best flavor list

reubenT · December 16, 2018

I don't see a thread dedicated to flavor, and that's a big thing in tomatoes.

So what is our favorite most flavorful tomato?

I have many runnerups but I think my favorite was a Russian Black I had some years ago. It was just perfect balance of acid/sweet with lots of flavor. Next door to it was one named green apple, a green when ripe tomato that I thought was delicious. Just laying plans as to what I should try next spring.

Cole_Robbie · December 16, 2018

So much depends on the weather. My favorite tomato one year never seems to be the same the next year. Too much rain waters down flavor, and I think does so worst in yellow and orange varieties. A dry year can concentrate flavor, which I think best suits red varieties.

If you like green when ripe, Dwarf Jade Beauty has been delicious for me. Another dwarf also comes to mind as having a distinctive flavor, Uluru Ocre. It is an orange crossed with a dark. Many of my favorites have been dwarfs. Tasmanian Chocolate comes to mind as well.

Given the multitude of varieties and the vastness of the collective experience here, I'm sure you will get a lot of suggestions.

sic transit gloria · February 13, 2020

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cole_Robbie

So much depends on the weather. My favorite tomato one year never seems to be the same the next year. Too much rain waters down flavor, and I think does so worst in yellow and orange varieties. A dry year can concentrate flavor, which I think best suits red varieties.

I agree with this^^ 100%. I get the "what's the best tasting tomato?" question a lot from friends and family that know I grow dozens of varieties each year. IMO, Brandywine Sudduth has had the best, most complex flavor, over the years. It can be miserly in production, however. Recent "best of the year" awards have gone to Rebel Yell and Linda's Faux.

Tormato · February 14, 2020

Almost nothing best suits reds, in my garden.

Brandywine Sudduth... over the years.

Yes. But my problem is that it's the best tasting only 3 times in more than 15 of gardening. It's out there every year, with my hoping for that best.

rhines81 · December 16, 2018

You will find that your question leads to a large rabbit hole.... what may be your favorite, may be someone else's worst. Not necessarily that anyone is wrong, but what grows in different climates, under different fertilizers, under different water regimes, in differing soils, differing hours of sunlight, etc., etc.... makes the same tomato variety taste different to everyone. When a tomato is judged for flavor, it is usually grown under the conditions of the tester ... results are subjective.

**carolyn137** · December 17, 2018

Quote:

Originally Posted by rhines81

You will find that your question leads to a large rabbit hole.... what may be your favorite, may be someone else's worst. Not necessarily that anyone is wrong, but what grows in different climates, under different fertilizers, under different water regimes, in differing soils, differing hours of sunlight, etc., etc.... makes the same tomato variety taste different to everyone. When a tomato is judged for flavor, it is usually grown under the conditions of the tester ... results are subjective.

BINGO!!!!!

In addition all of us have different taste buds on our collective tongues ,so take a perfectly well grown tomato variety and then cut up some slices and ask folks to rate the taste and the results will be all over the place.

taste buds

https://www.google.com/search?q=tast...&bih=815&dpr=1

So no,I'm one who will not make any suggestions.

Carolyn

rhines81 · December 17, 2018

Quote:

Originally Posted by carolyn137

BINGO!!!!!

In addition all of us have different taste buds on our collective tongues ,so take a perfectly well grown tomato variety and then cut up some slices and ask folks to rate the taste and the results will be all over the place.

taste buds

https://www.google.com/search?q=tast...&bih=815&dpr=1

So no,I'm one who will not make any suggestions.

Carolyn

Interesting that the Wiki article calls out 5 different types: salty, sour, bitter, sweet and umami. I was only aware of the 1st four. Sometimes I am not sure of the accuracy of the information found in Wiki articles.

**carolyn137** · December 18, 2018

Quote:

Originally Posted by rhines81

Interesting that the Wiki article calls out 5 different types: salty, sour, bitter, sweet and umami. I was only aware of the 1st four. Sometimes I am not sure of the accuracy of the information found in Wiki articles.

I'm glad you mentioned that last one,Umami, since I couldn't remember it. That taste is unique to certain Japanese foods.

