| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| texdane |
Posted - Aug 07 2015 : 06:06:58 AM
Hi Farmgirls,
There's so many tomato varieties out there. What is your favorite? What is your favorite to grow and why? What is your favorite thing to do with them?
I have to say I love tomatoes. All of them. Right now, I think my favorite are the little orange heirlooms...so many of them. My favorite thing is to wash and eat, popping them in my mouth for a sweet, guilt-free treat. I also like to take any tomato and cut it up in a garbanzo bean salad with feta and white wine vinegar. It's one of my all-time favorite recipes. Oh, and at least once a season I indulge us in Fried Green tomatoes.
Anyone have any issues with their tomato plants this year? In my area there was a lot of verticillium wilt because of the weather conditions.
Let's talk tomatoes!
Farmgirl Hugs,
Nicole
Farmgirl Sister #1155
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| Peg Graham |
Posted - Mar 08 2017 : 9:45:08 PM
I love Purple Cherokees (Heirloom).
I started seeds for 5 varieties this year so far.
Romas, Cherry Romas, Purple Cherokee, Brandywine, Sheboygan.
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| Prairie Princess |
Posted - Sep 10 2016 : 8:31:50 PM
I haven't had time or space to grow tomatoes for a couple years now...and you ladies are making me positively drool! Not nice haha. San Marzano was a great producer for me last time I planted, though. Definitely working that one in next summer. I want to smell tomato vines now. Sylvia, I've been wanting to try the Mortgage Lifter...now I will have to order some seeds after hearing you've had good success with it! I could live off nothing but homegrown tomatoes...
"Women are like teabags...you never know how strong they are until they get into hot water." Eleanor Roosevelt
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| Kiltie Girl |
Posted - Aug 22 2016 : 7:10:22 PM
This year we are growing all heirloom varieties of tomato. Ny favorites are the Juliet. They are like a roma, but a bit smaller. Lots of meat to them. I also like the orange/yellow (?) plum tomatoes we are doing this year. Very sweet. We have an heirloom cherry, but I'm not sure the variety. And the Heirloom Beefsteak - it's really large this year.
Thankfully, we have had good luck this year. Despite a really dry summer, the tomatoes are doing well. We staked them this year instead of caging them and I really like how it's working. The Beefsteak especially are doing well staked....they are like little tomato trees! The smaller varieties are a bit harder to stake as I didn't keep up with pruning them - oops! The Juliet's are like a jungle and it's like finding buried treasure looking for them!
Farmgirl Sister #7120
"Leave room in your garden for the fairies to dance." |
| ceejay48 |
Posted - Aug 20 2016 : 3:57:58 PM
P.S. We also make fresh salsa with our tomatoes, which is to die for . . :D!
CJ
..from the barefoot farmgirl in SW Colorado...sister chick #665.
2010 Farmgirl Sister of the Year
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| ceejay48 |
Posted - Aug 20 2016 : 3:56:58 PM
Sweet Cherry tomatoes, Sun Gold or Sun Sugar cherry tomatoes (they are yellow and SOOOOOOO YUMMY), Early Girl and 4th of July. We eat them fresh as long as we have them and if we have an abundance we dehydrate for winter use. I used to can tomatoes, but once we started dehydrating them I decided I'd not can them any longer. Dried ones take up less space and are more versatile.
CJ
..from the barefoot farmgirl in SW Colorado...sister chick #665.
2010 Farmgirl Sister of the Year
Mother Hen: FARMGIRLS SOUTHWEST HENHOUSE
my aprons - http://www.facebook.com/FarmFreshAprons
living life - www.snippetscja.blogspot.com
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from my hubby - www.aspenforge.blogspot.com |
| texdane |
Posted - Aug 20 2016 : 06:16:36 AM
Awesome, Nini!!! My tomatoes have been producing consistently all summer, slow though. Now this week we are getting tons! My black krim are sooooo juicy this year! Oh so good!!!!
My little yellow babies are producing too, as are the cherry varieties...I eat so many before I get the basket in the house, ha ha!!!
Farmgirl Hugs,
Nicole
Farmgirl Sister #1155
KNITTER, JAM-MAKER AND MOM EXTRAORDINAIRE
Chapter Leader, Connecticut Simpler Life Sisters
Farmgirl of the Month, January 2013
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| Ninibini |
Posted - Aug 14 2016 : 10:53:44 AM
Well... I have to say... I took your reviews, Shannon and Nicole, and planted Black Krim this year... OH MY WORD! I don't see any reason to grow any other! These are the best dang tomatoes in the world!!! These are the most beautiful, large tomatoes that are meaty, juicy, sweet, salty, uber flavorful, and they practically melt in your mouth! PERFECTION! We went out and picked a dozen today, and half of them are already gone! LOL! I am not even sure I'm going to share with my neighbors! LOL! Just kidding - we always share! ;)
I also planted a few others: Amish paste (this year they are FANTASTIC!), Purple Cherokee (flowers, no fruit), Brandywine (flowers, no fruit), Mexican Midget Cherry tomatoes (WOW!) and a few others (again, flowers no fruit). I had purchased all our plants from SeedSavers. They had come in pretty sad looking, but within a few days of transplanting everything started growing beautifully. We also had a lot of cherry-type volunteers that have produced an incredible amount of fruit, for which I am extremely greatful. I think the problem we're having this year is the heat... Until it set in, the plants were flourishing; but once the heat came, the nights stayed hot, and I think that really hurt the tomatoes. The plants are still growing and flowering, so I am hoping we'll have more fruit once the heat subsides. Totally worth the wait, I'm sure! I also read that we should probably tug a little bit on the bottom of the plants to disturb the roots and encourage growth. Once it cools off, I might give that a whirl.
