Top 3 Tomato Producers

[BR]

Originally Posted by carolyn137

1.Jet Star F1, red, documented low acid, so acidify if canning by the open water bath method

Now I'm confused...
I thought you said all tomatoes were basically the same ph, thus... no appreciable difference on acidity.

Confused Puppy

[creister]

I have not had great production from Ark. Traveler the two times I have grown it.

[Earl]

Earl's Faux: After being away for 6 days I got home and picked more than 50 fruit off one plant. That's them in the picture below. The other Earl's Faux only had 28 fruit on it so ever plant isn't equal, but they fruit in 70-75 days and produce until frost. Fruits average from 8 to 12 ozs. And have won a tomato tasting contest or so.

[carolyn137]

Originally Posted by BR

Now I'm confused...
I thought you said all tomatoes were basically the same ph, thus... no appreciable difference on acidity.

Confused Puppy

What I've said in the past is that almost all varieties tested to date have roughly the same pH.

(1.Jet Star F1, red, documented low acid, so acidify if canning by the open water bath method)

Jet Star F1 is an exception. And if you go to TGS and read the blurb about Jet Star you'll see that Linda has made the same comment.

A bit of background here. About 20 or so years ago about 20 red , round F1 varieties were introduced and the idea at the time was to introduce ones with a lower pH. FOllowing that there were many cases of botulism b'c the spores of C. botulinum are not effectively inactivated in the open boiling bath method of canning b'c they need an acid pH for that to happen.

CDC in Atlanta, GA stepped in and informed all states to notify folks that canning ANY variety by that method required acidification.

jet Star is, I think, the only one from that 20 that still remains popular and there's a good reason why, b'c it's a great variety.

There's no way that ALL varieties of tomatoes can be tested for pH b'c there's about 6-7,000 now available commercially, but of those that HAVE been tested, yes, most of them do have a very narrow range of acidicity.

I hope that helps.

[riceke]

Originally Posted by mtbigfish

Riceke
Arkansas Traveler has tated OK but not been a good producer over the last 5 years - I am not sure I will be growing this year may go back to Abraham Lincoln for a while

I agree with Carolyn that Box Car Willie tastes better and seems a little juicier to me and is a better bet unless you tend to like "sweet" better as Mule Team seems to me to be more sweet mild and less balanced - both are work horses though

Dennis

Hey Dennis I was sittin there trying to decide between Traveler or Abe Lincoln both of which I have seeds but thought I saw a post somewhere where ol Abe didn't really produce that well. So I picked traveler...maybe I should seed a few Abes. Also I'll give Box Car, Mule team and Jet Star a try but probably next year, since I don't have any room under my lights right now. Hey guys...thanks alot for your input..you confirmed some of my thoughts.

[mtbigfish]

riceke
There is an Abe Lincoln and Abraham Lincoln I have seen around and not sure they are the same - I have grown Abraham Lincoln but for me
Box Car Willie (Reddish Orange) and Mule Team (Red) have always outperformed it and Arkansas Traveler (Rose-Pink) for me .
I have not grown Jet Star - still too many OP or Heirlooms I want to try - but looks like a may have too soon
Dennis

[louster]

Carolyn wrote......"A bit of background here. About 20 or so years ago about 20 red , round F1 varieties were introduced and the idea at the time was to introduce ones with a lower pH."

Not to be nitpicky, but just so people don't get confused, Carolyn, did you mean to say higher pH? Lower would be more acidic......

[carolyn137]

Originally Posted by louster

Carolyn wrote......"A bit of background here. About 20 or so years ago about 20 red , round F1 varieties were introduced and the idea at the time was to introduce ones with a lower pH."

Not to be nitpicky, but just so people don't get confused, Carolyn, did you mean to say higher pH? Lower would be more acidic......

You aren't being nitpicky at all and yes I meant to say higher pH. What's always running thru my wee head when answering that question are the words low acid which kinda morphs into low pH, so it isn't the first time I've done that.

Thanks.

[riceke]

Earl...now that's an impressive yield...I think you convinced me on that variety.

[riceke]

Carolyn...I know low acidity affects canning/preserving but that doesn't affect fresh eating as far as the botulism goes, or does it? I was referring to that tomato botulism scare we had a few months ago.

[Blueaussi]

Originally Posted by riceke

Carolyn...I know low acidity affects canning/preserving but that doesn't affect fresh eating as far as the botulism goes, or does it? I was referring to that tomato botulism scare we had a few months ago.

What tomato botulism scare? With fresh tomatoes? I recall seeing recalls and alerts due to E coli or Salmonella in fresh vegetables, but I don't recall any alerts concerning botulism.

[BR]

He must be referring to the tomatoes coming out of Mexico as few months back. It wasn't botulism though.

[riceke]

I stand corrected...it was either Salmonella or E. coli from Mexico grown tomatoes.

[mtbigfish]

e coli from pickers going poo in the fields - it's a normal bacteria in the digestive tract but not good when it is in food and high numbers
Dennis

[carolyn137]

Right, not botulism.

When I was working my field was Microbiology with the major concentration in human infectious diseases and taught med students in Rochester and Denver Med schools.

So whenever those alerts come out I pay attention but what do I do?

Usually ignore them.

Well I can remember coming hime from college after my first micro course and there was the jar of Hellman's Mayonnaise on the table and I told my mother that it could support high growth of Staph aureus and to put it back in the fridge ASAP.

She looked at me and said that she always had it on the table when we were making sandwiches, from the time I was a wee kid, and looking at me strongly said that it hadn't appeared to curb my gowth any.

I was 5'10 inches when I was 11 and had to take ID to get in movies for those under 12.

I was disabled by an entero virus in Mexico and same in Morocco, and my best experience was my first trip to Greece and Israel. I arrived early before the fligh from NY, was hungry, took an egg salad sandwich off a counter, ate it, and about three hours into the flight I was one sick puppy. of course I was able to Dx what the problem was, stupid Carolyn. They gave me a bathroom all to myself for the rest of the trip to Athens.

Now this was a special flight composed of Greek mariners going back to Greece to take an exam and the noise from the music was deafening. When we got there all others were let off the plane, and then four short greek men came aboard with a stretcher and carried me off.

I was given special consideration, sent by limo to my hotel where they arranged for an MD to visit me.

The positive aspect? I didn't have to go thru customs.

So yes, I ignore most food recalls, yes I do.