What are the most overrated varieties? - Page 2

DoubleJ · August 11, 2009

Had my first ever Brandywine Sudduth last night. Wow. Amazing. Probably the best tomato I have ever eaten. Also had my first ever Pruden's Purple. Meh. It's ok. Can't say I'd take it out of rotation next year but, so far BWS and Bear Claw were better.

rjs55555 · August 11, 2009

Gardener's delight has been the big disappointment so far. I can get the same taste in the supermarket. Maybe it is a bad year for it. Everything else tastes great.

jhp · August 11, 2009

What a fun thread! For me, as far as tomatoes I have grown myself, Opalka is at the top of this list. Huge plant, bland tomatoes, light in the hand, not that productive for what is supposed to be a paste, and not worth the space.

Berkeley Tie Dye and Pink BTD also, very pretty, but I did not like the taste. Big disappointment there.

Oh and green grape, I just could not stand the taste of these. The plant was so dense it was hard to pick the fruit. Not your typical cherry tomato plant, short and stocky. Also not very productive, but I guess I didn't mind that since I didn't like them.

As for tomatoes I have not grown but tasted, Early Girl. Tried it at a tomatofest and I literally wanted to spit it out. Yuck! You call that a tomato?

Jen

montanamato · August 11, 2009

As expected what is so so in one part of the country is great in others...Mortgage Lifter is always very good here, as is Cherokee Purple...Both produce well , especially CP...
Brandywine produces poorly here and I have bought them at farmers markets for years and am always dissappointed...
Goose Creek was also a big let down on flavor, but I only tried it one time...
I have so many great standbys that seem to perform in most conditions, so if a tomato isn't what I like ,I rarely get back to it...
If you pay attention to these threads, you generally see where certain tomatoes that are so so in the south get raves in the north and visa versa...
This year any tomato that ripens will be cherished...

Jeanne
Plus add in peoples specific tastes and conditions...

annecros · August 11, 2009

Brandywine! I forgot about those. It is certainly a climate related problem for me. They just aren't South Florida types! Premature disease and death here.

I am hoping that the German Johnson PL's I have started will show me something.

Tormato · August 11, 2009

Most overrated?

For me, every early tomato.
And, just about every red tomato.

Tormato

AZRuss · August 11, 2009

I didn't get all the hype about Neves Azorean Red. Better than supermarket for sure, but still nothing special for me. I expected much more.

On the other hand, Gardener's Delight was, well, the delight of the garden this year. Just goes to show, different climate, different soil and so on = different taste.

Hey Ted, I keep reading that Opalka's look sick all the time--wispy, droopy. Never grew one though.

gardenpaws_VA · August 11, 2009

All-time dud - Juliet (but there've been whole threads about that!

Think it should have tasted better than it did - Costoluto Genovese, Kellogg's Breakfast (but Hawaiian Pineapple was a winner for me).

Jaune Flamme appears to be soil- or climate-sensitive, as several people have panned it but it's one of the top favorites for me and my son (and we DON'T like wimpy no-taste tomatoes). My only grouse about JF is that it seems to be more disease-prone than some of the other ones I've grown.

Obviously, I'm assuming above that we are talking about the varieties which are praised for flavor, and don't live up to expectations. There's been lots of talk about the "shining stars" which taste great, if you manage to get any fruit, but I haven't grown most of them.

onegardengirl · August 11, 2009

I have to agree with others regarding the Kellogg's Breakfast tomato. Felt it was watery and bland flavor. Marianna's Peace and Opalka both had problems with BER when grown separate years.

We like CP but have poor production rate: Good tasting and good sized tomatoes but get only a few each year on each plant.

Still like the Juane Flammee tomato as it produces an abundance of tomatoes out here. Am growing Black Cherry for the first time this year. The vine is loaded with little tomatoes but nothing has ripened yet.

