Heirlooms NOT to grow!

[KC.Sun]

Very true. Growing tomatoes are equivalent to science experiments. External factors be it container, ground/soil grown, weather... Have large roles in the taste. I'm growing coyote and didn't think much about it when I chose it. Reviews from other growers either really liked it or didn't like it too much. I didn't think it would give me much in return this growing season. Boy was I wrong.

I tried my first coyote yesterday and I simply could not stop.

[Tracydr]

Yellow Pear makes good goat treats. It's splitti g so badly I can't really use it for anything else.

[NarnianGarden]

It probably says a lot that with all the variables and personal tastes involved, the general consensus still seems to think that Yellow Pear is a spitter ..

[carolyn137]

Originally Posted by NarnianGarden

It probably says a lot that with all the variables and personal tastes involved, the general consensus still seems to think that Yellow Pear is a spitter ..

Possible consensus from homegrowers, I've seen varying opinions overthe years at various messagesites where I've posted, but when I was selling fruits to restauants they couldn't get enough Yellow Pears, and also the small Red Pears I used to grow which I think have a much better taste than the Yellow, both being pre-1800 varieties, and if both are still available today that suggests to me, at least, that not everyone dislikes them or they wouldn't be with us today.

Carolyn

[Worth1]

Originally Posted by carolyn137

Possible consensus from homegrowers, I've seen varying opinions overthe years at various messagesites where I've posted, but when I was selling fruits to restauants they couldn't get enough Yellow Pears, and also the small Red Pears I used to grow which I think have a much better taste than the Yellow, both being pre-1800 varieties, and if both are still available today that suggests to me, at least, that not everyone dislikes them or they wouldn't be with us today.

Carolyn

That is because good chefs know that people eat with their eyes as much as their taste buds.
Besides these same people are just eating tasteless tomatoes from the store anyway.
Plus by the time you put a bunch of dressing on the salad that is all you can taste.
To this day people I know loved the yellow and red pear tomatoes I grew.

Worth

[BigVanVader]

^ This, a lot if not most people just dont care if a tomato taste like crap or not.

[KC.Sun]

I do agree that to a degree some people really cannot tell between good or bad tomatoes.

But I do really think that taste has to do with growing conditions and the chef.

When it comes down to food snobs and good chefs, I think the really good chefs are the ones that can bring out the character of gross foods and the food snobs the ones that can pick out the differences of a good combination or not. So same idea with a good tomato vs bad tomato.

Btw, I'm not trying to insult anyone with the term "food snob". I'm also a foodie. Just had to clarify.

[Worth1]

Originally Posted by KC.Sun

I do agree that to a degree some people really cannot tell between good or bad tomatoes.

But I do really think that taste has to do with growing conditions and the chef.

When it comes down to food snobs and good chefs, I think the really good chefs are the ones that can bring out the character of gross foods and the food snobs the ones that can pick out the differences of a good combination or not. So same idea with a good tomato vs bad tomato.

Btw, I'm not trying to insult anyone with the term "food snob". I'm also a foodie. Just had to clarify.

Here is the definition of a snob.

((((A person with an exaggerated respect for high social position or wealth who seeks to associate with social superiors and dislikes people or activities regarded as lower-class.

Aperson who believes that their tastes in a particular area are superior to those of other people.))))

A snob is not a good person I consider myself a lover of good food.
There are many self described food snobs.
I have been called a food snob because I wont eat slop.

Worth

For me, a good tomato is defined as one which has some acidic bite in the flavor as well as some sweetness. The good tomato "plant" is one which produces well in adverse conditions including disease resistance.

If you line up a number of tomatoes from many varieties and ask me to determine which are good and which are bad, it isn't difficult for me to determine which meet my criteria by taste. I'm sure many people would disagree with my selections and probably choose a different flavor profile as their favorite/favorites.

