Question for All You Oxheart Fans...

zabby17 · August 27, 2012

This is my first year growing oxhearts, unless Opalka counts.

I've grown Olpalka for several years and love the way it's so solid and meaty without being dry or mealy, and what I've been reading from satisfied oxheart growers suggested they had similar virtues.

This year I ended up growing Portugal, Nips, and Fish Lake Oxheart.

All three are producing large, solid, meaty, tasty tomatoes. Both Portugal and Nips are producing LOTS of them. (Fish Lake, while the fastest starter, slowed down quickly.)

But these are some gnarled, nasty, misshapen fruits! Full of odd protrusions, scars (especially in the form of what seems to be longitudinal cracking).

Is this typical? This summer has been so unusual weatherwise---SO hot at first, then with some sudden wet bursts, so what I'm imagining is misshapenness coming from imperfect fruit set in the drought, followed by a tendency to crack as the water came in sudden, wet waves.

I don't mind an "ugly" fruit---tasty is what matters to me, or I wouldn't be growing my own at all! But it does take a lot more work to process tomatoes for sauce or salsa when they're a mess like this. The skins don't slip off easily in one piece, scarred or bruised bits have to be trimmed away, etc.

Now, I'm much more willing to take this trouble on larger toms---these are some BIG fruits. Three Portugals were enough for a batch of salsa.

But I am wondering if this is typical of oxhearts, or maybe of these varieties, or if, as I suspect, it's the result of this season's particular circumstances? I'll definitely try several oxheart types next year, too, but would like to hear what others, esp. in similar zones, have experienced....

Thanks,

Z

b54red · August 27, 2012

I have found the hearts tend to be smoother and more uniform than usual for tomatoes. It sounds like you have had a problem with the weather or disease causing less than stellar fruit.
Just for purely beautiful fruit in the hearts the ones that have been the most uniform and consistent for me were Kosovo, Hungarian Heart and Linnie's Oxheart.

greyghost · August 27, 2012

Zabby, I've had loads of fruit like that this year. So many misshapened
fruits in general but many that were split, revealing healed over seed cavities-
either green or darkened. Lots of bubbly black scars at the blossom end.
Probably more on some varieties than others although I think it was related to
very hot, then cool (especially at night), then hot weather again. It just
seemed to cycle back and forth many times. I've never before picked off
so many ugly fruits (I hate them-they're so hard to cut into usuable pieces-
forget slices!). Sort of like cat-facing, but splitting deep into the flesh.

deerhunter · August 27, 2012

i grow austrailian red oxhearts. been saving seeds for 15 yrs. best tasting , best looking and the biggest tomatoes i ever had. been giving seeds to friends and they rave about the results. they do tend to crack after a heavy rain or in humid weather. but i don't care. eat em anyways,mmmmmm.my favotate.

halleone · August 28, 2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by b54red

I have found the hearts tend to be smoother and more uniform than usual for tomatoes. It sounds like you have had a problem with the weather or disease causing less than stellar fruit.

This is also what I have found, in my very limited experience, with hearts over the past few years.

This year my best tomato was a possible cross of Black and Red Boar; they are close to picture perfect and they taste wonderful to me. Our weather has been up to 105 for weeks on end, but they have done fine. Whether or not this really is a cross or just due to the oddball weather remains to be seen - as the summer progressed, I did get some round fruits. Where some of the other tomatoes cracked occasionally, this little heart rarely did.

Lynn

Firstcrush · August 29, 2012

I haven't experience that with Oxhearts. My Yellow Oxheart is usually my most beautiful and biggest tomato. Sorry you are having trouble

zabby17 · August 30, 2012

Firstcrush,

Can you recommend a seed source for Yellow Oxheart? I love yellow tomatoes!

I wouldn't really say I'm having "trouble"---the toms are healthy, large, tasty, and plentiful, so I can't complain! And there are plenty of varieties I know and love that I expect to be "ugly" (Black Krim is often catfaced and misshapen for me, for example). But I expected oxhearts to be smooth and regular, so was surpised they were gnarly-looking. Thanks to you and to all for sharing their experiences with them!

