What is a "Salad" tomato?

Fusion_power · March 27, 2015

Before you think I'm off my rocker, start from the position that I've grown over 2000 unique tomato varieties and have a lot of experience with so-called salad tomatoes.

I got a call from a prospective customer who wants tomatoes specifically in the saladette size range which I interpret as 2 to 4 ounces. He wants a full palette of colors and a wide range of flavors but only of good flavored productive saladette size tomatoes. I don't know of good varieties in some colors that fit these requirments. I asked if he cares whether fruit is round or oval and was told that shape was not important, just don't suggest Yellow Pear which he thinks is spit out da mouf bland. I'll post the varieties I suggested later.

So what varieties would you recommend?

Red -
Pink -
Orange -
Yellow -
White -
Green -
Black -
Bicolor -

Sun City Linda · March 27, 2015

for Orange Jaune Flamme. not sure if it would be a bicolor or black, but Black and Brown Boar, for Green, I would probably go with Lime Green Salad. I have not tried it yet but I am growing Super Snow White this year and it would fit the size category I think.

Worth1 · March 27, 2015

Black plum.
Black Prince.
Lime green salad.
Flamee.
Worth

Cole_Robbie · March 27, 2015

I agree about Black & Brown Boar. I think it has excellent flavor.

As far as hybrids go, Territorial sells 'Northern Delight.' It is a red saladette with green shoulders. It doesn't quite have heirloom flavor, but it's not bad at all. Fruit set, yield, and earliness are all excellent.

FISHBONE · March 27, 2015

I use to think it was the biggest beefsteaks, you cut in half scoop em into a small salad bowl fill with your favorite greens

HELLO WORTH AND EVERYBODY!!! looking forward to beefsteaks! All kidding aside , I think salad tomatoes are the small varieties you toss whole or cut in half in a green salad.

joseph · March 27, 2015

Red - Jagodka, Matina, Potato-Leaved Bradley

ginger2778 · March 27, 2015

Dwarf red heart, Tatjana, Noire de Crimee,Coastal Pride Orange, Banded Amazon

rwsacto · March 28, 2015

Black and red boar, black and brown boar, solar flare and carbon copy.

Douglas14 · March 28, 2015

Personally I prefer a tomato that's on the meaty side for salads.
I think Porter would fit in the pink category. Emmy is a meaty, light orange variety that might fit the bill. It may be a little on the large side though.

Stvrob · March 28, 2015

I aquired seed from what is purported to be Amish Paste, but I suspect its not. It has delicious little 4 oz fruits that have a zig zaggy striped pattern. (Pale orange/red) They are shaped like a paste tomato, but they are very juicy inside.

MrBig46 · March 28, 2015

Red- Start F1, black- Black Pear, orange- Zlatava
Vladimír

Salsacharley · March 28, 2015

Red - Stupice
Pink - Pink Perfection
Orange - AAA Sweet Solano (has stripes), Finnish Yellow
Yellow - Blonde Boar, Taxi
White - Ivory Pear (large cherry size)
Green - Dwarf Kelly Green
Black - Haley's Purple Comet
Bicolor - Amethyst Jewel; Black, Yellow, Green, Pink Vernissages
Gold - Amish Gold, Big Sungold Select
Blue - Bosque Blue Bumblebee

ContainerTed · March 28, 2015

First off, I agree with Dar about the approximate size. I thought about this for a day and could only come up with these two points.

1. I refer to tomatoes of a certain size as "Saladette". This is for my own purposes. I have cherry, saladette, slicer, beefsteak, and Holy Cow as my size standards.

2. A salad tomato is the one I just put into my salad. I might have to cut it up a bit. There is no size restriction on what can go into my salads. The tomato only has to taste good.

Now don't get me wrong. I've sliced up Tommy Toe's to make a BLT. Sorry Dar, it's just not a complex subject to me. If it tastes good, we eat it. If it tastes "passable", it might end up in the tomato juice I can each year. If it's too large to be consumed in one bite, I cut it up.

Too many folks seem to thrive on overly complicating things.

JMHO

bower · March 28, 2015

On the basis of taste and size, these ones may fit:

red - Alaska, Napoli a Fiaschetto
pink - Eva Purple Ball
orange - Zolotoy Zapas
black - Pale Perfect Purple
white - Lotos (beefsteaks on the small side)
bicolour - Blush (at its largest)

drew51 · March 28, 2015

Consider the Artisan collection
http://www.johnnyseeds.com/c-983-artisan-tomatoes.aspx

I also like Super snow white.

