coyote in this photo)
Pear-shaped Sweet Beverley are ripe when orange. Snow White and Coyote turn light yellow. (Some ripe Snow White and Coyote in this photo)
Larger round white cherry tomatoes are Snow White, small ones are Coyote. One orange Sun Sugar F3 at left. Small round red cherry tomatoes are Matt's Wild Cherry.
Larger round white cherry tomatoes are Snow White, small ones are Coyote. One orange Sun Sugar F3 at left. Small round red cherry tomatoes are Matt's Wild Cherry.

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applestar
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DH is complaining about tonight's tasting....
Casey's Pure Yellow -- our biggest 1 Lb 13 oz fully ripe
Casey's Pure Yellow -- our biggest 1 Lb 13 oz fully ripe
6e8f7edfee374722d1352ebd4763b1e1.jpg
Jack'ss Yellow
Jack'ss Yellow
Native Sun
Native Sun
DD:
(1) Jack'ss Yellow
(2) Casey's Pure Yellow
(3) Native Sun

DH:
(1) Native Sun
(2) Jack'ss Yellow
(3) Casey's Pure Yellow

I think Native Sun starts off with a pleasant taste experience, but is mild flavored in the finish and lacks the depth and lingering flavor notes of Jack'ss Yellow.

In any case, DH says "NO MORE YELLOWS" ...So I said to him that he liked one of them, and he complained that it hasn't ever come back. Lucky for him, there's another one ready to eat. I guess he can have that one tomorrow. 8) -- He's right about the Pineapple Pig. I had one sliced on toasted garlic bread for lunch, and Pineapple Pig's intense flavors stood up to the strong flavors of the garlic bread and complemented it. Very YUM. :()

I think he might have liked Casey's Pure Yellow more if he had more of the pink bicolor blossom end. Due to the fused nature of the giant fruit, there was a considerable amount of white core in the upper portion that occurred at odd locations in weird configurations -- making it difficult to carve off them all successfully. DD who is becoming a tomato connoisseur in her own way had the chance to sample them first, and probably picked out most of the bottom half. :lol:

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Sungold yellow tended to crack when ripe. Had a bite when green, but very sweet ripe
Sunsugar very sweet cherry
Mojo sweet cherry
Brandywine- they don't get as large here but has a real old fashioned tomato flavor
Yellow pear- sour
Sugary- sweet cherry
Tumbling Tom- very productive for a hanging basket tomato. 24 inches long. Large cherry tomatoes, flesh is firm but not as sweet as other cherries
New Big Dwarf- Determinate. Lobed tomatoes in clusters. Firm, meaty and not acidic. The birds and slugs loved them I only got a few. They attacked the fruit even when it was green.

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applestar
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So, I cut open my mystery tomato that grew on a plant labeled Dwarf Emerald Giant (NDEG).
NOT Dwarf Emerald Giant
NOT Dwarf Emerald Giant
Seeing that it had yellow flesh with red bicolor like Grandma Viney's Yellow and Pink (GVYP), I cut one open to see how they compared. As you can see, this one has much more of the red bi-color throughout the flesh in the bottom half compared to mostly yellow fleshed GVYP with streaks of red:
Typical Grandma Viney's Yellow and Pink from my other plant
Typical Grandma Viney's Yellow and Pink from my other plant
...then (of course) I tried tasting them to see if they tasted the same. 8)

At first I thought they tasted similar, but it became apparent that NDEG was sweeter and had richer flavor than GVYP. I wondered if the flavor was coming from the red flesh, so I tried the reddest portion of GVYP, but it just didnt have the depth or tangy acidity of the other tomato. They both started out with relatively mild and fresh flavor with NDEG presenting a sweeter first taste, but as I ate more pieces, the acidity of the NDEG started to fill my mouth and overwhelm the mild GVYP. Both very juicy though NDEG was juicier overall and I liked the more assertive flavors better.

Rest of the family was at the movies so I had to freeze the rest, but the juice, gel and seeds left on the plate told an additional story:
Some of the NDEG gel was green
Some of the NDEG gel was green
Compare with GVYP's yellow gel
Compare with GVYP's yellow gel
One possibility is that this is a "pinker" segregate of Grandma Viney's Yellow and Pink that is sometimes mentioned. (As I mentioned in the other thread, I believe the reference to "pink" in the name comes from the clear epidermis/skin even though the flesh is red. In tomato color parlance, a "red" tomato has yellow tinted epidermis). I'm definitely saving the seeds separately. :D

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gixxerific
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Definitely not Emerald Giant. I hope those seeds aren't from me.

