mini tasting

PaulF · August 8, 2010

A local tomato tasting has just been completed in my town. It should be considered "mini" because my tomatoes were the only ones available to the attendees of a program at our local gathering spot called the Lyceum where weekly discussions on a very wide range of topics are held. This week it was a tomato tasting and discussion on OP tomatoes and anything else that happened to arise.

The tomatoes ripe enough to taste were: aunt ginny's purple,black cherry, black from tula, butter and bulls heart, carbon cherokee chocolate, cuostralee, german red strawberry, hillbilly, kellogg's breakfast, large pink bulgarian, nicky crain, old brooks, orange russian 117, sarandipity, sungold, and tasmanian chocolate.

The major vote getter was Kelloggs Breakfast followed by black from tula, aunt ginny's purple and butter and bulls heart.

Craig, of the 40 or so voters, Tasmanian Chocolate and Sarandipity each got a favorite vote.

More and more folks are finding they like my "weird tomatoes" and seem to be impressed enough to begin growing them. This year a 95 year old gardener and his 94 year old wife grew some of my OP varieties and came to the tasting to tell everyone how good they are. They both explained to the group that they wished they had started growing heirlooms fifty years ago. They probably were and didn't realize it.

A fun day. Now if I have something to take to the Midwest Fest in Lincoln in two weeks.

remy · August 8, 2010

That's great! For just your tomatoes you had a nice amount to sample. Maybe next year a few others will bring tomatoes

.
Remy

ubergoober · August 8, 2010

That sounds awesome! I wish we had something like that locally.

remy · August 8, 2010

Quote:

Originally Posted by ubergoober

That sounds awesome! I wish we had something like that locally.

You can come to the Buffalo~ Niagara party. We would love to have you. A few others are driving from your area.
Remy

ubergoober · August 8, 2010

When is it Remy?

**carolyn137** · August 8, 2010

Quote:

Originally Posted by ubergoober

When is it Remy?

If you check out the various tomato tasting gatherings around the country at the bottom of this first page you'll find the Buffalo-Niagra one and here's the party date posted there:

http://tomatoville.com/showthread.php?t=15132

remy · August 9, 2010

Quote:

Originally Posted by ubergoober

When is it Remy?

I sent you a copy of the email with all the detailed info.
Remy

**Lee** · August 9, 2010

Paul, great report! Sounds like a fun time. So, how did
Tasmanian Chocolate compare to the other purples/browns
that you had?
I've been growing it for 4 years now, and it seems that other
folks like it much better than I do. We always get folks at
tomatopalooza commenting on it, so I keep selecting out
the best in hopes of one day liking it as much!

Lee

PaulF · August 9, 2010

Thanks for the comments. This was the first tomato tasting any of the participants had ever been to and so far as I could tell from the comments and conversation it was an enjoyable time. This was the fourth or fifth time of being the featured speaker at the Lyceum, all of the previous topics on some phase of gardening. The room has filled up each time with interested gardeners. This time the numbers were the same but they had no idea they would really be tasting tomatoes (even though it was advertised).

Lee, the comments I remember were that all the blacks were a surprise because most had never eaten a black/brown before and they were tasty. As in all the other tastings I have been around, people all have different ideas of good flavor. This group was no different with a wide range of favorites. The rating sheet was very informal; a paper with the varieties listed and check marks put down for the three each person liked best. Tas got marked. Black from Tula had more marks and so did Cherokee Chocolate, but Carbon had none and as a shock to me Black Cherry had no marks.

