Southern US Market Tomatoes

[joseph]

I acknowledge that there are tomatoes that are mushier, and tomatoes that are drier, and tomatoes that are grainier, and tomatoes that are jucier, and tomatoes that are more orange, or red, or purple, and tomatoes that are sweeter, and tomatoes that are bigger or smaller. I don't know if I'd go so far as claiming that any of those traits alone or in combination makes a better tasting (to me) or more useful (to me) tomato. I'm extremely omnivorous in my eating habits. As long as a tomato doesn't taste like poison it's good enough for me and for my customers. But all of those qualities can be affected by weather, and soil, and bugs, and other conditions. The taste traits may not be reliably stable from garden to garden and farmer to farmer.

I also live on the ecological fringe of tomatoes range: within two miles or so of the point where tomatoes cease being a viable crop. So pretty much any tomato that will produce a crop gets called a good tomato regardless of nuances in taste, or texture, or smell, or looks, or size. I am not able to grow Brandywines, or Beefsteaks, or any large sized tomatoes. I'm limited to cherry tomatoes, and saladettes, and my slicing tomatoes top out at about 8 ounce fruits. If I ever get to the point of being able to reliably grow tomatoes perhaps then I'll worry about something more subtle like taste.

When I lived in a warmer climate I grew some type of Hillbilly. Now that's a tomato!!!

It's like brand names on canned vegetables in the grocery store... Who's got the time and inclination to buy one of each and taste them and evaluate them to decide if one is better tasting than any other? And even if someone did do the testing, then the results have to be remembered... What a chore!