Tomato reviews likes & dislikes 2015 - 2020

[Thelma Sanders]

Very disappointed with these.
Two plants grown each with poor quality fruit. I've grown this before and don't remember it being this bad. This is the better plant The toms on the other plant have split open and are a drab purplish colour. Horrible.

The top two don't even look the right shape for Purple Ukraine I wonder if the parent plant got cross pollinated?

[Thelma Sanders]

You are in for a treat!

This just shows how tastes differ
I'm not impressed with these at all, and won't be growing them again.

I suppose that's why there are so many varieties available - what suits one person's taste/soil/conditions won't suit another's.

[Scarlet]

Agree, everyone has different tastes so it's good to grow a few varieties, though Black icicle is on my grow list every year...I love it! Everyone say ps how tasty Sungold is and I'm really not that keen and my neighbour hates black toms.

[MarkPelican]

A few years ago, I set off to define a grow list of 10 (or so) tomatoes I would grow every year. Only one (Summer Cider) has been a constant every year for the last 12 years. Others have come and gone as they have varied either in quantity and/or taste in different years.

So my conclusion (like yours) is to grow many different sorts each year and be pleased when they're nice and resigned to variability when they're not.

I try to grow enough so that I don't have to buy any tinned tomatoes, tomato puree or tomato sauce but have never succeeded (yet).

[jayjaybee]

Sungold out shines all the rest.
My Garden Pearl in baskets have produced loads but I find they don't taste of much.
Anyone else noticed that ?
Jimmy

I too found garden pearl tasteless but good in the oven roasted. I will grow again merely for that, their earliness and convenience in a pot on the patio

[MarkPelican]

Just picked Earliana, Legend and Mountain Princess, all quite large (150g +) but not very tasty.

[Jungle Jane]

Does having less sun this year affect the plant sugars to make them taste less sweet? I might find out if any of mine want to ripen (there is one red zebra next to the house that's almost there).

[Penellype]

Megabyte - marketed as a compact patio tall bush beefsteak variety and astonishingly manages to live up to that description. Tasted the first fruit today and it was very pleasant although rather small for a beefsteak, but a good size nevertheless. Unlike most bush tomatoes which sprawl all over the place this one has short sideshoots and most of the fruit in the middle rather than on the ends of the shoots. Its almost like a dwarf (current height 3ft) self pruning cordon. I'm impressed so far and there are plenty of fruit to come.

[grahamR]

Brix, taste, etc

This may have been covered before. If so, I apologise for resurrecting it.
I'm curious as to whether anyone has established/published Brix ratings for larger and less 'trendy' tomatoes. The 'top ten' sweetest cherry toms seem to be listed on many sites but few other varieties, whatever size. Of course, taste depends as much on growing conditions and the attention given as to variety characteristics and larger toms aren't as sweet as the small ones (though I've been pleasantly surprised by the Tamina in my small greenhouse this year), but it would be interesting to see comparisons.

[MarkPelican]

This may have been covered before. If so, I apologise for resurrecting it.
I'm curious as to whether anyone has established/published Brix ratings for larger and less 'trendy' tomatoes. The 'top ten' sweetest cherry toms seem to be listed on many sites but few other varieties, whatever size. Of course, taste depends as much on growing conditions and the attention given as to variety characteristics and larger toms aren't as sweet as the small ones (though I've been pleasantly surprised by the Tamina in my small greenhouse this year), but it would be interesting to see comparisons.

I think the issue with the Brix scale is that whilst it might tell you the amount of sugar, the flavour of tomatoes has many more components than just sugar. I'm also of the opinion that large tomatoes (such as the Brandywines) have more complex flavours than the cherry varieties. Finally taste is a personal thing so, I grow the ones that I like.

[jackarmy]

Well a new one for me this year and one im saving for the swap is "pink bulgarian"

Oh man, a gorgeous paste tomato that tastes as lush raw as cooked, love it sooo much.

[veggiechicken]

Ararat Flamed



Was given seeds for Ararat Flamed many years ago, saved some seeds and grew some of them this year.

Its a short vine, though I treated it as a bush as I couldn't remember how it grew the green flames on the shoulders disappear as the tomato ripens.
Larger than a cherry but not quite medium sized.
Very juicy, sweetish, not strongly flavoured.

I'll grow again but not next year - there are others to try again first

[PCGreenthumb]

I grew Cour de Bleu, marmande, gardeners delight, roma and moneymaker. Had a lovely crop until the blight struck!! Now most of them are in the bin. Blight resistant varieties next year!

[Jungle Jane]

Taiko
Tried these Taiko tomatoes for the first time this year,I was saving some seeds & took this photo to show what they're like,they taste good like tomatoes & quite early to harvest. There's a nice amount of flesh in the fruit for cooking with & they're quite smallish,about 2" long. The plants are about 5ft maximum,not too giant like some plants. I might grow them again next year,the plants are well behaved looking after themselves,growing straight up instead of growing outwards & sprawling everywhere.

[MarkPelican]

We've been away for a few days and I was worried that the plants would suffer as they couldn't be watered. However, this was not the case. My Summer Cider have ripened. Seven fruit (more yet to come) a total of 2.5kg this was the largest, 540g.

They still have the most sublime flavour (to me).