What's your favorite variety with old-fashioned taste?

sjamesNorway · September 1, 2015

There must be other threads on this subject, but I haven't been able to find them. You know what I'm looking for: the tomato that tastes like the one your father or grandfather grew, that always tasted great. Only your favorite please, not favorites. (I know it's not easy.)

Steve

Father'sDaughter · September 1, 2015

Of all the ones I've grown so far (not many compared to some other members), I have to say it's the Franchi cherry I grow.

It was a variety they sold as their cherry offering in 2010/2011 which I purchased after the former owner of Seeds From Italy raved about it in his newsletter. I've grown it every year since and it's my go to for tomato basil salads, bruschetta topping, pizza topping (it's amazing roasted)--basically any dish that needs that old fashioned, pure tomato flavor.

It's not a huge producer, but once it gets going I get a bowl full a week, and it's always the last plant still alive and producing at the end of the season. The fruit are perfectly cherry shaped and weight just shy of an ounce.

I've never tried any of the current Franchi cherry offerings, but the picture on the seed packets look completely different from what I grow.

**carolyn137** · September 1, 2015

Only ONE variety that my father or grandfather grew? You aren't making this easy are you. My grandfather didn't grow tomatoes but my father did, many acres of them, and I guess of all the ones he grew the one with the best old fashioned taste, great yield and whatever, would be, tada

Rutgers

Carolyn

sjamesNorway · September 1, 2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by carolyn137

Only ONE variety that my father or grandfather grew? You aren't making this easy are you. My grandfather didn't grow tomatoes but my father did, many acres of them, and I guess of all the ones he grew the one with the best old fashioned taste, great yield and whatever, would be, tada

Rutgers

Carolyn

I've edited the first post a bit. I don't know which variety my father grew, and there are probably others that don't, so: "the tomato that tastes like..."

I've been following the JERSEY TOMATO thread. Rutgers seems to be in a kind of limbo?

**carolyn137** · September 1, 2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by sjamesNorway

I've edited the first post a bit. I don't know which variety my father grew, and there are probably others that don't, so: "the tomato that tastes like..."

I've been following the JERSEY TOMATO thread. Rutgers seems to be in a kind of limbo?

Yes, I see you did edit it so folks could post more than one, but since I posted just ONE, I follow directions,

, I'll still stick to my original answer of Rutgers, even if it in time becomes a SUPER Rutgers when they create the NEW Rutgers.

http://tatianastomatobase.com/wiki/R...d_Availability

Carolyn

Tormato · September 1, 2015

Brandywine Sudduth - superb old-fashioned taste ~1 in every 5 years, very good but not great taste ~3 in 5 years, a dud ~1 in 5 years.

AlittleSalt · September 1, 2015

Next spring, we'll be growing larger tomatoes - I could answer better after tasting those.

We really like Bradley as a large tomato and Porter is our favorite old fashion tasting small tomato.

AKmark · September 1, 2015

I have a Sudduth's mystery cross that is at least an f5 now, it has a very rich complex tomato taste, and when you smell them, they reek like tomato. Just imagine a perfect Sudduth's in a perfect year, that is grown on the dry side.
They are shaped like a pear for the most part, a few tomatoes on the plant look like mini beefsteaks, where one end is bigger than the other. I plan on giving out a bunch of seed at the end of next season, so we can see how they do elsewhere. I also segregated them into a red line and a pink line, both are just excellent, and have the same shape. Next years plants should show little variation as I stabilize the cross.

PaulF · September 1, 2015

My father grew only the Boys, Girls, Betters etc. None of them were anything but spitters. We all had to pile on the sugar just to eat them. The closest to an old fashioned tomato that I really like is Old Brooks.

sjamesNorway · September 1, 2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by carolyn137

Yes, I see you did edit it so folks could post more than one, but since I posted just ONE, I follow directions,

, I'll still stick to my original answer of Rutgers, even if it in time becomes a SUPER Rutgers when they create the NEW Rutgers.

http://tatianastomatobase.com/wiki/R...d_Availability

Carolyn

Well then, I'm just going to have to try Rutgers (one of them anyway).

