NAR for Dr. C

[TomatoDon]

Hi again C! (Yes, I've seen you back for a while...but I meant seeing you with my posts...I'm jealous that way.

First, below are today's pics of two NAR's that were delicious. Again, I took them to lunch at Cracker Barrel restaurant. Great people.

I made notes again today. My grading so far as been based on overall thriving health of plants, size, and fruit production, both in numbers and in size. For a while that's all I could base it on. Below I mention taste separately. Grades here are based on plant appearance and production.

Brandywine Sudduths. Again my All Stars. 11-12 made it, and those 11 are healthy and thriving and have produced more large fruit than any other variety. Who woulda thunk it? They get morning shade. Flavor is excellent.

Big Beef. I gave this an A- or B+ on production. Excellent flavor on lots of nice size fruits.

Better Boy. B+ Great flavor, tons of medium size tomatoes. Not as big as I like. It's still a winner here.

NAR. Low production on all five plants, but the fruit that has made is excellent.

Paul Robeson. Low production, but my favorite of the darks for flavor.

Daniel. Very low production. Plants did OK early, but are in decline with little production. Not worth the effort this year.

Carbon. An overall C- based on production. Not many fruit, and the flavor has sort of a tangy taste, almost like a hint of vinegar. OK, but not my favorite.

Mortgage Lifter. An overall A. Nice producer, great flavor. A keeper. Planted two, only one made it, but it's a dandy.

Black Crim. I gave it a D for low production. Only one plant.

Cherokee Purple. Again, low production, but good flavor.

Aunt Ruby GG, nice fruit, good production. Still don't know if they are ripe! Those greens! I gave these two plants a B each.

Chapman. I checked it again and this variety did OK. I had three and gave one a B+, D, and C. Again, not a top producer.

Red Rose. THIS is the one that I planted three of, and only one made it and it was a runt. A wash-out basically. (I had this and Chapman backwards last posting. They are side by side in the same bed and that's why I double checked today.)

Marianna's Peace. One grouping rated low, three other in a different bed have come on and got a B+, D, and B+ today. Nice fruit. Two did fine. Wish the others had.

Stump came on and is doing OK now. It has jumped up to about a B- or C now. Sure came on slow however.

Earl's. B, C, and B. Doing fine. Good taste. Reasonable production. I just like this variety.

Porterhouse. Another I gave up on a month ago. It's redeemed itself somewhat. Not much ready to pick yet, but it moved up from a "bust" to a C, D, and D. Doubt I'll try this one again.

Box Car Willie. Still dismal. Off the list now.

As to flavor, I've eaten a lot of them and given lots more away. Haven't eaten a bad one yet, but of course I pick the choice fruit. I have mostly beefsteak types, so actually the flavors of all these aren't too dramatically different. Not to me or friends here anyway. Blindfolded, I doubt any one here could pick them apart in a taste test. Sorry, but that's just the way it's turned out, but I like the basic consistency. Not a spitter in the crowd so far. No question that I like the larger, tart, beefsteaks. I just don't care for the soft sweeter taste with the larger varieties. The cherries are fine being sweet, but I just like the big ones to be meaty and full flavored with some tart.

When I say "low production" that can mean 0-7 or 8 fruit as a guess. Some of those may be stunted.

This is not a scientific test or rating. Lots of wiggle room on my personal preferences, which is all that counts to me anyway. I just walked through, jotted some notes, and that's about it.

Here is part of lunch today. NAR.

Don