Am trying several new ones this year. I try to grow my own from seeds, but got a late start this year and ended up buying a few plants at a local nursery. Anyone grown Virginia Sweets? If so what did you think. Also trying for the first time a Royal Hillbilly, pink grapefruit and a Romanesco tomato. Anyone tried these before and how would you rate production and taste?

Lynn

AZRuss · August 12, 2009

gardenpaws, save up the Costoluto Genovese in the freezer, and when you get a good batch of them, cook 'em up. OMG delicious. Raw--blah. Stupice is the same way. So-so flavor raw, but cooked they are stupendous.

DoubleJ · August 12, 2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by AZRuss

gardenpaws, save up the Costoluto Genovese in the freezer, and when you get a good batch of them, cook 'em up. OMG delicious. Raw--blah. Stupice is the same way. So-so flavor raw, but cooked they are stupendous.

Do you just throw them in the freezer as is and pull them out when you have a batch to cook and cook them as normal? Is there any prep for putting them in the freezer before cooking?

eyolf · August 12, 2009

Climate, is huge. Most of the long-season types are dissapointing in my zone, and the ones I find most pleasing are also-rans elsewhere. For example, Marianna's peace and Brandywine do taste good when you can one ripe off the vine, but no better than the Canadian "Pollack"s you've been eating for a month or more.

But nobody asked about favorites; which one was the most dissapointing to me? I have to say it was Trifele Black. Tart, almost bitter, and mostly just a bag of seeds and juice. Tried seeds from another source...just the same.

And they're probably great in Kansas or New Jersey!

cecilsgarden1958 · August 12, 2009

Early Girl
Better Boy
Big Beef
Sun Gold

organichris · August 12, 2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by gardenpaws_VA

All-time dud - Juliet (but there've been whole threads about that!

Yeah, I tried that one last year. It sucked.

Granite26 · August 12, 2009

Juliet?!?

LOL over the years thats been the most requested (from family & friends) tom I grew. This year I started selling. It has produced heavy yields of 2" plum shaped toms which are easy to pick and usually have great blemish free looks which = good $!!! If it didnt taste good they wouldnt keep coming back for it.

I will need to search some of the other threads mentioned!

August 11, 2009	#24
onegardengirl Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: northern california Posts: 13	Most overrated varieties I have to agree with others regarding the Kellogg's Breakfast tomato. Felt it was watery and bland flavor. Marianna's Peace and Opalka both had problems with BER when grown separate years. We like CP but have poor production rate: Good tasting and good sized tomatoes but get only a few each year on each plant. Still like the Juane Flammee tomato as it produces an abundance of tomatoes out here. Am growing Black Cherry for the first time this year. The vine is loaded with little tomatoes but nothing has ripened yet. Am trying several new ones this year. I try to grow my own from seeds, but got a late start this year and ended up buying a few plants at a local nursery. Anyone grown Virginia Sweets? If so what did you think. Also trying for the first time a Royal Hillbilly, pink grapefruit and a Romanesco tomato. Anyone tried these before and how would you rate production and taste? Lynn

August 12, 2009	#27
eyolf Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Central MN, USDA Zone 3 Posts: 303	Climate, is huge. Most of the long-season types are dissapointing in my zone, and the ones I find most pleasing are also-rans elsewhere. For example, Marianna's peace and Brandywine do taste good when you can one ripe off the vine, but no better than the Canadian "Pollack"s you've been eating for a month or more. But nobody asked about favorites; which one was the most dissapointing to me? I have to say it was Trifele Black. Tart, almost bitter, and mostly just a bag of seeds and juice. Tried seeds from another source...just the same. And they're probably great in Kansas or New Jersey! __________________ a day without fresh homegrown tomatoes is like... ...sigh

August 12, 2009	#28
cecilsgarden1958 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2006 Location: swPA Posts: 629	Early Girl Better Boy Big Beef Sun Gold __________________ Hybrids Rule, Heirlooms Drool!