Steve

Hellmanns · September 1, 2015

To me, there is but only one perfectly flavored 'mater, and that would be Sudduth's Brandywine. A great flavor every year here, some years I would describe it as orgasmic..

barefootgardener · September 1, 2015

Brandywine.. Been growing it for over 25 years. One of the first heirloom varieties I started growing, and since then it is hard to find any that compare, and that says a lot.

Ginny

Cole_Robbie · September 2, 2015

My best 'old-time red' of the year was a Peiping Chieh.

Ed of Somis · September 2, 2015

I have to say....the Brandywine Cowlick's that Camo had touted is really, really good. It takes me back...I sure wonder how it might compare to Sudduth's.

sjamesNorway · September 2, 2015

Thanks everyone for your feedback so far. The Brandywines, especially Sudduth's, have consistently come up on the radar since I began looking for good varieties. I've been leery of trying them, because of limited garden/greenhouse space and their famous inconsistency. Maybe I should try Cowlick's? (AKMark, Your cross sounds very interesting. Is it consistent? How's the production?)

I know I didn't list consistency or production as criteria when I started this thread, but maybe I should have asked for second best. My taste buds may be getting old (at 67?), and I may not have the capacity to experience that taste again. I never heard a name for the tomatoes my dad grew. He just bought plants, and the fruit were delicious and plentiful, from the '50s through the '80s. They were determinate, but in NH we ended up ripening the last ones in windows.

Of the plants I grew this year, the ones from the greenhouse that stayed healthy and tasted best were: Sean's Yellow Dwarf, Dwarf Sweet Sue, Dwarf Jade Beauty, Green Giant, Spudakee, and (the one that came closest to that old-fashioned flavor) - Nepal. They will be returning next year. Earl's Faux, Little Lucky, Dwarf Mr. Snow, Brandy Boy, and Polish all suffered from early blight, and were mostly bland.

In a terrible year for outdoor tomatoes, 101 days (!) after they were planted out, we've had 4 or 5 Kimberleys that are old-fashioned good. I'm still hoping some Azoychka, Goose Creek and Perth Pride will ripen before frost.

Among the varieties I'm considering so far for next year in the greenhouse are: Rutgers, Rebel Yell, Neves Azorian Red, Eva Purple Ball, Pink Berkeley Tie-Die, German Johnson (Benton's), S.N.F. Love Apple, Goose Creek (pink) and Old Brooks. (Salt, I'll be checking out Bradley and Porter.) In the garden: Moravsky Div, Maya and Sion's A.C., Anna Russian and Moskvich.

I would appreciate any comments on these, or more varieties with old fashioned taste.

Steve

September 1, 2015	#1
sjamesNorway Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Oct 2014 Location: Norway Posts: 1,049	What's your favorite variety with old-fashioned taste? There must be other threads on this subject, but I haven't been able to find them. You know what I'm looking for: the tomato that tastes like the one your father or grandfather grew, that always tasted great. Only your favorite please, not favorites. (I know it's not easy.) Steve Last edited by sjamesNorway; September 1, 2015 at 10:42 AM.

September 1, 2015	#3
carolyn137 Moderator Emeritus Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Upstate NY, zone 4b/5a Posts: 21,169	Only ONE variety that my father or grandfather grew? You aren't making this easy are you. My grandfather didn't grow tomatoes but my father did, many acres of them, and I guess of all the ones he grew the one with the best old fashioned taste, great yield and whatever, would be, tada Rutgers Carolyn __________________ Carolyn

September 1, 2015	#9
PaulF Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Brownville, Ne Posts: 3,296	My father grew only the Boys, Girls, Betters etc. None of them were anything but spitters. We all had to pile on the sugar just to eat them. The closest to an old fashioned tomato that I really like is Old Brooks. __________________ there's two things money can't buy; true love and home grown tomatoes.

