Maglia Rosa is excellent for containers and small spaces

[gorbelly]

Mine are in containers. They wilt if I don't water every day. So I can't really cut back on water. But while the first one had some texture issues, it wasn't watery in flavor. Very intense flavor.

[BigVanVader]

All my first ripes were bleh. The flavor on the rest has been back to normal.

[gorbelly]

I had a bunch of fruit turning on my 2 plants when the heavy rains hit yesterday. Only 1 split. Happy with that.

A green one fell off during the storm, so I ate it. Even completely green, they still have a good amount of sugar and taste crunchy and good. Pretty impressive, Fred.

[BigVanVader]

I took a basket of these to market but ended up eating them all. They are like the jolly rancher of tomatoes.

[gorbelly]

Originally Posted by BigVanVader

I took a basket of these to market but ended up eating them all. They are like the jolly rancher of tomatoes.

People love to talk about "tomato candy" and usually mean the sungold types, but IMO MR beats those for sweetness (and still has a good amount of zing).

The only potential negative is that the skins are a bit tough so far, and the texture is somewhat firm and drier (not dry, but drier than that gushing, juicy pop that so many people look for in true "tomato candy").

[peebee]

I grew 2 MRs this year, one in ground, the other in a container. The one in the pot seems to have way more fruit, but they are much smaller than the ones grown in ground.
Is it just me, or does it seem like Blush is juicier, with thinner skin? MR is, like Gorbelly mentions, "crunchy" and while very good, it is dry and the skin is tough. I plan on going back to Blush next year. I also prefer MR when it is very ripe, rather than when it first turns pinkish.

[NarnianGarden]

Blush is indeed a bit juicier (or was, in our conditions)..
Pink Tiger also is like candy, but with that 'crunchy' texture too - enough juice with enough bite.

[Labradors2]

Just picked the first Maglia Rosa today, and ate half with my salad. It wasn't quite ripe, and tasted absolutely delicious! I don't remember it tasting this good last year

Linda

[gorbelly]

Mine are super sweet but not mild. My cousin was visiting and I gave some to her, and she declared that she'd never tasted such sweet tomatoes in her life.

[Fred Hempel]

Today I was working on the row that contains Maglia Rosa. It also contains a number of our other semi-determinate, early, low-growing lines. A few years ago, we started appreciating Maglia Rosa's earliness and it's low-growing habit.

A few growers, mostly smaller ones, told us that having an early, productive variety they did not have to stake was very valuable to them.

So, we started working to develop more of these varieties. A few are very promising, including one in particular with fruits that are round, pink with yellow stripes, and saladette sized. The plants are more vigorous, and the leaves don't droop. The flavor is fantastic.

I don't know when we might release it, and whether it will be released as an OP or hybrid, but in the mean time I think it is going to get much more space in our field!

[BigVanVader]

Dibs dibs!

[gorbelly]

The MRs are coming at a regular pace now, and they're soooo incredibly sweet (yet with good acid balance that makes them taste even sweeter). My mother normally always complains about tough skinned tomatoes, yet I notice that the MRs are the first ones she reaches for. The texture has improved a lot since the early fruit, and the taste has just gotten more intense, although the skins remain tough. Doesn't bother me, but some people are bothered by that, I know. The plus side of tough skins is that it usually means blemish-free, crack-resistant fruit, and that's the case here. Really beautiful and out-of-this-world flavor for me this first year I'm trying them. I'll probably always make room for this little gem.

[Labradors2]

Gorbelly, did you know that you can eat Maglia Rosa at all stages of ripeness? As long as there is a little red showing they are good to go. You can experiment to see which stage works best for you. I like them at any stage, but it sure is great not having to wait for them to get fully ripe

Thanks Fred for breeding this super mater

Linda

[gorbelly]

Originally Posted by Labradors2

Gorbelly, did you know that you can eat Maglia Rosa at all stages of ripeness? As long as there is a little red showing they are good to go. You can experiment to see which stage works best for you. I like them at any stage, but it sure is great not having to wait for them to get fully ripe

Thanks Fred for breeding this super mater

Linda

Linda, I even ate one totally green (it was a mature green) when it fell off the plant while I was spraying, and it was more tart but still had plenty of sugar in it. The green fruit would be fantastic in salsas, as an accent for fish and chicken, etc., I think.

They taste great at very light pink but are a little crunchy, I find. Which can be nice for certain things, but for out-of-hand eating, I like them a little bit softer.

[jtjmartin]

Originally Posted by gorbelly

Linda, I even ate one totally green (it was a mature green) when it fell off the plant while I was spraying, and it was more tart but still had plenty of sugar in it. The green fruit would be fantastic in salsas, as an accent for fish and chicken, etc., I think.

They taste great at very light pink but are a little crunchy, I find. Which can be nice for certain things, but for out-of-hand eating, I like them a little bit softer.

I pick Maglia and SunGold whenever I walk by. I agree, Maglia tastes good from blush on though I prefer some overripe. I'll try the mature green once the sun is down a bit today!

Great tomato - its on my regrow list for next year.