Carolyn

jtjmartin · December 16, 2018

I agree that taste does vary year to year even for the same grower on the same ground. With that said, I think that some varieties give you the best chance for the best taste.

Here's mine:

Black Cherry
Pink Princess
Sungold

Black Krim
Indian Stripe PL

George Detsikas
Red Barn
Olive Hill

Girl Girl's Weird Thing

Tasmanian Chocolate
Wild Spudleaf
Blazing Beauty

AlittleSalt · December 17, 2018

A rabbit hole. Yes, taste is an individual thing. Growing conditions means a whole lot more than the variety. You will find that one variety tastes differently year-from year depending on the weather.

I'm learning that green house varieties are improving on taste grown in Mexico - that's a good thing.

To answer your question, grow some Japanese Pink Cherry if you like a little sweeter than acidic. If the seed sites don't offer it - let them know. We buy seeds because we want them and if they don't offer those seeds - don't buy from them.

FarmerShawn · December 17, 2018

Despite the caveats already stated by others, Brandywine and Sungold always make our list. Wes has been a favorite for a few years. That Russian Tomato won it for us last year. KBX and Aunt Ruby's German Green are always welcome on our table. Opalka and Jaune Flamee often make our list. Russian Mini Yellow and Matt's Wild Cherry are hard to walk by without grabbing a handful. I could go on, but it's late...

Nan_PA_6b · December 17, 2018

These we've found to have a LOT of flavor and we like them:
Sweet with tart:

Sungold (of course)
Wild Tiger (little known green w/red streaks, saladette)
Dr. Carolyn (white with surprising amount of taste)

More of an "old fashioned" taste:
Post Office Spoonful
Hardin's Mini

Those are all cherry or salad tomatoes.

NarnianGarden · December 17, 2018

It is impossible to name the one and only variety.
But so far, the most flavorful ones have been...

Blacks in general; Black Krim, Prince, From Tula - all delicious

Pinks; Tarasenko Rozevyii, Soldacki, BrandyBoy..and and

Striped; GGWT, Black and Red Boar, Pink Tiger

Green; Green Zebra etc

Bi-Color & Yellow; Captain Lucky, Orange Strawberry etc..

All have their own delicious nuances and I hope to have at least some of them growing for me every season.

Taste is really an individual matter.
SunGold, the favorite of so many, ah well, it is all right and tastes good enough, but I can live without it quite happily

PaulF · December 17, 2018

Having been involved with tomato tastings for the past ten years or more it has been the consensus that there is no consensus on which tastes the best. One year at the Mid-West Tomato Tasting there were almost eighty different varieties with maybe five or more duplications and with seventy people attending and voting, no single variety got more than four votes with each person voting for the top three best tasting.

As for me, I like blacks and hearts with my taste buds changing from one year to the next so that my favorite changes yearly.

The only one not changing is the cherry Black Cherry and I just don't like cherry tomatoes much.

ContainerTed · December 17, 2018

A gentleman who used to post here once said he thought that all tomatoes tasted wonderful. that if you didn't like the first taste, then put some Cajun spice mixture on it and it would join the ones that tasted wonderful. I have made good tasting tomatoes my goal in gardening. If I recommend one, then it passes the test for full flavor and a touch of sweetness, expecially in the finish.

But in the end, because we humans have our taste buds distributed on our tongues in a pattern that is uniquely our own and different from all other human, comparisons are impossible to compare. Add to that the fact that tomatoes taste differently due to the nutrients that are available to the plants in a given season, and we get different opinions of a variety we grow ourselves when compared from year to year.

Somewhere in this seasonal test, we find that there are a few tomatoes that please us every year and these become the list of ones we grow every year. I thought once that Craig Lehoullier and I had very similar tastes. But, over the years I found that, while the comparisons were close, there were subtle differences still apparent.

So, someone on a thread on this site had said that each of us should develop a list of the ones we find are the best tasting to each of us. I can't think of better advice.

I have maintained for years, no, decades that the best tasting was the one my father liked above all others. That was Ponderosa Pink. Today, I put seeds for that one in the mail to list it on the HeritageSeedMarket website. I did so, knowing that I have found one this past season that tasted better (this past season). And that is "Grandma Oliver's Chocolate". I say this knowing full well that at the end of next season that there will probably be another that has captured my tastebuds and is my new favorite (for that season).