ANYHOW - I can't thank you both enough for the recommendation. From now on, I think I'm going to grow only the Black Krim, the Amish Paste and the Mexican Cherry tomatoes. The flavor is superb, they are all extremely versatile, and if they can all survive this miserably weird summer, then they can survive anything! :)
Hugs -
Nini
Farmgirl Sister #1974
God gave us two hands... one to help ourselves, and one to help others!
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| ddmashayekhi |
Posted - Sep 28 2015 : 05:02:39 AM
Your tomatoes look beautiful Diana. I love the green and purple/black varieties the most, though a shiny red one is delicious too! Enjoy your bountiful crops & all the magical things you make with them!
Dawn in IL |
| Cissik |
Posted - Aug 27 2015 : 6:52:42 PM
We planted the Mortgage Lifter tomato again. It's been prolific and the tomatoes taste is sweet. The new tomato we tried this year is the Amish Paste. I love how it grows and the amount of tomatoes we've gotten. The last two years have been exceptional for the Pacific NW. It's been very hot--90º. Totally unusual, so tomatoes are going nuts. Normally, I can't grow large tomatoes. We've had days when my kitchen counter is full of tomatoes and not enough for sauce or anything else to can. I read a lady's description of putting tomatoes in the freezer knowing they're only good for future soups and sauces come winter. She chops them and dumps them in bags that will be vacuumed and sealed. That's what I've been doing. She says it preserves their fresh taste, but the texture changes. Sounds great to me!
Sylvia
Kent, WA
Farm Girl #5389
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| gramadinah |
Posted - Aug 24 2015 : 5:38:50 PM
Sauce Paste soup whole juice.
Diana
Farmgirl Sister #273 |
| texdane |
Posted - Aug 24 2015 : 4:35:43 PM
Oh Diana, what a beautiful sight! Making sauce?
Farmgirl Hugs,
Nicole
Farmgirl Sister #1155
KNITTER, JAM-MAKER AND MOM EXTRAORDINAIRE
Chapter Leader, Connecticut Simpler Life Sisters
Farmgirl of the Month, January 2013
Suburban Farmgirl Blogger
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| gramadinah |
Posted - Aug 23 2015 : 5:35:03 PM
Roma's with out a doubt.
Diana
Farmgirl Sister #273 |
| texdane |
Posted - Aug 23 2015 : 1:52:42 PM
Has anyone tried the organic Cherokee Green? I was given a plant from a Master Gardener to try. It has produced amazing sized tomatoes! At first I did not realize they were ready because they stay, well, green. Oh the glorious taste! We are eating them tonight on hamburgers. They are delicious to just slice and eat. That's my new favorite, I think.
Anyone else grow them this year?
Farmgirl Hugs,
Nicole
Farmgirl Sister #1155
KNITTER, JAM-MAKER AND MOM EXTRAORDINAIRE
Chapter Leader, Connecticut Simpler Life Sisters
Farmgirl of the Month, January 2013
Suburban Farmgirl Blogger
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| texdane |
Posted - Aug 10 2015 : 3:09:54 PM
I love, love, love Black Krim tomatoes, too, Shannon. Though I have to say I am not partial... all fresh tomatoes are a treat. Did you know that even organic ones in the store are ripened using gas? Not the same in taste as those fresh picked off a vine in the sun. A Master Gardener gave me an heirloom plant, Sungold, I think it is called. The tomatoes are a pale orange and so very sweet. I also love the tomatoes from the seeds MaryJane sent me. I am going to try to save seeds the same way this year.
When some of the big ones hanging on the vine are ready, I am going to make baked tomatoes the way my dad used to do when I was little: take a tomato, lop off the top, brush tops with olive oil, sprinkle with salt, pepper, and parmesan. Bake...yum!
Everyone around here has tomatoes producing late. Anyone else?
Farmgirl Hugs,
Nicole
Farmgirl Sister #1155
KNITTER, JAM-MAKER AND MOM EXTRAORDINAIRE
Chapter Leader, Connecticut Simpler Life Sisters
Farmgirl of the Month, January 2013
Suburban Farmgirl Blogger
http://sfgblog.maryjanesfarm.org/
www.facebook.com/suburbanfarmgirlblogger |
| LadyInRed |
Posted - Aug 10 2015 : 12:32:07 PM
My Favorite Tomatoes to eat and grow are Heirlooms. They just taste incredible and look so beautiful in all
their various shades.  