Z, who's put up 47 jars of sauce & salsa in the past five days (mostly only half-pints, to be sure), so is suddenly VERY familiar with how easy to peel or not her varieties are

kath · August 30, 2012

Some varieties that I grew this year had some fruits that were 'gnarly-looking'- a bit misshapen, side zippers with some openings, radial cracks, etc. but many of the fruits looked fine. Hays' Tomato produced perfect fruits all season long and are about the only tomatoes out there now without radial cracking at the stem.

tjg911 · August 30, 2012

sorry i did not read replies, in a rush.

opalka is a paste not an oxheart or heart. i assume you want to process these as your comment re how hard the skins are to remove when all gnarly. hearts aren't going to provide the solid dry texture of pastes or opalka in this case.

i grew fish lake 1st time, lot of fruits, not gnarly, didn't get that many to eat so far slow to ripen tho the 1st to ripen (explain that!), some were good but definitely not up to the heart standard i want re taste and some were so so, not impressed at all.

i suggest a tomato strainer, it separates pulp from skin and seeds then the cat facing is moot. they are about $60-65.

tom

zabby17 · August 30, 2012

> sorry i did not read replies, in a rush.

No worries, Tom. I just wanted to clarify that I wasn't complaining (much)---there is much to like about these tomatoes!

> opalka is a paste not an oxheart or heart.

Thanks! I was wondering if it might count as a heart, or act like one in some ways, because it does have that non-round shape.

> i assume you want to process these as your comment re how hard the skins are to remove when all gnarly. hearts aren't going to provide the solid dry texture of pastes or opalka in this case.

I do process a lot, and I don't insist on the really dry paste texture for that---I make tomato sauce from a mix of heirloom types. I have a food mill, the Foley type, which separates pulp after a little cooking to soften. Works great, and that is indeed often what I do with those "gnarly" fruits!

For salsa and for crushed tomatoes, though, I need to peel first. We go through a LOT of salsa. Was working on a batch the other day when I was muttering at the bu**-ugly hearts.

>> i grew fish lake 1st time, lot of fruits, not gnarly, didn't get that many to eat so far slow to ripen tho the 1st to ripen (explain that!)

Tom, me too! I had a Fish Lake before almost any other large fruit, but now it's slacked off.

Thanks so much for your input as an experienced heart grower!

Zabby

Solanum315 · August 30, 2012

Z,
I had very much the same experience. This was my most photogenic oxheart this year and even this one was cracked. Last year these fruit were perfect.
http://www.tomatoville.com/showpost....3&postcount=15

TomNJ · August 31, 2012

Hi Zab,

I can't speak to Portugal, Nips, or Fish Lake Oxheart, but Kosovo is a staple in my garden and the tomatoes are usually smooth and beautiful. They are ideal for canning - large, meaty, sweet & delicious with very little white fiber in the core and virtually no scabs.

I can mostly salsa and use a Victorio tomato strainer with a salsa screen (1/4" holes) for a chuncky output. No need to precook as with the Foley mill, just quarter the washed raw tomatoes and run them through - fast and easy. Love that machine!

TomNJ

halleone · August 31, 2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by TomNJ

I can mostly salsa and use a Victorio tomato strainer with a salsa screen (1/4" holes) for a chuncky output. No need to precook as with the Foley mill, just quarter the washed raw tomatoes and run them through - fast and easy. Love that machine!

TomNJ

Off topic, but I would be lost without my Victorio strainer! I got it on E-Bay for about $35, and the old Foley was retired shortly thereafter. The Victorio really does its job, there are never any seeds in the end product, and the seeds don't get stuck in its screen like they do with the Foley.

zabby17 · September 3, 2012

I've heard many raves about that Vittorio!

