My first Winsall

[barefootgardener]

Weighs in at 27 ounces.. Much larger than the palm of my hand.. I have been keeping my eye on this one for a while. I decided to picked it today because I was worried the birds would get to it.. That would be a shame. I have one Winsall plant and it is really healthy and bushy. It has other fruit on it, but not even half the size of this fruit currently. This is my first time growing it, and my largest fruit so far. I put this "baby" in my GH to continue to ripen. I am so excited I just had to share..

Ginny

[Gardeneer]

Good for you, Ginny.
That is prize winner. I have never grown any tomato larger than 20 oz, so far.
Smart move to pick it to beat the critters. hehe

Gardeneer

[ginger2778]

Ginny, that is a whopper!

[ddsack]

Very nice, Ginny! I have thought about growing Winsall because it's one of the really older commercial heirloom varieties, would hope to find what we think of as "old time" taste. Let us know what you think when it ripens up.

[carolyn137]

Originally Posted by ddsack

Very nice, Ginny! I have thought about growing Winsall because it's one of the really older commercial heirloom varieties, would hope to find what we think of as "old time" taste. Let us know what you think when it ripens up.

No, it doesn't have any old fashioned taste that I know of from the many older commercial varieties that I've grown and that includes the Livingston varieties, it has an outstanding taste IMO as grown in my zone 5 area.

http://tatianastomatobase.com/wiki/Winsall

I'm surprised to see what I call so many malformed fruits in the pictures at the above link, b'c that's not what I saw at all when I grew it.

So I fetched a Google IMAGES link and now I see the kind of fruits that I always got, which were smooth,large pink fruits. Please note that photography is always a problem as to color and that not all pictures might be Winsall, although most are IMO. Just put your mouse over a picture to see where the photo was from,

https://www.google.com/search?hl=en&...47.ITbxNbmMaDw


Carolyn

[MissS]

Ginny you have a super looking tomato there.

I hope that you enjoy Winsall as much as I did last year. Last season it was tops for taste in my garden and it had some very stiff competition.

[ddsack]

Quote:
Originally Posted by ddsack
Very nice, Ginny! I have thought about growing Winsall because it's one of the really older commercial heirloom varieties, would hope to find what we think of as "old time" taste. Let us know what you think when it ripens up.

No, it doesn't have any old fashioned taste that I know of from the many older commercial varieties that I've grown and that includes the Livingston varieties, it has an outstanding taste IMO as grown in my zone 5 area.

What is your definition of old fashioned taste, Carolyn? To me, it is tomatoes that are more acidic than sweet. None of the tomatoes I grew up eating (have no idea of varieties) had much sweetness, nor did we want them to. It was the salty acidity that did not require much salt or pepper that made them great. It was my impression that many of the early varieties were not very sweet and since Winsall was created in the 1920's, figured it to be true there. Guess I'll have to try it for myself!

[barefootgardener]

Originally Posted by ddsack

Very nice, Ginny! I have thought about growing Winsall because it's one of the really older commercial heirloom varieties, would hope to find what we think of as "old time" taste. Let us know what you think when it ripens up.

I will keep you updated after it ripens and I cut into it!! I should have plenty of seed to save also..

Ginny

[barefootgardener]

Originally Posted by MissS

Ginny you have a super looking tomato there.

I hope that you enjoy Winsall as much as I did last year. Last season it was tops for taste in my garden and it had some very stiff competition.

That is good to know Patty! It should finish ripening pretty quick in my GH. Thank's..

Ginny

[barefootgardener]

Originally Posted by carolyn137

No, it doesn't have any old fashioned taste that I know of from the many older commercial varieties that I've grown and that includes the Livingston varieties, it has an outstanding taste IMO as grown in my zone 5 area.

http://tatianastomatobase.com/wiki/Winsall

I'm surprised to see what I call so many malformed fruits in the pictures at the above link, b'c that's not what I saw at all when I grew it.

So I fetched a Google IMAGES link and now I see the kind of fruits that I always got, which were smooth,large pink fruits. Please note that photography is always a problem as to color and that not all pictures might be Winsall, although most are IMO. Just put your mouse over a picture to see where the photo was from,

https://www.google.com/search?hl=en&...47.ITbxNbmMaDw


Carolyn

Carolyn, I cant comment on taste yet, because the one large Winsall pictured is in my GH ripening up. But, the rest of the Winsall tomatoes left on the vines are the same shape as in your bottom link you provided.

Ginny

[barefootgardener]

Originally Posted by Gardeneer

Good for you, Ginny.
That is prize winner. I have never grown any tomato larger than 20 oz, so far.
Smart move to pick it to beat the critters. hehe

Gardeneer

Maybe someday? Still, 20 oz. is a nice size!

Ginny

[carolyn137]

Originally Posted by ddsack

What is your definition of old fashioned taste, Carolyn? To me, it is tomatoes that are more acidic than sweet. None of the tomatoes I grew up eating (have no idea of varieties) had much sweetness, nor did we want them to. It was the salty acidity that did not require much salt or pepper that made them great. It was my impression that many of the early varieties were not very sweet and since Winsall was created in the 1920's, figured it to be true there. Guess I'll have to try it for myself!

You can't aways go by dates of introduction. What is most important is the parentage that goes into creating a variety. I don't know how many of you have grown any of the Ponderosa ones, I have, and the pink one preceded Winsall and none of those Ponderosaones have what I call an old fashioned taste.

So which varieties have I grown that I Do think have the rather non sweet old fashioned taste?

Rutgers
Marglobe
Bonny Best
Chalks Early Jewel
Earliana
Latah
Sioux
Valiant
Trophy
Wisconsin 55

and several of the Livingston varieties, to name just a few.

Many of the above we grew on the farm when I was a kid since back then the main interest for most consumers was canning, not freezing and not for fresh eating either.

Carolyn

[Slg Garden]

Carolyn, thanks for that list. My mother grew up in upstate New York (she's 77), and I've wanted to find a variety that would remind her of her childhood.

[carolyn137]

Originally Posted by Slg Garden

Carolyn, thanks for that list. My mother grew up in upstate New York (she's 77), and I've wanted to find a variety that would remind her of her childhood.

If your mother grew up in upstate NY then I would suggest the following in this order:

Valiant
Rutgers
Marglobe.

You can ask for seeds in the WANTED seed subforum here at Tville or you can go Tania;s superb data base and see the commercial places that sell themL

http://tatianastomatobase.com/wiki/Main_Page

Click on shortcuts, then on alphabetical then on the letter that is the first letter of the variety name, or you can look in seed racks at some of the nurseries where you live,

So your mother is 77, well I'm 76 so we both grew up knowing what was grown and it also occurs to me that at my age I could also be your mother,

Carolyn

[Slg Garden]

Thank you! I will try those ideas.

It's probably good that you're not my mother..or at least that my boys aren't your grandsons. They don't like tomatoes.

And now I'll stop hijacking this thread.