Roma would be my 2nd choice.
Farmgirl #1326
Dec 2011-Farmgirl of the Month
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| Bear5 |
Posted - Aug 10 2015 : 12:01:41 PM
We are growing several different tomatoes; Roma, Cherry, Big Boy, etc... My favorite is the cherry tomatoes. With the big tomatoes, I blanch them for future tomato sauce.
Marly
"It's only when we truly know and understand that we have a limited time on earth- and that we have no way of knowing when our time is up- that we will begin to live each day to the fullest, as if it was the only one we had." Elisabeth Kurler-Ross |
| auntjenny |
Posted - Aug 10 2015 : 09:59:23 AM
Violet jasper has been a big fav of mine. This year wd tried indigo rose. They are pretty and very tasty. I will grow them again for sure. They are a smaller, salad size tomato.
Dream like you have a lifetime ahead of you. Live like you only have today. |
| morganewilson |
Posted - Aug 10 2015 : 06:46:10 AM
Cherokee purple, Reisentraube, and this year we have some sort of black cherry tomato that is huge plant. Love to pick them off and eat them while I'm watering. |
| forgetmenot |
Posted - Aug 09 2015 : 08:29:32 AM
Thanks, Steph! I just wrote that variety in my gardening diary to plant next year.
Farmgirl sister #3926
"Courage is not the absence of fear, but the belief that something is more important than fear." Ambrose Red Moon |
| prariehawk |
Posted - Aug 08 2015 : 9:12:18 PM
I like the peach tomatoes for taste. My favorite way to fix them is to roast the sun gold cherry tomatoes with olive oil and salt and pepper. My tomatoes have not done well this year I guess from all the rain.I also add canned diced tomatoes to lots of recipes.And yes I buy them at the store.Too much trouble to dice tomatoes myself. Cindy
"Come by the hills to the land where fancy is free; And stand where the peaks meet the sky and the rocks reach the sea.Where the rivers run clear and the bracken is gold in the sun. and cares of tomorrow must wait till this day is done"--Loreena McKennit
"In many ways, you don't just live in the country, it lives inside you"--Ellen Eilers
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| ceejay48 |
Posted - Aug 08 2015 : 7:26:46 PM
Well, I just LOVE homegrown tomatoes . . . period! But we typically raise Early Girl, Fourth of July, Sungold cherry (they are yellow, sweet and such a treat!) and a tasty red cherry tomato. This year we also have Roma . . there are a lot of tomatoes on the vine and I hope they start ripening soon!
What we don't eat we dry to use for cooking later on. After we discovered we like dehydrating them, I decided I was done with canning tomatoes!
CJ
..from the barefoot farmgirl in SW Colorado...sister chick #665.
2010 Farmgirl Sister of the Year
Mother Hen: FARMGIRLS SOUTHWEST HENHOUSE
my aprons - http://www.facebook.com/FarmFreshAprons
living life - www.snippetscja.blogspot.com
from my heart - www.fromacelticheart.blogspot.com
from my hubby - www.aspenforge.blogspot.com |
| Ozark Farmgirl |
Posted - Aug 08 2015 : 7:21:54 PM
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| forgetmenot |
Posted - Aug 08 2015 : 5:03:41 PM
I'm enjoying this topic. Next year we will move from the acreage to possibly a condo in Upper Michigan or maybe a little NE of Detroit on the St. Clair River.
Steph, did you mean the Pink Brandywine is easy to peel when raw? Although it seems like a sacrilege to me, DH needs his tomatoes peeled and seeded.
Farmgirl sister #3926
"Courage is not the absence of fear, but the belief that something is more important than fear." Ambrose Red Moon |
| Ozark Farmgirl |
Posted - Aug 08 2015 : 09:39:08 AM
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| hudsonsinaf |
Posted - Aug 08 2015 : 05:30:55 AM
What a great question! My favorite tomatoes for slicing are Black Krim and Purple Cherokee. Tomato season around here varies... This year it has been short due to the excessive heat, so we got an early summer crop. Many of us are hoping for aFall crop, if our poor plants actually survive. The tobacco hornworm is always a problem around here! I have three tomato plants in pots on my patio, here at the rental, and everyday you can pick about seven of those worms off! My favorite things to do with them.... Oh my...... We all love caprese salad, especially when the basil is growing well. I was also dicing up some fresh cucumbers and tomatoes, mixed with some salt, basil, and olive oil for a type of salad.
Here is something you can do with tomato skins that many do not know... You can actually dehydrate tomato skins, and pulverize them, storing them in a jar. Then, when you need tomato paste, mix an equal amount of pulverized skin with water. Works great!
~ Shannon
http://hudson-everydayblessings.blogspot.com/ |
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