I actually bought a tomato today

lakelady · November 16, 2011

It was so beautiful, so deep red, and so horribly tasteless. It was juicy, with no flavor at all. what a disappointment. I would have settled for anything, tart, sweet, acidic, but nope, nothing at all. Just labelled greenhouse tomato. Pretty as a picture, but tasteless. Had I not bought homemade mozzarella that this particular store makes themselves, I would not have even attempted to buy a tomato. But I did, and I regret it.

Those of you in warmer regions are so lucky to have long growing seasons, or two seasons!

What a bummer, I can't wait for summer!

tgplp · November 16, 2011

The best store bought tomatoes I buy are Camparis and Nature Sweets. Pretty good for a storebought!

Other ones taste awful! I can't stand them.

I wish summer would come soooooon, I wouldn't be obsessed with dwarfs and growing indoors if it was summer year round!

And I still have forever to wait for my indoor toms... the biggest seedlings just got a pair of teeny true leaves peaking out between two cotydelons.

Taryn

dustdevil · November 16, 2011

You need to attend the SBTA(Store Bought Tomato Anonymous) meetings more often to fend off temptation from the dark side. Fifteen Hail Heirloom Tomatoes for you

rnewste · November 16, 2011

lakelady,

This is all I will say, without comment:

Raybo

tgplp · November 16, 2011

YUM. Excuse me while I wipe the drool off my keyboard.

This is killing me!!!!

Taryn

akgardengirl · November 16, 2011

I also buy Campari from Costco in the winter months and they aren't bad at all for a greenhouse tomato.
Sue B.

sirtanon · November 16, 2011

I buy my tomatoes now from Fresh & Easy. They have a 16-oz pack of heirloom tomatoes for $2.79 here and they're all sorts of various mixed varieties. The thing is, they actually taste GOOD. Not great, mind you, but many I've had have ranked at least a 6/10 and I've had a couple in the 7/10 range.

lakelady · November 16, 2011

Taryn, I hear you! I have some tiny toms now on silvery fir tree, which gets mixed reviews for flavor, but boy, I have got to believe it is better than this.

Dust, oh you bet I ventured over to the dark side, drooling and all, I fell under the spell of a beauty all right lol....

And dang Ray, I KNEW, I just KNEW you'd put a teaser up there!! I almost made a comment just for you about that very thing, ha! But it's a lovely pic! mmm...what variety are those anyway? LOL

I got some compari's last month and they were pretty good for s tore bought, but these red beauties just caught my eye...and I was helplessly sold...you cannot eat fresh mozzarella without tomatoes in my opinion...

Fresh and Easy? I doubt we have any of those here. I may have to venture over to Trader Joe's they had heirlooms this summer, so maybe, just maybe, they'd have some now.

Boy it sure is going to be a long winter...especially if my indoor plants don't all fruit for me. Tasmanian Chocolate has a bud!! yay!

rnewste · November 17, 2011

The photos are of Wild Boar Farms varieties.

Raybo

OneDahlia · November 17, 2011

I went looking for tomatoes in the grocery store too last week.

Saw Campari, Kumato and Zima and bought all three, lol. I think the Zimas and Kumatos will be getting me through the winter. (I think my grocery bill will not thank me for discovering new tastes in tomatoes ... will have to ration these through the winter.)

coloken · November 17, 2011

Once in a while (very seldom) I have found one in the store that is fit to eat. My test is by smell. Several year back a store had one grown in the local green house after the the waist water from the local power plant that was reasonable good. Rumor was that it was from Gurney I saved seed and did several years from it, then lost my crop and seed.

kath · November 17, 2011

I buy one box of Camparis if they're in decent shape each time I go to the store which is about once/week and ration them. DH eats most of them sliced or in salads. I try to avoid thinking about tomatoes even being a possibility for part of a meal during the winter months.

The Kumatos are too pricey for me since I want to each the whole package at one sitting and I haven't tried the Zimas or Nature Sweets. Maybe I'll look for them next time the Camparis are on their way out.

Oh, and Raybo, where's your compassion?

KLorentz · November 17, 2011

Speaking of dwarfs If I had a good set up inside I would be starting Al-Kuffa right now.Then there would be no need to buy Campari

Kevin

b54red · November 17, 2011

Eating good home grown tomatoes this time of the year is the biggest reason for not wanting to live where the diseases and pests are not such a problem. I spend from late spring til early fall cursing the diseases and the bugs; but I really enjoy the reprieve we get from mid fall til winter. The only reason I will purchase a store bought tomato during the winter is to put a slice on a hamburger and I am always disappointed when I do.

sirtanon · November 17, 2011

So in case anyone is interested, and has a Fresh & Easy anywhere near them.. I went today to get lunch and found another great-looking package of their heirloom maters. Took some pics and thought I'd share the sort of stuff one might find.

So.. For $2.79 for a 1-lb package.

Pic 1 - The maters I got about 5 days ago
Pic 2 - The package including maters
Pic 3 - The maters I got today

... as you can see, there's quite a variety. In pic 3, the one on top looks to be about 8 oz. and the others about 5 and 3 oz. accordingly. I don't have a scale.

..and they really tasted quite good.