So far as I am concerned Tasmanian Chocolate is ready.

piegirl · August 10, 2010

Sounds like a great time - and you were inside out of the heat of humidity? Looking forward to sampling cherokee chocolate. See you in a couple of weeks - we can only hope the heat and humidity go away - at least the humidity. Piegirl

Timmah! · August 10, 2010

Very kind of you to take the time & effort to introduce them to the wonderful variety of Heirlooms via the fruits of your labor. =)

August 8, 2010	#1
PaulF Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Brownville, Ne Posts: 3,296	mini tasting A local tomato tasting has just been completed in my town. It should be considered "mini" because my tomatoes were the only ones available to the attendees of a program at our local gathering spot called the Lyceum where weekly discussions on a very wide range of topics are held. This week it was a tomato tasting and discussion on OP tomatoes and anything else that happened to arise. The tomatoes ripe enough to taste were: aunt ginny's purple,black cherry, black from tula, butter and bulls heart, carbon cherokee chocolate, cuostralee, german red strawberry, hillbilly, kellogg's breakfast, large pink bulgarian, nicky crain, old brooks, orange russian 117, sarandipity, sungold, and tasmanian chocolate. The major vote getter was Kelloggs Breakfast followed by black from tula, aunt ginny's purple and butter and bulls heart. Craig, of the 40 or so voters, Tasmanian Chocolate and Sarandipity each got a favorite vote. More and more folks are finding they like my "weird tomatoes" and seem to be impressed enough to begin growing them. This year a 95 year old gardener and his 94 year old wife grew some of my OP varieties and came to the tasting to tell everyone how good they are. They both explained to the group that they wished they had started growing heirlooms fifty years ago. They probably were and didn't realize it. A fun day. Now if I have something to take to the Midwest Fest in Lincoln in two weeks. __________________ there's two things money can't buy; true love and home grown tomatoes.

August 8, 2010	#2
remy Buffalo-Niagara Tomato TasteFest™ Coordinator Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Z6 WNY Posts: 2,354	That's great! For just your tomatoes you had a nice amount to sample. Maybe next year a few others will bring tomatoes. Remy __________________ "I wake to sleep and take my waking slow" -Theodore Roethke Yes, we have a great party for WNY/Ontario tomato growers every year on Grand Island! Owner of The Sample Seed Shop

August 9, 2010	#8
Lee Tomatopalooza™ Moderator Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: NC-Zone 7 Posts: 2,188	Paul, great report! Sounds like a fun time. So, how did Tasmanian Chocolate compare to the other purples/browns that you had? I've been growing it for 4 years now, and it seems that other folks like it much better than I do. We always get folks at tomatopalooza commenting on it, so I keep selecting out the best in hopes of one day liking it as much! Lee __________________ Intelligence is knowing a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is knowing not to put one in a fruit salad. Cuostralee - The best thing on sliced bread.

August 9, 2010	#9
PaulF Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Brownville, Ne Posts: 3,296	Thanks for the comments. This was the first tomato tasting any of the participants had ever been to and so far as I could tell from the comments and conversation it was an enjoyable time. This was the fourth or fifth time of being the featured speaker at the Lyceum, all of the previous topics on some phase of gardening. The room has filled up each time with interested gardeners. This time the numbers were the same but they had no idea they would really be tasting tomatoes (even though it was advertised). Lee, the comments I remember were that all the blacks were a surprise because most had never eaten a black/brown before and they were tasty. As in all the other tastings I have been around, people all have different ideas of good flavor. This group was no different with a wide range of favorites. The rating sheet was very informal; a paper with the varieties listed and check marks put down for the three each person liked best. Tas got marked. Black from Tula had more marks and so did Cherokee Chocolate, but Carbon had none and as a shock to me Black Cherry had no marks. So far as I am concerned Tasmanian Chocolate is ready. __________________ there's two things money can't buy; true love and home grown tomatoes.

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August 8, 2010	#3
ubergoober Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Brampton, Ontario Canada Posts: 202	That sounds awesome! I wish we had something like that locally.

August 10, 2010	#10
piegirl Tomatovillian™ Honoree Join Date: May 2006 Location: Lincoln, NE Posts: 791	Sounds like a great time - and you were inside out of the heat of humidity? Looking forward to sampling cherokee chocolate. See you in a couple of weeks - we can only hope the heat and humidity go away - at least the humidity. Piegirl

August 10, 2010	#11
Timmah! Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Elizabethtown, Kentucky 6a Posts: 754	Very kind of you to take the time & effort to introduce them to the wonderful variety of Heirlooms via the fruits of your labor. =)