Tomato Time!
Alright, well it's not quite tomato time yet, but it is tomato planting time! This year we have more unusual varieties than ever. Most will be available for sale in the plant form beginning Open Farm weekend, and in the ripened form further on down the Summertime road. Here is a list of what we have going on so far:
For Containers and Smaller Spaces: Not everyone has a big ol' truck patch for letting their tomatoes spread out. Here are some smaller options:
Sun Gold - the gold standard in cherry tomato taste. They might have more of a fan base than the king himself. These plants always sell out the fastest.
Shenghaung Cherry- Sweet yet tart 1" red cherries on 5 foot tall plants. Placed in a large container with a tomato cage, I'm thinking this one is going to be great for the patio.
White/Low Acid: Ask and ye shall receive. We're continually asked about low acid tomatoes. We've heard both good things and bad about white and other light-colored low-acid tomatoes, so this year we're doing our own little experiment. The winner will be chosen from the following contestants:
Halfmoon China- Claims to have a 'melon-like flavor'. Hmm.
White Rabbit- White cherry with supposed excellent flavor. Little white fellas just sounded fun to me.
Big White Pink Stripe- From the seed catalog description: Pale-peach colored 4-inch globe slicer with pinkish blush on blossom end and peach-cream colored flesh inside. Meaty fruits with tropical flavor similar to melon but slight sweet-tart tang. If this were a competition of adjectives, we'd have ourselves a winner!
The Dark Side: Just to keep the balance, here are our deepest, darkest, (and most likely best-tasting) varieties:
Carbon- How could we go wrong with this one? It feels destined to be at home in Carbon County. With good thick sturdy stems already supporting the seedlings, this is going to be a good one.
Purple Cherokee- Kevin's favorite by far. If you're looking for the ultimate sandwich tomato for flavor, this is the one.
Mr. Brown- Earthy and complex is how this beefy mahogany fellow is described. Sounds like a personal ad. I guess I answered it. I'm looking forward to our first lunch date.
Blue Fruit- I'm not going to lie. I got them because they are blue. Blue tomatoes! Imagine!
Green Guys: What looks like an unripe tomato but tastes spectacular? These fellows, of course!
Green Zebra-Another of Kevin's top picks. Beautiful stripes and excellent taste.
Aunt Ruby's German Green-These have impressed us in the past. I'm sure they will again this year.
Mellow Yellow: Some more vibrant low-acid friends. Instead of a yellow rose, give your friends a basket of yellow tomatoes this summer! Now that's a good friend.
Dr. Wyche's Yellow-Dr. Wyche was a zoo owner and avid seed saver. His yellow is rumored to be the tastiest. Guess we'll find out!
Homer Fike's Yellow Oxheart- The story goes that the seeds were given to Karen Teets in WV by Homer Fike's 78 year old daughter, who claimed her father grew them as long as she could remember. They sound huge, beautiful, and delicious. This is the one I'm most looking forward to.
Ruby Gold- This highly praised yellow tomato has red streaks and a marbled interior. Sounds pretty!
Paste Tomatoes: These meaty, solid varieties are all excellent for cooking down into a delightful variety of tomato sauces.
Orange Banana-Last year, we had an incredible orange pasta sauce made from these odd looking tomatoes.
Speckled Roman- The love child of Roman and Banana Legs. Early, prolific, and delicious. Its parents should be proud.
Principe Borghese- Not really a paste tomato, these dense, sparsely seeded cherry tomatoes are rumored to make excellent sauce if you find yourself with an over-abundance. They are the best variety for sun drying or dehydrating. We're hoping to dry enough to sell at the farm store-if we don't eat them all first!
San Marzano- These heavy red pastes are back by popular demand!
Tomatoes That Look Like Tomatoes: Red, round, and ripe. For those that like their tomatoes to look the part.
Ruth's Perfect- Practically perfect in every way. At least that's what we were told. Their germination, however, was not so perfect for us, so we may not have enough plants to sell. Unless your name is Ruth, of course.
Rose-More of a deep pink, these are said to rival brandywine for flavor while keeping a nice neat shape.
New Girl- Feeling overwhelmed by choices? You're not alone. Many folks scan our tomato plants, desperate for a familiar name like 'girl', 'boy', or 'beefsteak'. This hybrid is as early as 'early girl' with better disease resistance.