For the originator of this thread, go to HeritageSeedMarket.com and look at the listings for the Muddy Bucket Farm. All of those have met my test for tasting good. Then look at every other website that markets tomatoes. Those folks also will tell you that they all taste good. So, my advice is for you to start a list of the ones you like and then ask for suggestions on others to try that might be added to your permanent list after you try them. I love all tomatoes and after a couple of thousand tries, I have found only one that I could call a "Spitter". The rest were perfectly good just as they came, or were made acceptable with the application of a little salt, a dash of sugar, or some Creole Seasoning.

Take care and good luck on developing your list.

And that's just the way it is.

December 16, 2018	#1
reubenT Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Spencer TN Posts: 12	best flavor list I don't see a thread dedicated to flavor, and that's a big thing in tomatoes. So what is our favorite most flavorful tomato? I have many runnerups but I think my favorite was a Russian Black I had some years ago. It was just perfect balance of acid/sweet with lots of flavor. Next door to it was one named green apple, a green when ripe tomato that I thought was delicious. Just laying plans as to what I should try next spring.

December 17, 2018	#11
FarmerShawn Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Vermont Posts: 1,001	Despite the caveats already stated by others, Brandywine and Sungold always make our list. Wes has been a favorite for a few years. That Russian Tomato won it for us last year. KBX and Aunt Ruby's German Green are always welcome on our table. Opalka and Jaune Flamee often make our list. Russian Mini Yellow and Matt's Wild Cherry are hard to walk by without grabbing a handful. I could go on, but it's late... __________________ "Red meat is NOT bad for you. Now blue-green meat, THAT'S bad for you!" -- Tommy Smothers

December 17, 2018	#13
NarnianGarden Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: Finland, EU Posts: 2,550	It is impossible to name the one and only variety. But so far, the most flavorful ones have been... Blacks in general; Black Krim, Prince, From Tula - all delicious Pinks; Tarasenko Rozevyii, Soldacki, BrandyBoy..and and Striped; GGWT, Black and Red Boar, Pink Tiger Green; Green Zebra etc Bi-Color & Yellow; Captain Lucky, Orange Strawberry etc.. All have their own delicious nuances and I hope to have at least some of them growing for me every season. Taste is really an individual matter. SunGold, the favorite of so many, ah well, it is all right and tastes good enough, but I can live without it quite happily Last edited by NarnianGarden; December 17, 2018 at 05:11 PM.

December 17, 2018	#14
PaulF Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Brownville, Ne Posts: 3,296	Having been involved with tomato tastings for the past ten years or more it has been the consensus that there is no consensus on which tastes the best. One year at the Mid-West Tomato Tasting there were almost eighty different varieties with maybe five or more duplications and with seventy people attending and voting, no single variety got more than four votes with each person voting for the top three best tasting. As for me, I like blacks and hearts with my taste buds changing from one year to the next so that my favorite changes yearly. The only one not changing is the cherry Black Cherry and I just don't like cherry tomatoes much. __________________ there's two things money can't buy; true love and home grown tomatoes.