My little Foley mostly does the job for me---$25 on Amazon some years ago, a step up from the knock-off brand I got for $3 at Goodwill that had a plastic frame and cheaply plated screens starting to rust in a bad way. I often do small batches (e.g., today I did a batch of sauce from just yellow tomatoes in yesterday's picking, came out about four cups).

But for the couple of times a year I do a really big batch of sauce, I could definitely use the Vittorio rather than having to clean out the Foley screen a couple of times in the batch. One day when I see the right sale I'll try it!

I think I'm doomed to peeling for salsa, though, because I like it chunkier than even the "salsa screens" produce. And for crushed tomatoes. Did a small batch of them today, too, processed in the same cannerload as the yellow sauce.

This past weekend I used the best appliance yet for my salsa: a pair of extra hands! My nephew came to visit for some R&R after a tough year at college, and I put him to work chopping, paying him with a few jars of salsa. ;-)

Z
P.S. Thanks, too, Tom, for the experiences with Kosovo. I will definitely try it. Mind you, I ended up with Portugal on a very similar recommendation from someone else.

P.P.S. Scott, sounds like I'm not alone! I think your weather was much like ours, in the ricochet from drought to downpour.... Luckily, I love even my non-beautiful babies....

August 27, 2012	#1
zabby17 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Ontario Posts: 211	Question for All You Oxheart Fans... This is my first year growing oxhearts, unless Opalka counts. I've grown Olpalka for several years and love the way it's so solid and meaty without being dry or mealy, and what I've been reading from satisfied oxheart growers suggested they had similar virtues. This year I ended up growing Portugal, Nips, and Fish Lake Oxheart. All three are producing large, solid, meaty, tasty tomatoes. Both Portugal and Nips are producing LOTS of them. (Fish Lake, while the fastest starter, slowed down quickly.) But these are some gnarled, nasty, misshapen fruits! Full of odd protrusions, scars (especially in the form of what seems to be longitudinal cracking). Is this typical? This summer has been so unusual weatherwise---SO hot at first, then with some sudden wet bursts, so what I'm imagining is misshapenness coming from imperfect fruit set in the drought, followed by a tendency to crack as the water came in sudden, wet waves. I don't mind an "ugly" fruit---tasty is what matters to me, or I wouldn't be growing my own at all! But it does take a lot more work to process tomatoes for sauce or salsa when they're a mess like this. The skins don't slip off easily in one piece, scarred or bruised bits have to be trimmed away, etc. Now, I'm much more willing to take this trouble on larger toms---these are some BIG fruits. Three Portugals were enough for a batch of salsa. But I am wondering if this is typical of oxhearts, or maybe of these varieties, or if, as I suspect, it's the result of this season's particular circumstances? I'll definitely try several oxheart types next year, too, but would like to hear what others, esp. in similar zones, have experienced.... Thanks, Z

August 30, 2012	#9
tjg911 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: zone 5b northwest connecticut Posts: 2,570	sorry i did not read replies, in a rush. opalka is a paste not an oxheart or heart. i assume you want to process these as your comment re how hard the skins are to remove when all gnarly. hearts aren't going to provide the solid dry texture of pastes or opalka in this case. i grew fish lake 1st time, lot of fruits, not gnarly, didn't get that many to eat so far slow to ripen tho the 1st to ripen (explain that!), some were good but definitely not up to the heart standard i want re taste and some were so so, not impressed at all. i suggest a tomato strainer, it separates pulp from skin and seeds then the cat facing is moot. they are about $60-65. tom __________________ I need a hero I’m holding out for a hero ‘til the end of the night He’s gotta be strong And he’s gotta be fast And he’s gotta be fresh from the fight I need a hero I’m holding out for a hero ‘til the morning light He’s gotta be sure And it’s gotta be soon And he’s gotta be larger than life

August 30, 2012	#11
Solanum315 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: New York Posts: 244	Z, I had very much the same experience. This was my most photogenic oxheart this year and even this one was cracked. Last year these fruit were perfect. http://www.tomatoville.com/showpost....3&postcount=15 __________________ Scott http://worldtomatoes.blogspot.com/

August 27, 2012	#2
b54red Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Alabama Posts: 7,068	I have found the hearts tend to be smoother and more uniform than usual for tomatoes. It sounds like you have had a problem with the weather or disease causing less than stellar fruit. Just for purely beautiful fruit in the hearts the ones that have been the most uniform and consistent for me were Kosovo, Hungarian Heart and Linnie's Oxheart.