Ted

[KC.Sun]

You're killing me Worth ROFL

I guess I don't fall into the category of a food snob now

But I sure do love the food and I guess how Worth describes it, "I won't eat slop" either

[NarnianGarden]

Originally Posted by carolyn137

Possible consensus from homegrowers, I've seen varying opinions overthe years at various messagesites where I've posted, but when I was selling fruits to restauants they couldn't get enough Yellow Pears, and also the small Red Pears I used to grow which I think have a much better taste than the Yellow, both being pre-1800 varieties, and if both are still available today that suggests to me, at least, that not everyone dislikes them or they wouldn't be with us today.

Carolyn

I did grow Red Pear last year (the small, possibly 18th century one), and loved it.
Would be happy to try Yellow pear, on my plate that is, not in my garden - even if it's tasteless, olive oil and good balsamico soon remedy that.

[korney19]

Originally Posted by carolyn137

I looked back at the first post in this thread and the question being asked was about OLDER heirlooms, whether OP or hybrid that should not be grown.

And I posted that I interpreted that to mean varieties from the late 1800's up to maybe the early 40's when the first F1 hybrids became available.

Yet most of the posts here are about OP varieties that are much more recent than all those pre-about 1940 varieties, so I've lost track of the focus here.

if the question is heirlooms NOT to grow I can't name even ONE of the over 2000 varieties I've grown to date.

For every variety that some might praise there are those who can't stand it for one reason or another and many of those reasons were detailed in above posts.

And onward we go.

Purple Calbash???

[korney19]

Originally Posted by tedln

I can;t think of a variety I don't like. With growing space for about thirty varieties each year, I always rotate the least desirable out of my garden after a couple of years.

Black Krim was rotated out after two years because of it's tendency to become mealy and mushy on the day after it ripens. It tasted very good, it was pretty early, it was very productive.

Pineapple and most multicolor varieties have been rotated out because of their tendency to liquefy when they ripen. They taste good. They have good production of large tomatoes.

I grew Jaune Flamme for three years, but couldn't figure out why most people like it. It never had a good taste for me. Production was very good.

Porters Improved was a very good tomato. It was very productive. Unfortunately, it tasted like most of the larger tomatoes in my garden. I can't see growing small tomatoes which taste like the larger varieties. If it had been an early variety like Moravski Div or Fourth Of July, it would have probably retained a place in my garden.

I think this is my last year growing Kosovo. It is growing beside Wes. Wes has probably twenty large, heart shaped tomatoes on the vines. Kosovo only has two, large, heart shaped tomatoes. Both have tasted good in the past, but I believe Wes tasted slightly better. In appearance and size they are almost identical.

Ted

Just a warning--I have grown Jaune Flammee from a couple sources and the correct one was great! They should have darker centers than the rest of the fruit--a dark orange color, heading towards red (but not!) I cannot post a pic from this tablet but will look for one when I get on a real computer...

[Father'sDaughter]

Somebody (!) decided to include a packet of Purple Calabash seeds in my MMMM packet last year, and even put it on a list of suggested grow outs for the 2016 swap...

[korney19]

Originally Posted by Gardenboy

Here in south FL, I had a great season of tomatoes and peppers. Was all ready hot before Easter so our season ended a month early. Been 90 degrees for 3 weeks now and NO rain yet. I grew Trip L Crop which wasn't to bad. The foliage is a little "wispy" and droopy but still produced a lot of tomatoes. I've had worse tomatoes. I was disappointed in Isis Candy and Isis Brandy...I prefer a high acid tomato like Nieves Azorean Red. Red Barn was also productive but lacked in taste. Also grew Old German for the first time HUGE tomatoes but kind of bland for a yellow tomato. Nyagous was the worst tasting this season for my garden. Pretty tomato but won't grow that one again! I guess it all depends on climate, soil/potting mix, weather and growing conditions. For RED tomato I like Nieves Azorean Red, BLACK: Amazon Chocolate PINK : German Johnson, potato leaf and Helen's German GREEN: Emerald Apple & Hugh's. Haven't found a YELLOW tomato that I like yet.

Hugh's should be a large, pale yellow tomato...