Hype about Kumato

[svalli]

There's a lot of hype in a Finnish gardening forum about Kumato. I was offered seeds for trade against Chimayo pepper seeds, but after reading many posts here I'm not sure if it is really so good as everyone in Finland is saying. Many people up here do not grow heirlooms and the seed varieties available at stores are limited, so it may be the best many growers have had.

It would be nice to comapare it to other blacks, but my growing space and time is now limited, so I would rather grow something which I know to be early and tasty.

Is the Kumato worth growing? The original seeds were saved from a grocery store tomato, so they could be F2 or F3, when I get them.

I may ask the trader for Hundereds and Thousands seeds, which by a seller website is a heirloom and should grow true from saved seeds.

[carolyn137]

And after reading feedback about Kumato at several message sites I don't think it's worth growing.

The ridiculous hype that was even put out by Syngenta was absolutely ridiculous as to origin, etc. I think is was Syngenta that bred it. It was introduced here in the US under another name and I've even managed to forget that name as well.

[svalli]

Thanks Carolyn,

I value your opinion highly. I have seeds for black heirlooms, which I have not yet grown and will try them before messing with any grocery store 'hyperid'.

I will ask seeds for the Hundreds and Thousands. It is a small fruited tomato suitable for containers. I have not found any info of it in T.V. and wonder if it is with a different name in U.S.

Sari

[clara]

Sari, you should put Hundreds and Thousands into hanging baskets. My first ones are ripening now, very little cherries, but really a lot of fruits! They are not as sweet as I had thought, but maybe I should give them some more time (but it's so hard to wait!) clara

[carolyn137]

Originally Posted by svalli

Thanks Carolyn,

I value your opinion highly. I have seeds for black heirlooms, which I have not yet grown and will try them before messing with any grocery store 'hyperid'.

I will ask seeds for the Hundreds and Thousands. It is a small fruited tomato suitable for containers. I have not found any info of it in T.V. and wonder if it is with a different name in U.S.

Sari

Sari, I've never heard of the variety Hundreds and Thousands and when I did a quick Google search I found it listed at Suttons and Dobies and Capital Seeds,etc., all in the UK

[hasshoes]

I had a knock-off kumato the other day--- same size, color, and packaging. . . and the taste was just "ehh". . . I let two ripen (though it stayed the same color) a while longer in the window for a few days. . . and the taste was better but nothing to write home about. Only the gel had a mild black tomato taste about it. In the summer at least you can buy crappy store heirlooms with better flavors than this. . . I might buy them in the winter though if they had the same taste however.

ps--- just re-read and saw what Dr C wrote that it was intro'd here with a new name---- this I'm sure is what I had.

[carolyn137]

Heather, I just Googled it and the name that was used to introduce Kumato in the US and I think Canada is Rosso Bruno.

Maybe they thought its reputation preceded it and so changed the name to protect the innocent.

[hasshoes]

Yep--- that's it Carolyn! ;0)

Lol. . . I knew it wouldn't be good but I had to try it anyway. . . maybe it was to give me a better fighting spirit. . . with all this lovely weather we've had and what not. ;-)

[garnetmoth]

ooo! i saw a 5-pack of these at a Meijer today. they were on the "please eat soon!" discount produce rack.

i remembered the reviews as being not glowing, and they looked a bit peaked, so i just left them! Looked kinda lame brown colored.

[Raymondo]

Kumato is relatively popular here. It's a tasty morsel compared with the usually tasteless offerings of red, tomato-like objects one sees on supermarket shelves here.

[feldon30]

If you want a small to medium brownish tomato, and are willing to tolerate green stripes, Black and Brown Boar is a favorite of mine. And it holds flavor for me even in cooler temperatures.