August 27, 2012	#3
greyghost Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: southeastern PA Posts: 760	Zabby, I've had loads of fruit like that this year. So many misshapened fruits in general but many that were split, revealing healed over seed cavities- either green or darkened. Lots of bubbly black scars at the blossom end. Probably more on some varieties than others although I think it was related to very hot, then cool (especially at night), then hot weather again. It just seemed to cycle back and forth many times. I've never before picked off so many ugly fruits (I hate them-they're so hard to cut into usuable pieces- forget slices!). Sort of like cat-facing, but splitting deep into the flesh.

August 27, 2012	#4
deerhunter Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: hopkinton ma. Posts: 70	i grow austrailian red oxhearts. been saving seeds for 15 yrs. best tasting , best looking and the biggest tomatoes i ever had. been giving seeds to friends and they rave about the results. they do tend to crack after a heavy rain or in humid weather. but i don't care. eat em anyways,mmmmmm.my favotate.

August 29, 2012	#6
Firstcrush Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: San Francisco Bay Area, CA Posts: 20	I haven't experience that with Oxhearts. My Yellow Oxheart is usually my most beautiful and biggest tomato. Sorry you are having trouble

August 30, 2012	#8
kath Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: zone 6b, PA Posts: 5,664	Some varieties that I grew this year had some fruits that were 'gnarly-looking'- a bit misshapen, side zippers with some openings, radial cracks, etc. but many of the fruits looked fine. Hays' Tomato produced perfect fruits all season long and are about the only tomatoes out there now without radial cracking at the stem.

August 31, 2012	#12
TomNJ Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2009 Location: Floyd VA Posts: 771	Hi Zab, I can't speak to Portugal, Nips, or Fish Lake Oxheart, but Kosovo is a staple in my garden and the tomatoes are usually smooth and beautiful. They are ideal for canning - large, meaty, sweet & delicious with very little white fiber in the core and virtually no scabs. I can mostly salsa and use a Victorio tomato strainer with a salsa screen (1/4" holes) for a chuncky output. No need to precook as with the Foley mill, just quarter the washed raw tomatoes and run them through - fast and easy. Love that machine! TomNJ

September 3, 2012	#14
zabby17 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Ontario Posts: 211	I've heard many raves about that Vittorio! My little Foley mostly does the job for me---$25 on Amazon some years ago, a step up from the knock-off brand I got for $3 at Goodwill that had a plastic frame and cheaply plated screens starting to rust in a bad way. I often do small batches (e.g., today I did a batch of sauce from just yellow tomatoes in yesterday's picking, came out about four cups). But for the couple of times a year I do a really big batch of sauce, I could definitely use the Vittorio rather than having to clean out the Foley screen a couple of times in the batch. One day when I see the right sale I'll try it! I think I'm doomed to peeling for salsa, though, because I like it chunkier than even the "salsa screens" produce. And for crushed tomatoes. Did a small batch of them today, too, processed in the same cannerload as the yellow sauce. This past weekend I used the best appliance yet for my salsa: a pair of extra hands! My nephew came to visit for some R&R after a tough year at college, and I put him to work chopping, paying him with a few jars of salsa. ;-) Z P.S. Thanks, too, Tom, for the experiences with Kosovo. I will definitely try it. Mind you, I ended up with Portugal on a very similar recommendation from someone else. P.P.S. Scott, sounds like I'm not alone! I think your weather was much like ours, in the ricochet from drought to downpour.... Luckily, I love even my non-beautiful babies....