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Post by mybighair on Sept 7, 2009 10:20:21 GMT -8
Can anyone suggest some varieties that are fairly firm when ripe but still high in favour?
The ideal for me would be firm, fairly thin skinned, and high on flavour. Some degree of blight resistance would be a bonus.
And if anyone knows of a tasty pink variety that's more sweet than acid my 4 year old son would be forever grateful
Any suggestions?
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Post by Tom Wagner on Sept 8, 2009 11:00:15 GMT -8
I have so much to say about that issue---firm but tasty---however, I have no time. Gotta extract the seed from such tomatoes before I leave for Europe tomorrow. Maybe along the way I will chime in.
Thanks
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atash
Junior Member
Learning from my mistakes since 1964
Posts: 96
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Post by atash on Sept 9, 2009 21:09:34 GMT -8
I can't quite help: thin-skinned tomatoes perform poorly in my climate because they are prone to bursting after it rains. One good summer drench can wipe out a lot of tomatoes in my yard.
I prefer firmer tomatoes myself because for one thing, I don't like tomatoes that go from unripe to rotten too fast as soft tomatoes are prone to doing. I like tomatoes that keep on the vine at least a few days so I have plenty of time to notice them, pick them, and process them. I also like them to hold their shape when I dice them.
When you write "high in flavour", what are your expectations? Some "German Bicolor" types (so called because they were grown by farmers of German descent in the USA, but they are not from Germany where it would probably be impossible to ripen them) are just amazingly sweet and fruity. You would probably have difficulty ripening them, though. At the other end of the spectrum, even ultra-early tomatoes bred for climates like Norway (IPB) or the Yukon (Sub-Arctic Plenty) are still going to be tastier than commercial varieties from the greengrocer, for the simple reason that they are picked ripe not green.
I assume that you are growing them outdoors if you are interested in blight resistance, right? To make recommendations I would need to know what is a possibility to ripen in Wales. I am not sure but I would guess it is a little harder to ripen tomatoes in the UK than it is here--so you would probably need an early-ripening type, but not necessarily an ultra-early. Really sweet varieties ripen late, and I can only grow them some years. Because of the lack of sunspot activity in recent years, I have not tried any tomatoes lately that are not early ripeners.
Blight resistance is RARE. The tomato 'Legend' is reputed to have some. It makes neat, early globes, fairly meaty but only mildly flavored.
Ferline is an F1 hybrid reputed to be fairly blight resistant.
There are a few tomato lines in eastern Europe reputed to be blight-resistant (one from Bulgaria was the only survivor in one trial), feral tomatoes from Mexico (where late blight is believed to possibly be native) sometimes show late-blight resistance, and so do some strains of Lycopersicon pimpinellifolium (the wild tomato).
The Cornell University claims to have some partially blight-resistant tomatoes which they are breeding for the commercial market. But I am not impressed with Cornell's other claims of highly disease-resistant crops, that failed for me.
It probably does not help that there are several strains of late blight going around different parts of the world, and the blight-resistance genes do not necessarily resist all strains of blight.
Tom is working on blight-resistance and might comment on that.
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Post by mybighair on Sept 10, 2009 1:02:01 GMT -8
Hi atash
For the most part I'll be growing under cover so blight resistance isn't essential but I would like the option to grow outdoors if greenhouse space is limited.
By "high in flavour" I meant varieties with strong flavours, as I don't have the most sensitive pallet.
Not a big fan of sugar sweet but some sweetness is OK, and I am partial to the flavours of the black types, just haven't found one that I like the texture of.
Don't necessary want "tissue paper" thin skin, but something thinner than the commercial varieties. I just don't want the skin to be the last piece of the fruit left in my mouth every time I finish a bite.
Earlies is useful but they don't need to be ultra early.
Basicly I'd like to grow a range of tomatoes with a variety of flavours, colours, and shapes. So I'm open to anything that is firm and strong flavoured.
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atash
Junior Member
Learning from my mistakes since 1964
Posts: 96
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Post by atash on Sept 20, 2009 13:52:39 GMT -8
Coldset is early-ripening, firm, and has a fairly classic "tomato" flavor, fairly acidic rounded with mild sweetness. It was bred in Canada around the 1950s I think. Rutgers was bred in New Jersey in the 1930s. It produces firm globes with small seed cavities, that usually come out unblemished but not perfectly so. The fruit is on the tart side. It is not particularly disease-resistant. A smallish, early-ripening "black" tomato is Black Prince. Unfortunately, it is not particularly firm. store.tomatofest.com/Black_Prince_Tomato_Seeds_p/tf-0065.htmBest flavored tomato I have ever had in my life was Aunt Ruby's German Green. They ripen green, in case it's not obvious. In other climates seemingly somewhere between amber and green, but up here they are just neon green on the inside when dead-ripe, green with an amber cast on the outside. Oddly the best flavor is right under their dark green shoulders. Their flavor is unusual and intriguing. I've gotten them to ripen here, but neither early nor heavily-producing. |
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atash
Junior Member
Learning from my mistakes since 1964
Posts: 96
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Post by atash on Oct 1, 2009 14:29:43 GMT -8
Yo, Mybighair, still there?
Tom has some definitely firm tomatoes with a characteristic tart flavor rounded with a bit of sweetness, that is characteristic of several of his lines. But I don't think they are released yet. You might want to ask him about them.
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Post by Tom Wagner on Oct 7, 2009 0:30:34 GMT -8
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Post by mybighair on Oct 18, 2009 12:16:53 GMT -8
Sorry I took so long to get back here, life kind of got in the way.
atash, thanks for the suggestions, I'll be chasing them down for trial next season.
Tom, I'll be interested to see what you release in the firm but tasty department; anything going to be ready soon?
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Post by Tom Wagner on Oct 18, 2009 13:40:27 GMT -8
I should have a few things to release by spring, but waiting to see how the Europe trip ends. I will be discussing this in depth at the Oxford jam session in a few days.
Tom
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Post by extremegardener on Nov 30, 2009 6:49:50 GMT -8
Can anyone suggest some varieties that are fairly firm when ripe but still high in favour? The ideal for me would be firm, fairly thin skinned, and high on flavour. Some degree of blight resistance would be a bonus. Any suggestions? I have a tomato that matches your criteria. It was true lined from the Burpee Pixie hybrid (c 1970s), and has been grown in a cold wet climate for about 30 years... www.theextremegardener.com/blog/?p=147 PM me if you're interested. |
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