August 11, 2009	#16
DoubleJ Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Shelton, WA Posts: 127	Had my first ever Brandywine Sudduth last night. Wow. Amazing. Probably the best tomato I have ever eaten. Also had my first ever Pruden's Purple. Meh. It's ok. Can't say I'd take it out of rotation next year but, so far BWS and Bear Claw were better.

August 11, 2009	#17
rjs55555 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Pennsylvania Posts: 42	Gardener's delight has been the big disappointment so far. I can get the same taste in the supermarket. Maybe it is a bad year for it. Everything else tastes great.

August 11, 2009	#18
jhp Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2006 Location: Danbury, CT Posts: 492	What a fun thread! For me, as far as tomatoes I have grown myself, Opalka is at the top of this list. Huge plant, bland tomatoes, light in the hand, not that productive for what is supposed to be a paste, and not worth the space. Berkeley Tie Dye and Pink BTD also, very pretty, but I did not like the taste. Big disappointment there. Oh and green grape, I just could not stand the taste of these. The plant was so dense it was hard to pick the fruit. Not your typical cherry tomato plant, short and stocky. Also not very productive, but I guess I didn't mind that since I didn't like them. As for tomatoes I have not grown but tasted, Early Girl. Tried it at a tomatofest and I literally wanted to spit it out. Yuck! You call that a tomato? Jen

August 11, 2009	#19
montanamato Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Montana Posts: 1,038	As expected what is so so in one part of the country is great in others...Mortgage Lifter is always very good here, as is Cherokee Purple...Both produce well , especially CP... Brandywine produces poorly here and I have bought them at farmers markets for years and am always dissappointed... Goose Creek was also a big let down on flavor, but I only tried it one time... I have so many great standbys that seem to perform in most conditions, so if a tomato isn't what I like ,I rarely get back to it... If you pay attention to these threads, you generally see where certain tomatoes that are so so in the south get raves in the north and visa versa... This year any tomato that ripens will be cherished... Jeanne Plus add in peoples specific tastes and conditions...

August 11, 2009	#20
annecros Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2007 Location: West Park, FL Posts: 219	Brandywine! I forgot about those. It is certainly a climate related problem for me. They just aren't South Florida types! Premature disease and death here. I am hoping that the German Johnson PL's I have started will show me something.

August 11, 2009	#21
Tormato Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: MA Posts: 4,971	Most overrated? For me, every early tomato. And, just about every red tomato. Tormato

August 11, 2009	#22
AZRuss Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Tucson, AZ Posts: 171	I didn't get all the hype about Neves Azorean Red. Better than supermarket for sure, but still nothing special for me. I expected much more. On the other hand, Gardener's Delight was, well, the delight of the garden this year. Just goes to show, different climate, different soil and so on = different taste. Hey Ted, I keep reading that Opalka's look sick all the time--wispy, droopy. Never grew one though.

August 11, 2009	#23
gardenpaws_VA Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Northern Virginia, USA - zone 7+ Posts: 161	All-time dud - Juliet (but there've been whole threads about that! Think it should have tasted better than it did - Costoluto Genovese, Kellogg's Breakfast (but Hawaiian Pineapple was a winner for me). Jaune Flamme appears to be soil- or climate-sensitive, as several people have panned it but it's one of the top favorites for me and my son (and we DON'T like wimpy no-taste tomatoes). My only grouse about JF is that it seems to be more disease-prone than some of the other ones I've grown. Obviously, I'm assuming above that we are talking about the varieties which are praised for flavor, and don't live up to expectations. There's been lots of talk about the "shining stars" which taste great, if you manage to get any fruit, but I haven't grown most of them.

August 12, 2009	#30
Granite26 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2009 Location: Western WI Posts: 359	Juliet?!? LOL over the years thats been the most requested (from family & friends) tom I grew. This year I started selling. It has produced heavy yields of 2" plum shaped toms which are easy to pick and usually have great blemish free looks which = good $!!! If it didnt taste good they wouldnt keep coming back for it. I will need to search some of the other threads mentioned!