Member discussion regarding the methods, varieties and merits of growing tomatoes.
|
![]() |
|
Thread Tools | Display Modes |
![]() |
#1 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Pt. Charlotte fl
Posts: 329
|
![]()
I have for the last 12 or so years, been using Oxhearts for my sauce production with a few beefsteaks thrown in if I have some that need using. I average about 16 gal of sauce a year in production here in Southwest Fl and am always looking to improve my collection of my best for this purpose. Lately it has been Mayo's Delight as my number 1 sauce tomato. I throw in some Orange Oxheart, Wes, and Mrs. Schlaubaugh's as well but my seed saving was off this year so will be ordering that one. I just made an order at Bounty Seed company for what they call Italian Stallion and Romeo. Has anyone tried these 2 tomatoes and what are your thoughts if you have? I have not posted on here in many years so I am sure the landscape has changed a bit!
|
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#2 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jul 2019
Location: Virginia, USA
Posts: 139
|
![]()
I don't know anything about Italian Stallion or Romeo, so can't help you there. Hope you come back later this season and share your results!
I like Cuore Antico di Acqui Termi and Cornue des Andes (Andes Horn) because they're great for cooking but also good for fresh eating -- juicy and flavorful. The fruits of Cuore Antico di etc. can be huge. Both are very good producers, though Cuore Antico was fairly late in my garden. Both were large, vigorous plants that need some room. I grew Amish Paste for the first time this year and was surprised at how much I liked it, but I expect you've tried that one already. Very good to excellent flavor, very meaty, large fruits, productive. It had a little trouble with disease late in the season -- same foliage diseases as all the plants, but it seemed to suffer more. Might have been a root-knot nematode issue contributing to that, though. Mediterranean (from Victory Seeds) was delicious, a big, meaty heart, but only a moderate producer. Some day I'll try it again in a better spot. I may try Belmonte this year. There seem to be various tomatoes under this name; the seeds I have are from Emanuele Larosa Seeds. |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#3 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Pt. Charlotte fl
Posts: 329
|
![]()
Thank you for your contribution to my thread. I have not grown either one you have but they sound good! I will keep you updated on these two but it will be awhile. I am already fully planted and picking tomatoes now and have new one just started so it would be too late to start any new ones. They will be grown out next Sept and through the winter. Amish past is a decent tomato! I have not grown it out in probably over 15 years. I like oxhearts for the same reason! They are my favorite to eat fresh but are also the best for making sauce, IMO.
|
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#4 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: N.C.
Posts: 1,827
|
![]()
I prefer Shannon's. Old time flavor for me, and meaty. Not bland at all. Versatile tomato!
I've tried a few, amish paste, opalka, polish linguista, san marzano, and good old roma and more. Shannon's is my favorite. Greg |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#5 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Brownville, Ne
Posts: 3,291
|
![]()
A thread like this showed up several years ago somewhere...my memory is fading. Our sauce varieties are whatever is growing and ripe at the time. Since a vast majority of the varieties we grow are OP/heirloom and most of those are hearts and beefsteaks of varying colors, that is what gets made into sauces.
Adding yellow/orange tomatoes to the sauces really makes for an interesting color and flavor to the mix. I have not grown a specifically sauce type variety in the thirty plus years of growing OP/heirlooms and before that for the fifteen or more years of growing hybrid biggers and betters and boys and girls never made a sauce. Once tasting a "real" tomato we never looked back.
__________________
there's two things money can't buy; true love and home grown tomatoes. |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#6 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Vancouver Island
Posts: 5,931
|
![]()
There is a lot of benefit to working with tomatoes with a lower water and seed content when making fresh sauces and canning although I do use like to use hearts as well and very meaty brefsteaks
Marzano fire is reallyexcellent and my current favourite real sauce tomato . Unlike many specific paste tomatoes it’s very good fresh as well as cooked. It’s a semi determinate plant. I find most indeterminant pastes are a bit too late season for my area, so I am working on some that are earlier and in colours other than red I have a nice chocolate and a really beautiful bicolour set as well. They are on potato leaf plants, which makes them a little bit different as well. KarenO Last edited by KarenO; January 28, 2024 at 02:08 PM. |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#7 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2020
Location: Pennsylvania
Posts: 23
|
![]()
I've been searching for large-fruited red paste tomatoes that are flavorful enough for fresh eating, too, because I love to use them in pico de gallo, bruschetta, etc. in addition to canning salsa, sauce and tomato soup.
Cow's Tit is my favorite of all that I've grown so far. I do have more varieties that I want to grow but have also considered stopping my paste tomato comparisons and just growing Cow's Tit because I love it so much. |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#8 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: Chicago IL
Posts: 857
|
![]()
I do a lot of canning, most of my tomatoes are beefs and hearts. I cut them and mush a tiny bit in large pan and heat it up. Once they release some juice I separate liquid part out.
I simply do not get same volume from just paste tomatoes plus I need versatility. |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#9 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Back in da U.P.
Posts: 1,846
|
![]()
i see threads like this, and i always say my uncle steves tomato is as good or
better than all of the so called paste varieties, and always recommend it for people looking for a good multi purpose tomato for eating fresh from the garden or for canning or saucing. many quarts of uncle steve tomatoes have been canned in my family over the years. so there. keith
__________________
don't abort. we'll adopt. |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#10 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: Metro Denver
Posts: 766
|
![]()
Go Uncle Steve's!! Love stories like this!
|
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#11 | |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2020
Location: Pennsylvania
Posts: 23
|
![]() Quote:
I will be growing Uncle Steve's Italian Plum (and some other paste tomatoes) this year. I'm looking forward to it! Thanks for sharing your great uncle's seeds with the world. |
|
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#12 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Czech republic
Posts: 2,534
|
![]()
I was interested in the two varieties listed here-Cow's Tit and Uncle Steve's . Guess I'll have to get some seeds for 2025.
Vladimír |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#13 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Back in da U.P.
Posts: 1,846
|
![]()
if you can't find any uncle steve seeds, i don't know who would be selling them.
i have some being the original source once removed from uncle steve. keith
__________________
don't abort. we'll adopt. |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#14 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Sep 2019
Location: Helena, OH 43435
Posts: 14
|
![]()
can you pm me? I'd love to try Uncle Steve tomatoes. Thanks
__________________
Bon Van Meter: The earth calls to my soul...it stirs my blood. Gardening refreshes my spirit tenfold. |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#15 | |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Sep 2019
Location: Helena, OH 43435
Posts: 14
|
![]() Quote:
Romeo is supposed to be an excellent sauce tomato per Remi of Sample Seeds. She grew it for sauce until she found Santa Maria which she preferred. She grew tomatoes near Niagra, NY... Hope that helps. Also, Cow's Tit is supposed to be sweet and best when roasted first. if you want to try those.
__________________
Bon Van Meter: The earth calls to my soul...it stirs my blood. Gardening refreshes my spirit tenfold. |
|
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
|
|