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applestar
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gixxerific wrote:Definitely not Emerald Giant. I hope those seeds aren't from me.
You know I was moving those unlabeled micro blocks of seedlings around based on maps. It's entirely possible that I got them mixed up. Besides, it would be neat if this was a cross, though I suppose that's not too likely. If you want to know for sure, I'll check and see if I had Dwarf Emerald Giant seeds from another source, too, but really, don't feel bad even if somehow, the seed for this plant did come from your generous gift box of seeds. :wink:

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gixxerific
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No biggie I just pulled mine today. The made a good run.

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applestar
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Today's tasting was three pink beefsteak tomatoes: Soldacki, Stump of the World and Turhune.

Soldacki was served first -- this one was the last to be harvested with the majority of the leaves gone due to disease. Maybe that was why the first taste lacked the sweetness I remembered and expected. It started off very mild and I thought it might be a dud, then a tangy 2nd flavor lingered and lingered until it filled my mouth. But points taken off for the initial flavor. DH said it tasted really good after thorough salting.

Terhune was served next -- and I thought it was hands down fantastic. Very assertive flavor as soon as it touched the taste buds with complex flavor and enough tangy notes rolling around your mouth. DH's first reaction was that it was "sour" and Soldacki was better BECAUSE it was milder, but after salting it (he really likes to salt his tomatoes -- much more than I like :P) he recanted and said Terhune was better.

Stump of the World was served last. It has a nice sweetness at first bite followed by complex tangy flavor. If it was served alone, I would consider it a great flavored tomato. But that's the point of comparing like this -- Tonight's Stump of the World definitely tasted better than tonight's Soldacki, but fell short of Terhune in sheer intensity and range of flavors.

(1) Terhune
(2) Stump of the World
(3) Soldacki (but was not as sweet as it should have been)

Juliuskitty
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This is a great thread. Thanks for taking the time and trouble to post these wonderful descriptions. I really like the photos too. :D

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applestar
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I thought about starting a new thread for this, but decided to just keep going with this year's comparisons. Feel free to post your own variety comparisons as you harvest and taste your tomatoes. :D

Do make note of the kind of tomato flavors you like since everyone's preferences are different. But as you post multiple comparisons, I think what you like will become apparent.

Note too that growing conditions changes the flavor, so a variety may taste better or worse from year to year or even through the season.

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applestar
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We had our first official family tomato tasting today -- Indian Zebra vs. Ananas Noire :D
Indian Zebra also known as Indian Stripes Burson's Strain<br />Some people consider this the REAL Cherokee Purple.<br />You can see the clear epi and the greenish interior flesh<br />that make it a purple.
Indian Zebra also known as Indian Stripes Burson's Strain
Some people consider this the REAL Cherokee Purple.
You can see the clear epi and the greenish interior flesh
that make it a purple.
Ananas Noire -- a tricolor variety with green/maroon/brown <br />skin bleeding into the subdermis, green and yellow flesh with <br />pink interior core.
Ananas Noire -- a tricolor variety with green/maroon/brown
skin bleeding into the subdermis, green and yellow flesh with
pink interior core.
image.jpg (45.2 KiB) Viewed 13137 times
Just from the looks alone, the Ananas Noire is off-putting, and DH initially refused to even try it. And even after trying, he insisted that the "red" one is better. (He'll learn -- by the end of the season last year, he was calling out tomato colors like an expert :P )

But both my daughter and I agreed that the Ananas Noire was superior in this tasting.

Indian Zebra didn't have the same full complex flavor. It was sweet but lacked something.
...but there are two more in the crate and more fruits developing outside, so we will try again soon. :wink:

NancyJo
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this thread is very informative and I also love the pictures.

This year I planted my favorite Brandy wine, and 2 new to me variates Sicilian and Napoleon 10 fingers. I splurged this year and bought these seeds . So I will give a nice review on them when they are ripe , I'm hoping I will be sampling their fruits in 4 weeks .

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Gary350
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I have 3 kinds of tomatoes in my garden, Beef Steak, Celebrity and Roma.

