Well, we've nearly tasted them all. Flavor ratings - this season

[nctomatoman]

I am going to list the varieties by score - out of 10 points: (and note that we've not yet tasted Big Sandy, Big Willie, Striped Sweetheart, Yellow Ponderosa, Nebraska Wedding, Cosmonaut Volkov Red, Stump of the World, Maiden's Gold, Cherokee Chocolate, Cherokee Purple, Tondino, Curley Kaley, and the dwarfs Green striped Beauty, Sunny Ivory, Chocolate lightning, Wherokowhai, Lucky Swirl, or TastyWine)

Indeterminate tomatoes of the year: Lillian's Yellow, Dester Amish, Green Giant, Brandywine
Dwarf tomatoes of the year: Sweet Scarlet Dwarf, Summertime Gold, Dwarf Blazing Beauty, Adelaide Festival

9/10: Cherokee Green, Lillian's Yellow, Dester Amish, Polish, Brandywine, Green Giant, Sungold

8.5/10: Don's Double Delight, Sweet Scarlet Dwarf (dwarf)

8/10: Lucky Cross, Abraham Lincoln (USDA), Aunt Ruby's Green, Nepal, Burgundy Traveler, Arkansas Traveler, Green/pink Striped Beauty (dwarf), yellow/pink striped Beauty (dwarf), Summer Sunrise (dwarf), Cheerful F1 (dwarf), Summertime Gold (dwarf), Boronia F6 (dwarf), Dwarf Sweet Sue (dwarf), Perth Pride (dwarf), Dwarf Blazing Beauty (dwarf), Dwarf Beryl Beauty (dwarf), Loxton Lad (dwarf), Beauty with purple and green stripes (dwarf), Tidy striped (dwarf), Adelaide Festival (dwarf), Dwarf Jade Beauty (dwarf), Fred's Tie Dye (dwarf), Rosella Crimson (dwarf)

7.5: Anna Russian, JD Special C Tex, Little Lucky, Mexico Midget, Hege's German Pink, Selwin Yellow, Strawberry Margarita, Reinhard's Chocolate Heart, Regina's Yellow, Great White, Black from Tula, Druzba, Tiger Tom, Dwarf Kelly Green (dwarf), Dainty F1 (dwarf), Loaves and Fishes (dwarf), Dwarf Russian Swirl (dwarf), Sleeping Lady (dwarf), Tasmanian Pink (dwarf), Uluru Ochre (dwarf), Dwarf Wild Fred (dwarf), Dwarf Caitydid (dwarf)

7: Giant Syrian, Dana's Dusky Rose, Green Grape, Green Doctors, Speckled Roman, Kellogg's Breakfast, Blush, Green Zebra Cherry, Maglia Rose, Chocolate Champion (dwarf), Pesty Bicolor (dwarf), Loxton Lass (dwarf), Barossa Moon (dwarf), Dwarf Rosella Giant (dwarf), Bendigo Dawn (dwarf), Iditarod Red (dwarf), Neil Lockhart (dwarf), Dwarf Pink Passion (dwarf), Mallee Rose (dwarf),Yukon Quest (dwarf), Dwarf Arctic Rose (dwarf)

6.5: Amana Orange, Dwarf Golden Heart (dwarf), Bridge Mikes, Nelson's Golden Giant, Reinhart's Green Heart, Dwarf Scarlet Heart (dwarf), Dwarf Purple Heart (dwarf), Bendigo Rose (dwarf), Leesha (dwarf)

6: German Johnson potato leaf, Virginia Sweets, Taps, Teddy smooth, Yellow Bell, Dwarf Lemon Ice (dwarf), Grizzly red (dwarf), Harmony F1 (dwarf), Sarandipity (dwarf), Patrina pepperina (dwarf)

5.5: German Johnson regular leaf, Cour di Bui

5: Piennolo, Costoluto Genovese, Hillbilly, Sorrento

4: Torre Canne

Clearly we've had a good year flavor-wise - perhaps the heat/dry concentrated the flavors, but it is also the varieties we chose. I am amazed at how much we don't like German Johnson - you can put it next to Brandywine or Dester Amish or Polish - you have four large pink tomatoes, three of them knock your socks off, the other is just bland and has a funky, musty off flavor - both the regular and potato leaf "versions".

And here it is the most popular heirloom in North Carolina - go figure!

[Sherry_AK]

That's a lot of tasting!

[PA_Julia]

I agree with Sherry, that is alot of tasting!

Thank you for summarizing your results.


Julia

[TightenUp]

might have to try a few from the top of the list next year. are these in ground or container plants?

[nctomatoman]

The only plants in the ground are cherry tomatoes - Blush, Maglia Rose, Sungold, Tiger Tom, Green Zebra Cherry. All the rest are in pots.

Yes, a lot of tasting, spread over three weeks, for the most part - but it's been intense!

[greyghost]

I enjoyed your flavor ratings very much, Craig. I also grew Dester's Amish
this year and thought it was an excellent tomato-am saving lots of seeds.
I also enoyed the Listada de Grandia eggplant sold on the same website
www.piercenaturalfarm.com Darlene

[ChristinaJo]

Wow! That's makes for a BIG lunch....

Thanks for list!

[mecktom]

Surprised to hear your results for German Johnson. It is always a favorite here in Southside Virginia. We are about 80 mins. from you there in Raleigh. As always, there are many things that deide the flavor of a tomato in any given year and location.

BTW, have you heard when your segment on WRAL will be aired?

Thanks!

[nctomatoman]

Hey mechtom, I've purchased German Johnson at the Farmers Market for years - grown it many years - hoping it would be one we like - but we always, always find the flavor lacking - so it may be that it is just something that this region enjoys but we do not.

Yes - I will update the post on it.

[mecktom]

Will be looking forward to seeing you then! Thanks.

[nativeplanter]

Originally Posted by mecktom

Surprised to hear your results for German Johnson. It is always a favorite here in Southside Virginia. We are about 80 mins. from you there in Raleigh. As always, there are many things that deide the flavor of a tomato in any given year and location.

BTW, have you heard when your segment on WRAL will be aired?

Thanks!

Last night, my husband really liked German Johnson (here in SE Virginia). He preferred it to Stump of the World, which he thought tasted a touch too strong. I thought he was nuts. I love a good strong tomato. That said, the German Johnson had a nice strong flavor as well.

[barkeater]

Craig,

I see Polish at the top of your taste tests. Any particular strain or seed souce? It's been 5 years since I've grown it but remember it was early for such a big tomato and very productive and tasty.

[nctomatoman]

Hey barkeater, yes, it is the Bill Ellis Polish that I've had in my collection since 1990. Just a wonderful tomato - very similar to Stump of the World and Brandywine - big, pretty smooth, deep pink - spreading rampant potato leaf plant - very intense, succulent flavor.

[halleone]

Originally Posted by nctomatoman

Hey barkeater, yes, it is the Bill Ellis Polish that I've had in my collection since 1990. Just a wonderful tomato - very similar to Stump of the World and Brandywine - big, pretty smooth, deep pink - spreading rampant potato leaf plant - very intense, succulent flavor.

Sure wish you didn't make 'em sound so good, just makes me want to try them, along with all the others I want to try........

[barkeater]

I'm not sure if mine were Polish Ellis or Polish C, or just plain Polish. I'm hoping I have a few seeds left as I now want to plant them again; I'll look tonight.

I checked around the internet for seeds just in case and only found them with their generic name so far at TGS who says it's a Polish heiloom and Victory seeds saying it was developed by USDA in 1957