March 27, 2015	#1
Fusion_power Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Alabama Posts: 2,250	What is a "Salad" tomato? Before you think I'm off my rocker, start from the position that I've grown over 2000 unique tomato varieties and have a lot of experience with so-called salad tomatoes. I got a call from a prospective customer who wants tomatoes specifically in the saladette size range which I interpret as 2 to 4 ounces. He wants a full palette of colors and a wide range of flavors but only of good flavored productive saladette size tomatoes. I don't know of good varieties in some colors that fit these requirments. I asked if he cares whether fruit is round or oval and was told that shape was not important, just don't suggest Yellow Pear which he thinks is spit out da mouf bland. I'll post the varieties I suggested later. So what varieties would you recommend? Red - Pink - Orange - Yellow - White - Green - Black - Bicolor -

March 28, 2015	#13
ContainerTed Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: 6a - NE Tennessee Posts: 4,538	First off, I agree with Dar about the approximate size. I thought about this for a day and could only come up with these two points. 1. I refer to tomatoes of a certain size as "Saladette". This is for my own purposes. I have cherry, saladette, slicer, beefsteak, and Holy Cow as my size standards. 2. A salad tomato is the one I just put into my salad. I might have to cut it up a bit. There is no size restriction on what can go into my salads. The tomato only has to taste good. Now don't get me wrong. I've sliced up Tommy Toe's to make a BLT. Sorry Dar, it's just not a complex subject to me. If it tastes good, we eat it. If it tastes "passable", it might end up in the tomato juice I can each year. If it's too large to be consumed in one bite, I cut it up. Too many folks seem to thrive on overly complicating things. JMHO __________________ Ted ________________________ Owner & Sole Operator Of The Muddy Bucket Farm and Tomato Ranch Last edited by ContainerTed; March 28, 2015 at 10:39 AM.

March 28, 2015	#15
drew51 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2013 Location: Sterling Heights, MI Zone 6a/5b Posts: 1,302	Consider the Artisan collection http://www.johnnyseeds.com/c-983-artisan-tomatoes.aspx I also like Super snow white. Last edited by drew51; March 28, 2015 at 12:04 PM.

March 27, 2015	#2
Sun City Linda Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: SoCal Inland Posts: 2,705	for Orange Jaune Flamme. not sure if it would be a bicolor or black, but Black and Brown Boar, for Green, I would probably go with Lime Green Salad. I have not tried it yet but I am growing Super Snow White this year and it would fit the size category I think.

March 27, 2015	#3
Worth1 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Den of Drunken Fools Posts: 38,539	Black plum. Black Prince. Lime green salad. Flamee. Worth

March 27, 2015	#4
Cole_Robbie Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Illinois, zone 6 Posts: 8,407	I agree about Black & Brown Boar. I think it has excellent flavor. As far as hybrids go, Territorial sells 'Northern Delight.' It is a red saladette with green shoulders. It doesn't quite have heirloom flavor, but it's not bad at all. Fruit set, yield, and earliness are all excellent.

March 27, 2015	#5
FISHBONE Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2015 Location: the garden state Posts: 38	I use to think it was the biggest beefsteaks, you cut in half scoop em into a small salad bowl fill with your favorite greens HELLO WORTH AND EVERYBODY!!! looking forward to beefsteaks! All kidding aside , I think salad tomatoes are the small varieties you toss whole or cut in half in a green salad.

March 27, 2015	#6
joseph Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2013 Location: Cache Valley, N/E of The Great Salt Lake Posts: 1,244	Red - Jagodka, Matina, Potato-Leaved Bradley

March 27, 2015	#7
ginger2778 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Plantation, Florida zone 10 Posts: 9,283	Dwarf red heart, Tatjana, Noire de Crimee,Coastal Pride Orange, Banded Amazon

March 28, 2015	#8
rwsacto Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Sacramento CA Posts: 288	Black and red boar, black and brown boar, solar flare and carbon copy.

March 28, 2015	#9
Douglas14 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2007 Location: Minnesota Posts: 602	Personally I prefer a tomato that's on the meaty side for salads. I think Porter would fit in the pink category. Emmy is a meaty, light orange variety that might fit the bill. It may be a little on the large side though.

March 28, 2015	#10
Stvrob Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: Jacksonville, FL Posts: 1,413	I aquired seed from what is purported to be Amish Paste, but I suspect its not. It has delicious little 4 oz fruits that have a zig zaggy striped pattern. (Pale orange/red) They are shaped like a paste tomato, but they are very juicy inside.

March 28, 2015	#11
MrBig46 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2013 Location: Czech republic Posts: 2,533	Red- Start F1, black- Black Pear, orange- Zlatava Vladimír

March 28, 2015	#12
Salsacharley Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2013 Location: New Mexico Posts: 2,052	Red - Stupice Pink - Pink Perfection Orange - AAA Sweet Solano (has stripes), Finnish Yellow Yellow - Blonde Boar, Taxi White - Ivory Pear (large cherry size) Green - Dwarf Kelly Green Black - Haley's Purple Comet Bicolor - Amethyst Jewel; Black, Yellow, Green, Pink Vernissages Gold - Amish Gold, Big Sungold Select Blue - Bosque Blue Bumblebee

March 28, 2015	#14
bower Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Newfoundland, Canada Posts: 6,794	On the basis of taste and size, these ones may fit: red - Alaska, Napoli a Fiaschetto pink - Eva Purple Ball orange - Zolotoy Zapas black - Pale Perfect Purple white - Lotos (beefsteaks on the small side) bicolour - Blush (at its largest)