November 16, 2011	#1
lakelady Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: northern NJ zone 6b Posts: 1,862	I actually bought a tomato today It was so beautiful, so deep red, and so horribly tasteless. It was juicy, with no flavor at all. what a disappointment. I would have settled for anything, tart, sweet, acidic, but nope, nothing at all. Just labelled greenhouse tomato. Pretty as a picture, but tasteless. Had I not bought homemade mozzarella that this particular store makes themselves, I would not have even attempted to buy a tomato. But I did, and I regret it. Those of you in warmer regions are so lucky to have long growing seasons, or two seasons! What a bummer, I can't wait for summer! __________________ Antoniette

November 16, 2011	#7
sirtanon Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Phoenix, AZ (zone 9b) Posts: 796	I buy my tomatoes now from Fresh & Easy. They have a 16-oz pack of heirloom tomatoes for $2.79 here and they're all sorts of various mixed varieties. The thing is, they actually taste GOOD. Not great, mind you, but many I've had have ranked at least a 6/10 and I've had a couple in the 7/10 range. __________________ I could sail by on the winds of silence, and maybe they won't notice... but this time I think it would be better if I swim..

November 16, 2011	#8
lakelady Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: northern NJ zone 6b Posts: 1,862	Taryn, I hear you! I have some tiny toms now on silvery fir tree, which gets mixed reviews for flavor, but boy, I have got to believe it is better than this. Dust, oh you bet I ventured over to the dark side, drooling and all, I fell under the spell of a beauty all right lol.... And dang Ray, I KNEW, I just KNEW you'd put a teaser up there!! I almost made a comment just for you about that very thing, ha! But it's a lovely pic! mmm...what variety are those anyway? LOL I got some compari's last month and they were pretty good for s tore bought, but these red beauties just caught my eye...and I was helplessly sold...you cannot eat fresh mozzarella without tomatoes in my opinion... Fresh and Easy? I doubt we have any of those here. I may have to venture over to Trader Joe's they had heirlooms this summer, so maybe, just maybe, they'd have some now. Boy it sure is going to be a long winter...especially if my indoor plants don't all fruit for me. Tasmanian Chocolate has a bud!! yay! __________________ Antoniette

November 16, 2011	#2
tgplp Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Pacific North West, zone 8a Posts: 510	The best store bought tomatoes I buy are Camparis and Nature Sweets. Pretty good for a storebought! Other ones taste awful! I can't stand them. I wish summer would come soooooon, I wouldn't be obsessed with dwarfs and growing indoors if it was summer year round! And I still have forever to wait for my indoor toms... the biggest seedlings just got a pair of teeny true leaves peaking out between two cotydelons. Taryn

November 16, 2011	#3
dustdevil Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: WI, USA Zone4 Posts: 1,887	You need to attend the SBTA(Store Bought Tomato Anonymous) meetings more often to fend off temptation from the dark side. Fifteen Hail Heirloom Tomatoes for you

November 16, 2011	#4
rnewste Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Campbell, CA Posts: 4,064	lakelady, This is all I will say, without comment: Raybo

November 16, 2011	#6
akgardengirl Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Anchorage, AK zone 3/4 Posts: 1,410	I also buy Campari from Costco in the winter months and they aren't bad at all for a greenhouse tomato. Sue B.

November 17, 2011	#9
rnewste Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Campbell, CA Posts: 4,064	The photos are of Wild Boar Farms varieties. Raybo

November 17, 2011	#10
OneDahlia Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: 7a NO. VA. Posts: 202	I went looking for tomatoes in the grocery store too last week. Saw Campari, Kumato and Zima and bought all three, lol. I think the Zimas and Kumatos will be getting me through the winter. (I think my grocery bill will not thank me for discovering new tastes in tomatoes ... will have to ration these through the winter.)

November 17, 2011	#11
coloken Tomatovillian™ Honoree Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: NE Co Posts: 303	Once in a while (very seldom) I have found one in the store that is fit to eat. My test is by smell. Several year back a store had one grown in the local green house after the the waist water from the local power plant that was reasonable good. Rumor was that it was from Gurney I saved seed and did several years from it, then lost my crop and seed.

November 17, 2011	#12
kath Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: zone 6b, PA Posts: 5,664	I buy one box of Camparis if they're in decent shape each time I go to the store which is about once/week and ration them. DH eats most of them sliced or in salads. I try to avoid thinking about tomatoes even being a possibility for part of a meal during the winter months. The Kumatos are too pricey for me since I want to each the whole package at one sitting and I haven't tried the Zimas or Nature Sweets. Maybe I'll look for them next time the Camparis are on their way out. Oh, and Raybo, where's your compassion?

November 17, 2011	#13
KLorentz Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Stryker, Ohio Posts: 995	Speaking of dwarfs If I had a good set up inside I would be starting Al-Kuffa right now.Then there would be no need to buy Campari Kevin

November 17, 2011	#14
b54red Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Alabama Posts: 7,068	Eating good home grown tomatoes this time of the year is the biggest reason for not wanting to live where the diseases and pests are not such a problem. I spend from late spring til early fall cursing the diseases and the bugs; but I really enjoy the reprieve we get from mid fall til winter. The only reason I will purchase a store bought tomato during the winter is to put a slice on a hamburger and I am always disappointed when I do.