September 2, 2015	#15
sjamesNorway Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Oct 2014 Location: Norway Posts: 1,049	Second best? Thanks everyone for your feedback so far. The Brandywines, especially Sudduth's, have consistently come up on the radar since I began looking for good varieties. I've been leery of trying them, because of limited garden/greenhouse space and their famous inconsistency. Maybe I should try Cowlick's? (AKMark, Your cross sounds very interesting. Is it consistent? How's the production?) I know I didn't list consistency or production as criteria when I started this thread, but maybe I should have asked for second best. My taste buds may be getting old (at 67?), and I may not have the capacity to experience that taste again. I never heard a name for the tomatoes my dad grew. He just bought plants, and the fruit were delicious and plentiful, from the '50s through the '80s. They were determinate, but in NH we ended up ripening the last ones in windows. Of the plants I grew this year, the ones from the greenhouse that stayed healthy and tasted best were: Sean's Yellow Dwarf, Dwarf Sweet Sue, Dwarf Jade Beauty, Green Giant, Spudakee, and (the one that came closest to that old-fashioned flavor) - Nepal. They will be returning next year. Earl's Faux, Little Lucky, Dwarf Mr. Snow, Brandy Boy, and Polish all suffered from early blight, and were mostly bland. In a terrible year for outdoor tomatoes, 101 days (!) after they were planted out, we've had 4 or 5 Kimberleys that are old-fashioned good. I'm still hoping some Azoychka, Goose Creek and Perth Pride will ripen before frost. Among the varieties I'm considering so far for next year in the greenhouse are: Rutgers, Rebel Yell, Neves Azorian Red, Eva Purple Ball, Pink Berkeley Tie-Die, German Johnson (Benton's), S.N.F. Love Apple, Goose Creek (pink) and Old Brooks. (Salt, I'll be checking out Bradley and Porter.) In the garden: Moravsky Div, Maya and Sion's A.C., Anna Russian and Moskvich. I would appreciate any comments on these, or more varieties with old fashioned taste. Steve Last edited by sjamesNorway; September 2, 2015 at 05:33 AM.

September 1, 2015	#2
Father'sDaughter Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: MA/NH Border Posts: 4,919	Of all the ones I've grown so far (not many compared to some other members), I have to say it's the Franchi cherry I grow. It was a variety they sold as their cherry offering in 2010/2011 which I purchased after the former owner of Seeds From Italy raved about it in his newsletter. I've grown it every year since and it's my go to for tomato basil salads, bruschetta topping, pizza topping (it's amazing roasted)--basically any dish that needs that old fashioned, pure tomato flavor. It's not a huge producer, but once it gets going I get a bowl full a week, and it's always the last plant still alive and producing at the end of the season. The fruit are perfectly cherry shaped and weight just shy of an ounce. I've never tried any of the current Franchi cherry offerings, but the picture on the seed packets look completely different from what I grow.

September 1, 2015	#6
Tormato Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: MA Posts: 4,971	Brandywine Sudduth - superb old-fashioned taste ~1 in every 5 years, very good but not great taste ~3 in 5 years, a dud ~1 in 5 years.

September 1, 2015	#7
AlittleSalt BANNED FOR LIFE Join Date: May 2014 Posts: 13,333	Next spring, we'll be growing larger tomatoes - I could answer better after tasting those. We really like Bradley as a large tomato and Porter is our favorite old fashion tasting small tomato.

September 1, 2015	#8
AKmark Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: Wasilla Alaska Posts: 2,010	I have a Sudduth's mystery cross that is at least an f5 now, it has a very rich complex tomato taste, and when you smell them, they reek like tomato. Just imagine a perfect Sudduth's in a perfect year, that is grown on the dry side. They are shaped like a pear for the most part, a few tomatoes on the plant look like mini beefsteaks, where one end is bigger than the other. I plan on giving out a bunch of seed at the end of next season, so we can see how they do elsewhere. I also segregated them into a red line and a pink line, both are just excellent, and have the same shape. Next years plants should show little variation as I stabilize the cross.

September 1, 2015	#11
Hellmanns Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2014 Location: kentucky Posts: 1,116	To me, there is but only one perfectly flavored 'mater, and that would be Sudduth's Brandywine. A great flavor every year here, some years I would describe it as orgasmic..

September 1, 2015	#12
barefootgardener Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Michigan Zone 4b Posts: 1,291	Brandywine.. Been growing it for over 25 years. One of the first heirloom varieties I started growing, and since then it is hard to find any that compare, and that says a lot. Ginny

September 2, 2015	#13
Cole_Robbie Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Illinois, zone 6 Posts: 8,407	My best 'old-time red' of the year was a Peiping Chieh.

September 2, 2015	#14
Ed of Somis Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: Somis, Ca Posts: 649	I have to say....the Brandywine Cowlick's that Camo had touted is really, really good. It takes me back...I sure wonder how it might compare to Sudduth's.