Question for All You Oxheart Fans...

[zabby17]

This is my first year growing oxhearts, unless Opalka counts.

I've grown Olpalka for several years and love the way it's so solid and meaty without being dry or mealy, and what I've been reading from satisfied oxheart growers suggested they had similar virtues.

This year I ended up growing Portugal, Nips, and Fish Lake Oxheart.

All three are producing large, solid, meaty, tasty tomatoes. Both Portugal and Nips are producing LOTS of them. (Fish Lake, while the fastest starter, slowed down quickly.)

But these are some gnarled, nasty, misshapen fruits! Full of odd protrusions, scars (especially in the form of what seems to be longitudinal cracking).

Is this typical? This summer has been so unusual weatherwise---SO hot at first, then with some sudden wet bursts, so what I'm imagining is misshapenness coming from imperfect fruit set in the drought, followed by a tendency to crack as the water came in sudden, wet waves.

I don't mind an "ugly" fruit---tasty is what matters to me, or I wouldn't be growing my own at all! But it does take a lot more work to process tomatoes for sauce or salsa when they're a mess like this. The skins don't slip off easily in one piece, scarred or bruised bits have to be trimmed away, etc.

Now, I'm much more willing to take this trouble on larger toms---these are some BIG fruits. Three Portugals were enough for a batch of salsa.

But I am wondering if this is typical of oxhearts, or maybe of these varieties, or if, as I suspect, it's the result of this season's particular circumstances? I'll definitely try several oxheart types next year, too, but would like to hear what others, esp. in similar zones, have experienced....

Thanks,

Z