early medium red for salsa?

PaulF · December 12, 2006

As I have stated in the past, I like great big reds and pinks so I have not paid much attention to early medium sized tomatoes...... until now.

I have been pouring over my seed stock list, visiting the usual sites and have the SSE yearbook and catalogue off the shelf and near my reading chair. All of a sudden my wife, who in the past has tolerated my tomato fettish says to me: You know I need to defend my title as Grand Champion, People's Choice, A-Number One Salsa Queen of Nemaha County, so you need to find me an early, pretty, flavorful red tomato for the salsa and I'm not going to use any old hybrid so you need to find me a suitable heirloom because you have pounded into everyone's head how much better they are, so there!

I said, "Yes, dear. My friends at T-ville will help."

So, HELP!!.

jwr6404 · December 12, 2006

Paul
A couple of Pale Perfect Purple is the answer. It's a very prolific and tasty variety.
Jim

spudleafwillie · December 12, 2006

Paul,
Mine is not the common garden variety ordinary plain red salsa!!!

I make my salsa with Kimberly (red), Galinas (yellow), and Green Grape (green). Throw in a couple of japalenos or serranos,some ciltrano, chopped green onions, EVOO, red wine vinegar and you'll have a super Rainbow salsa to brag about for the Grand Champion, People's Choice, A-Number One Salsa Queen of Nemaha County!!!
Regards,
Spud

barkeater · December 12, 2006

The most solid, good tasting medium sized early red I know of is not an heirloom, but one of the old Harris hybrids called Pik Red. I've grown it for years and it is perfect for fresh salsa.

montanamato · December 12, 2006

I like medium, tangy fruit for salsa, and have usually used Dona, Bonny Best or Rutgers....Last summer used lots of Victoria and Dubok....A combo of several varieties works great too...Like Spudleaf suggested....I personally don't like the use of the large, juicy pinks...Even if the extra juice is drained off the flavor seems odd to me...Plus I often use the leftover fresh salsa for a few days and the red tomato salsa keeps its integrity better...

Jeanne

Earl · December 12, 2006

You may want to think about finding one of the heart shaped types. They're usually great tasting with thick flesh and don't give a lot of juice. Wes would be a good one, lots of others.

PaulF · December 13, 2006

Thanks for the advice so far and if others want to chime in, thanks for that also.

Spud: how about the chile pepper institute at New Mexico State University? Are the peppers they sell pretty good for your salsa?

Good idea to use the multicolored tomatoes and multicolored peppers as well. On to the State Fair the salsa will be so good.

spudleafwillie · December 13, 2006

Paul,
The NM Chile Institute is good source for chile seed. Try Numex Big Jim, a huge, but not too incendiary chile. Stressing it a bit by with holding water will jack up the heat a bit.
Regards,
Spud

Suze · December 13, 2006

Define early by your standards, and does it have to be red?

Along the lines of Earl's suggestion of using hearts, Kosovo (a pink) would be a good one to use. It's early for the size (med-large to large) and is great tasting. Wes would also be great and meets your requirements for a red, but just wasn't that early for me.

Kimberly is early, prolific, and fairly good tasting. A workhorse of a tomato.

Picardy and Ethel Watkins Best might also be suitable choices (both are early-mid to mid for me). Very good tasting, multi-purpose types.

I will say that I don't tend to think of varieties in terms of salsa types, though. If it happens to be sitting on the counter when I want to make salsa, then it's a "salsa" type. Anything is fair game.

The juicier types work just fine if diced up and allowed to rest/drain in a strainer for a while before preparation. Some folks like to lightly salt when putting in the strainer (to help draw out moisture).

PaulF · December 13, 2006

Early would mean ripe and pickable by the last week of July. Since I can plant outside in the second week of May by the latest that would be about twelve weeks (90 days) or every tomato I have ever planted. So I guess early doesn't mean much does it? Last year the last of July must have been in the donut hole; my early ones were resetting and the later tomatoes hadn't come on .

And I guess after reading the suggestion for multi-colored tomatoes and peppers, I will tell the salsa queen to make do with what we have available....which is what happened last year to win the blue ribbon.

But the suggestions for some of the varieties will be very helpful. Kosovo is the only seeds I have in stock. but the others are easy to obtain. Thanks for the input.

