If you had to pick four heirlooms to sell at market

[rhines81]

Originally Posted by Gardeneer

Yeah, I also think that lot of those regulations are just pure beurocratic. You don't need a special training and licensing to wash and slice a tomato. People go to farms, orchards, vineyards pick fruits and eat some while picking. A fruit is not a meal to be prepared and served.
JMO

Call me crazy, but I have gotten super ill eating 'samples' of various things and also those finger food type appetizers set out for crowds. Salmonella is a very real thing with vegetables, you really have to trust that it is clean.
Unless I see a source of hot water for sanitizing and know people are washing the raw veggies, knives, cutting boards, etc... I won't touch it!

[schill93]

Originally Posted by Cole_Robbie

The year I lost all my seedlings to a freeze, I bought a flat of Big Beef to plant the high tunnel, and I was very happy with the crop.

Jet Star is the only hybrid that I think tastes as good as Big Beef. I can't tell the two of them apart, flavor-wise. I grew up with Jet Star. It was the only variety my grandparents grew, as their market tomato. It does not yield as well as Big Beef, but offers the advantage of shorter, more manageable plants.

How tall does Jet Star get? I am also wondering about the growth habits of Burgundy Traveler. They are different tomatoes, though many think they are similar.

[Cole_Robbie]

Plant size depends on one's soil. Jet Star is about 3' tall if I don't improve my soil, and about 5' tall if I do. My Big Beef vines grow 10-12' by season's end.

[Worth1]

Originally Posted by rhines81

Call me crazy, but I have gotten super ill eating 'samples' of various things and also those finger food type appetizers set out for crowds. Salmonella is a very real thing with vegetables, you really have to trust that it is clean.
Unless I see a source of hot water for sanitizing and know people are washing the raw veggies, knives, cutting boards, etc... I won't touch it!

One word Clorox.
This is what bars use to sanitize.
It is what I use too.
Far better than plain hot water, you don't even need hot water.
I'm with you on the mystery samples and unknown finger food.
Worth

[BigVanVader]

Like others have said, at least half of your customer base will likely never buy anything other than red tomatoes. I always grow popular heirlooms and hybrids in my region for the umm "old school" population and some of the pretty colored OP varieties for my hipster young crowd. The list Grady posted is a very good start. German Johnson is one not mentioned that certain customers love and ofc you must grow Sungold.

[ScottinAtlanta]

I would like to suggest Green Zebra - pretty tomato, and it was popular in DC and Atlanta markets. But these are pretty picky urban buyers, and they are ready to buy "new" things.

Of the ones I've grown, I'd say these:

* Thessaloniki (very productive; good sized; red; very easy to find the fruits; good-looking/feeling fruits)
* Matina (more people at my house gravitated to this tomato than any others, and they preferred the taste, too; very productive and early)
* Roma (very productive; people are used to buying this, so they may expect it)
* Chapman (very nice-looking, firm 2lb fruits with great taste; good production for the size)

If Creole is productive for you, I would also recommend that. The fruits are similar to those of Thessaloniki. I guess it's used to humid heat, but we have dry heat in my area. It still produced, but not nearly as much as Thessaloniki; it was earlier than Thessaloniki, though. (I'm hoping it produces better from saved seed, due to acclimatization.)

Originally Posted by Worth1

I'm surprised no one ever mentions Red Rocket.
I grew this tomato a few times and it is very good and productive.
Plus the color shape and size people look for.
It is determinate so you dont have to really go crazy with cages and it puts on big time early.
Heirloom maybe not but open pollinated and bushy.

Worth

Red Rocket is one I would like to try. The description is pretty cool. That's good to hear it's done well for you.