Beef steak, big beef, beef master, jet star are my favorite tomatoes all seem to have identical flavor. They are a little bit sweeter, slightly less than average acid, about medium when it comes to juice with a very GOOD tomato flavor. Good tomato flavor is what I want. They are excellent is soup, salad, chili, stew, meat loaf, eat them raw, on salads, pizza, shish kabobs, Italian, pico de gallo, sandwiches, and more. Cooking seems to bring out more tomato flavor. They are excellent slicing tomatoes you can slice them thin and they will not fall apart.

Celebrity are higher acid, more juice than other tomote and very poor tomato flavor. Celebrity is a good tomato to mix with Roma for certain foods, celebrity adds more juice and more acid to the good Roma flavor.

Roma are low in juice, they seem to be low acid and they don't seem to have much flavor until you cook them in food. Cooking Roma brings out that good strong tomato flavor. I think Roma is the wrong tomato flavor for certain foods chili and some soups. Roma are good in, Italian, stew, pizza and extra good on shish kabobs.

Years ago I use to plant tiny red salad tomatoes but not anymore. They have a great flavor but time consuming to harvest and take up too much space for the small harvest they produce.

I have tried yellow tomatoes too but have not grown any in years. They have an interesting flavor but don't seem to be the correct flavor for any foods I cook or eat.

I grew German Johnson a few times they have a good flavor about the same as Beef Steak but plant production is very low about 65% less that other tomato plants.

I grew Cherokee Purple a few times but don't care for them. Flavor is not what I want in a tomato.

I have grown Brandy wine tomatoes a few times, they are good tomatoes too very similar to Beef Steak but not as sweet and not as much good tomato flavor.
Last edited by Gary350 on Sun Jul 27, 2014 12:49 pm, edited 5 times in total.

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digitS'
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I say that I like all tomato flavors but I really don't know. Because of a "challenging" tomato environment, there are quite a few heirlooms that I just won't be growing.

DW likes mild and that has pushed me into the world of tomatoes more than anything else. She likes the golden cherries and so do I (and a million other people :)). Some folks say, "Oh, those cloying, candy-like things!" There's that subjective taste ...

Other than a handful of Sungolds, the only other tomato that has ripened in my garden is Kimberley. Well-behaved small plants, cute fruit - I'd describe the flavor as "pleasant." I can't really ask much more out of such an early tomato.

Kimberley is even showing up red & ripe before Bloody Butcher this year. I appreciate that one not only for its early ripening but for having quite a bit of tomato flavor for such an early, little guy.

The big red, tomato-flavored guys will be along soon along with those plants with the mild, yellow fruit to keep DW (& me) happy.

Steve
#3 and #4 Kimberley this season
IMG_20140724_052609.jpg
IMG_20140724_052609.jpg (28.27 KiB) Viewed 13009 times
[/I]

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JC's Garden
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Location: Moultrie, GA Planting Zone 8, Sunset Zone 31

This is the first time I've grown heirlooms. I have 6 varieties, Super Souix, Purple Cherokee, Brandywine Pink, Amana Orange, San Marzano and Mrs Tucker's Grape. All I know about Mrs Tucker's is that I got them from my 66 year old buddy. His mother has been growing them all his life and saving seeds.
This tasting was with Amana Orange, Super Souix and Mrs Tucker's Grape.
image.jpg
image.jpg
image.jpg
The first tasted was the Amana. It was sweet with a mild tomato flavor and medium acid content. My first thought was "this taste like a grocery store tomato". I'll have to get better tomatoes off these plants before I consider growing them again.
The second was the Super Souix. Mildly sweet, med/high acid contentwith a strong tomato taste, tangy/nasal taste like it was almost over ripe, sort of a plumb taste. I've had better Souixs this year. I am saving seed off the better ones.
Last was Mrs Tucker's Grape. High acid content with a deep tomato flavor. It's flavor stuck with me much longer than the other two. Yep, I'm fermenting these seed as well.
Salted all.
The Amanda benefitted greatly, the Souix saw improvement and Mrs Tucker's didn't need the salt.
Next was the sandwich test. First without pepper, then with. In true Southern style, it was done with light bread and mayonnaise. Mrs Tucker's not included, of course.
The Amana Orange was a big disappointment, it was just too sweet and lacking in acidity. The Super Souix's flavor worked well with the mayonnaise but was missing some of the sweetness it needed to be a perfect Mater Samich.
I used both Super Souix and Amana Orange on the last sandwich and it was quite good. I got the flavor, tang, and sweetness I was looking for.
image.jpg
The overall winner was Mrs Tucker's. I had a few more as desert. :)



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