Tomstrees · December 13, 2006

My suggestion for salsa is a Greek variety:

Thessaloniki:

Likes the heat, productive, and tastey ...
Also should hold well when mixed with other ingredients ~

December 12, 2006	#1
PaulF Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Brownville, Ne Posts: 3,296	early medium red for salsa? As I have stated in the past, I like great big reds and pinks so I have not paid much attention to early medium sized tomatoes...... until now. I have been pouring over my seed stock list, visiting the usual sites and have the SSE yearbook and catalogue off the shelf and near my reading chair. All of a sudden my wife, who in the past has tolerated my tomato fettish says to me: You know I need to defend my title as Grand Champion, People's Choice, A-Number One Salsa Queen of Nemaha County, so you need to find me an early, pretty, flavorful red tomato for the salsa and I'm not going to use any old hybrid so you need to find me a suitable heirloom because you have pounded into everyone's head how much better they are, so there! I said, "Yes, dear. My friends at T-ville will help." So, HELP!!.

December 12, 2006	#2
jwr6404 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: University Place, WA Posts: 481	Paul A couple of Pale Perfect Purple is the answer. It's a very prolific and tasty variety. Jim __________________ Jim

December 12, 2006	#3
spudleafwillie Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Zone 7b sw New Mexico,. Posts: 197	Salsa maters Paul, Mine is not the common garden variety ordinary plain red salsa!!! I make my salsa with Kimberly (red), Galinas (yellow), and Green Grape (green). Throw in a couple of japalenos or serranos,some ciltrano, chopped green onions, EVOO, red wine vinegar and you'll have a super Rainbow salsa to brag about for the Grand Champion, People's Choice, A-Number One Salsa Queen of Nemaha County!!! Regards, Spud

December 13, 2006	#8
spudleafwillie Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Zone 7b sw New Mexico,. Posts: 197	EARLY REDS FOR SALSA.. NM CHILE RECOMMENDATIONS Paul, The NM Chile Institute is good source for chile seed. Try Numex Big Jim, a huge, but not too incendiary chile. Stressing it a bit by with holding water will jack up the heat a bit. Regards, Spud

December 13, 2006	#11
Tomstrees Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: NJ Bayshore Posts: 3,848	My suggestion for salsa is a Greek variety: Thessaloniki: Likes the heat, productive, and tastey ... Also should hold well when mixed with other ingredients ~ __________________ My green thumb came only as a result of the mistakes I made while learning to see things from the plant's point of view. ~ H. Fred Ale

December 12, 2006	#4
barkeater Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: NE Kingdom, VT - Zone 3b Posts: 1,439	The most solid, good tasting medium sized early red I know of is not an heirloom, but one of the old Harris hybrids called Pik Red. I've grown it for years and it is perfect for fresh salsa.

December 12, 2006	#5
montanamato Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Montana Posts: 1,038	I like medium, tangy fruit for salsa, and have usually used Dona, Bonny Best or Rutgers....Last summer used lots of Victoria and Dubok....A combo of several varieties works great too...Like Spudleaf suggested....I personally don't like the use of the large, juicy pinks...Even if the extra juice is drained off the flavor seems odd to me...Plus I often use the leftover fresh salsa for a few days and the red tomato salsa keeps its integrity better... Jeanne

December 12, 2006	#6
Earl Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: SW Ohio Posts: 1,278	You may want to think about finding one of the heart shaped types. They're usually great tasting with thick flesh and don't give a lot of juice. Wes would be a good one, lots of others.

December 13, 2006	#9
Suze Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Texas Posts: 3,027	Define early by your standards, and does it have to be red? Along the lines of Earl's suggestion of using hearts, Kosovo (a pink) would be a good one to use. It's early for the size (med-large to large) and is great tasting. Wes would also be great and meets your requirements for a red, but just wasn't that early for me. Kimberly is early, prolific, and fairly good tasting. A workhorse of a tomato. Picardy and Ethel Watkins Best might also be suitable choices (both are early-mid to mid for me). Very good tasting, multi-purpose types. I will say that I don't tend to think of varieties in terms of salsa types, though. If it happens to be sitting on the counter when I want to make salsa, then it's a "salsa" type. Anything is fair game. The juicier types work just fine if diced up and allowed to rest/drain in a strainer for a while before preparation. Some folks like to lightly salt when putting in the strainer (to help draw out moisture).