December 17, 2018	#15
ContainerTed Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: 6a - NE Tennessee Posts: 4,538	A gentleman who used to post here once said he thought that all tomatoes tasted wonderful. that if you didn't like the first taste, then put some Cajun spice mixture on it and it would join the ones that tasted wonderful. I have made good tasting tomatoes my goal in gardening. If I recommend one, then it passes the test for full flavor and a touch of sweetness, expecially in the finish. But in the end, because we humans have our taste buds distributed on our tongues in a pattern that is uniquely our own and different from all other human, comparisons are impossible to compare. Add to that the fact that tomatoes taste differently due to the nutrients that are available to the plants in a given season, and we get different opinions of a variety we grow ourselves when compared from year to year. Somewhere in this seasonal test, we find that there are a few tomatoes that please us every year and these become the list of ones we grow every year. I thought once that Craig Lehoullier and I had very similar tastes. But, over the years I found that, while the comparisons were close, there were subtle differences still apparent. So, someone on a thread on this site had said that each of us should develop a list of the ones we find are the best tasting to each of us. I can't think of better advice. I have maintained for years, no, decades that the best tasting was the one my father liked above all others. That was Ponderosa Pink. Today, I put seeds for that one in the mail to list it on the HeritageSeedMarket website. I did so, knowing that I have found one this past season that tasted better (this past season). And that is "Grandma Oliver's Chocolate". I say this knowing full well that at the end of next season that there will probably be another that has captured my tastebuds and is my new favorite (for that season). For the originator of this thread, go to HeritageSeedMarket.com and look at the listings for the Muddy Bucket Farm. All of those have met my test for tasting good. Then look at every other website that markets tomatoes. Those folks also will tell you that they all taste good. So, my advice is for you to start a list of the ones you like and then ask for suggestions on others to try that might be added to your permanent list after you try them. I love all tomatoes and after a couple of thousand tries, I have found only one that I could call a "Spitter". The rest were perfectly good just as they came, or were made acceptable with the application of a little salt, a dash of sugar, or some Creole Seasoning. Take care and good luck on developing your list. And that's just the way it is. __________________ Ted ________________________ Owner & Sole Operator Of The Muddy Bucket Farm and Tomato Ranch

December 16, 2018	#2
Cole_Robbie Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Illinois, zone 6 Posts: 8,407	So much depends on the weather. My favorite tomato one year never seems to be the same the next year. Too much rain waters down flavor, and I think does so worst in yellow and orange varieties. A dry year can concentrate flavor, which I think best suits red varieties. If you like green when ripe, Dwarf Jade Beauty has been delicious for me. Another dwarf also comes to mind as having a distinctive flavor, Uluru Ocre. It is an orange crossed with a dark. Many of my favorites have been dwarfs. Tasmanian Chocolate comes to mind as well. Given the multitude of varieties and the vastness of the collective experience here, I'm sure you will get a lot of suggestions.

February 14, 2020	#4
Tormato Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: MA Posts: 4,971	Almost nothing best suits reds, in my garden. Brandywine Sudduth... over the years. Yes. But my problem is that it's the best tasting only 3 times in more than 15 of gardening. It's out there every year, with my hoping for that best.

December 16, 2018	#5
rhines81 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2015 Location: Zone 5A, Poconos Posts: 959	You will find that your question leads to a large rabbit hole.... what may be your favorite, may be someone else's worst. Not necessarily that anyone is wrong, but what grows in different climates, under different fertilizers, under different water regimes, in differing soils, differing hours of sunlight, etc., etc.... makes the same tomato variety taste different to everyone. When a tomato is judged for flavor, it is usually grown under the conditions of the tester ... results are subjective.

December 16, 2018	#9
jtjmartin Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2016 Location: Williamsburg VA Zone 7b Posts: 1,110	I agree that taste does vary year to year even for the same grower on the same ground. With that said, I think that some varieties give you the best chance for the best taste. Here's mine: Black Cherry Pink Princess Sungold Black Krim Indian Stripe PL George Detsikas Red Barn Olive Hill Girl Girl's Weird Thing Tasmanian Chocolate Wild Spudleaf Blazing Beauty

December 17, 2018	#10
AlittleSalt BANNED FOR LIFE Join Date: May 2014 Posts: 13,333	A rabbit hole. Yes, taste is an individual thing. Growing conditions means a whole lot more than the variety. You will find that one variety tastes differently year-from year depending on the weather. I'm learning that green house varieties are improving on taste grown in Mexico - that's a good thing. To answer your question, grow some Japanese Pink Cherry if you like a little sweeter than acidic. If the seed sites don't offer it - let them know. We buy seeds because we want them and if they don't offer those seeds - don't buy from them.

December 17, 2018	#12
Nan_PA_6b Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2016 Location: Pittsburgh, PA Posts: 3,194	These we've found to have a LOT of flavor and we like them: Sweet with tart: Sungold (of course) Wild Tiger (little known green w/red streaks, saladette) Dr. Carolyn (white with surprising amount of taste) More of an "old fashioned" taste: Post Office Spoonful Hardin's Mini Those are all cherry or salad tomatoes.