You can check out all these varieties (plus some others I may have missed) at our farm store. Plants will go on sale to the public beginning at our Open Farm- Saturday May 23rd and Sunday May 24th, 10-6 both days. See you there!
For Containers and Smaller Spaces: Not everyone has a big ol' truck patch for letting their tomatoes spread out. Here are some smaller options:
Sun Gold - the gold standard in cherry tomato taste. They might have more of a fan base than the king himself. These plants always sell out the fastest.
Shenghaung Cherry- Sweet yet tart 1" red cherries on 5 foot tall plants. Placed in a large container with a tomato cage, I'm thinking this one is going to be great for the patio.
White/Low Acid: Ask and ye shall receive. We're continually asked about low acid tomatoes. We've heard both good things and bad about white and other light-colored low-acid tomatoes, so this year we're doing our own little experiment. The winner will be chosen from the following contestants:
Halfmoon China- Claims to have a 'melon-like flavor'. Hmm.
White Rabbit- White cherry with supposed excellent flavor. Little white fellas just sounded fun to me.
Big White Pink Stripe- From the seed catalog description: Pale-peach colored 4-inch globe slicer with pinkish blush on blossom end and peach-cream colored flesh inside. Meaty fruits with tropical flavor similar to melon but slight sweet-tart tang. If this were a competition of adjectives, we'd have ourselves a winner!
The Dark Side: Just to keep the balance, here are our deepest, darkest, (and most likely best-tasting) varieties:
Carbon- How could we go wrong with this one? It feels destined to be at home in Carbon County. With good thick sturdy stems already supporting the seedlings, this is going to be a good one.
Purple Cherokee- Kevin's favorite by far. If you're looking for the ultimate sandwich tomato for flavor, this is the one.
Mr. Brown- Earthy and complex is how this beefy mahogany fellow is described. Sounds like a personal ad. I guess I answered it. I'm looking forward to our first lunch date.
Blue Fruit- I'm not going to lie. I got them because they are blue. Blue tomatoes! Imagine!
Green Guys: What looks like an unripe tomato but tastes spectacular? These fellows, of course!
Green Zebra-Another of Kevin's top picks. Beautiful stripes and excellent taste.
Aunt Ruby's German Green-These have impressed us in the past. I'm sure they will again this year.
Mellow Yellow: Some more vibrant low-acid friends. Instead of a yellow rose, give your friends a basket of yellow tomatoes this summer! Now that's a good friend.
Dr. Wyche's Yellow-Dr. Wyche was a zoo owner and avid seed saver. His yellow is rumored to be the tastiest. Guess we'll find out!
Homer Fike's Yellow Oxheart- The story goes that the seeds were given to Karen Teets in WV by Homer Fike's 78 year old daughter, who claimed her father grew them as long as she could remember. They sound huge, beautiful, and delicious. This is the one I'm most looking forward to.
Ruby Gold- This highly praised yellow tomato has red streaks and a marbled interior. Sounds pretty!
Paste Tomatoes: These meaty, solid varieties are all excellent for cooking down into a delightful variety of tomato sauces.
Orange Banana-Last year, we had an incredible orange pasta sauce made from these odd looking tomatoes.
Speckled Roman- The love child of Roman and Banana Legs. Early, prolific, and delicious. Its parents should be proud.
Principe Borghese- Not really a paste tomato, these dense, sparsely seeded cherry tomatoes are rumored to make excellent sauce if you find yourself with an over-abundance. They are the best variety for sun drying or dehydrating. We're hoping to dry enough to sell at the farm store-if we don't eat them all first!
San Marzano- These heavy red pastes are back by popular demand!
Tomatoes That Look Like Tomatoes: Red, round, and ripe. For those that like their tomatoes to look the part.
Ruth's Perfect- Practically perfect in every way. At least that's what we were told. Their germination, however, was not so perfect for us, so we may not have enough plants to sell. Unless your name is Ruth, of course.
Rose-More of a deep pink, these are said to rival brandywine for flavor while keeping a nice neat shape.
New Girl- Feeling overwhelmed by choices? You're not alone. Many folks scan our tomato plants, desperate for a familiar name like 'girl', 'boy', or 'beefsteak'. This hybrid is as early as 'early girl' with better disease resistance.
You can check out all these varieties (plus some others I may have missed) at our farm store. Plants will go on sale to the public beginning at our Open Farm- Saturday May 23rd and Sunday May 24th, 10-6 both days. See you there!
posted by Sara at
10:08 PM
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