Earl's Faux - Tasting Notes

Grub · February 18, 2006

We just ate our first one, a nice big ripe pink Earl's Faux, and I must say it's a sensational tomato. Sweet, a touch fruity, balanced, meaty and just madly moreish. It rates on my scorecard right up there with Brandywine Sudduth and Marianna's Peace, my two favourite tomatoes. Now I have a top three and they're inseparable.

I should also add that my partner, who has eaten sooo many tomatoes this past month, said it was the best of the season. It's a real standout in every way. And now, half an hour later, she's on the couch going "yum, mmm, ooh, ahhh..."

Now, if we can just get that plant in earlier and the production to rise I'd almost stop my search

lumierefrere · February 18, 2006

Thanks, Grub, you've made EF sound very alluring and desirable. How about a photo? How large is it?

It's so great to read a glowing report and have a good supply of seeds already in my stash. It's exactly the opposite feeling of having Isis Candy seeds and then have everyone start saying it's so problematic.

Barb

Grub · February 18, 2006

Barb,
We ate it. All gone. But there is a pic of the fruit in my Grub Update thread. I'll have to snap a pic of a sliced one in future. I'm usually so keen to tuck in I forget at this point

If you get some EFs I think you will really like the taste.

Grub

lumierefrere · February 18, 2006

I sure hope so, Grub. I'll go take a look at it now. I had Marianna's Peace last season. Maybe I would have liked that a whole lot better if I had the experience of so many people in that they hardly had any fruit at all. My plant was weighted down with all the fruit, so huge they were, too. And unremarkable in taste. So I'm taking my palate and moving on.

Grub · February 18, 2006

Barb,
Sure doesn't sound like the Marianna's Peace I've grown. In fact, wait a second... just checked. Still no fruit set yet. It isn't prolific in my patch, but the PL tastes great when it does produce.
Cheers, Grub

lumierefrere · February 18, 2006

Exactly! It pulled down the Stupice on one side of it and the Chernomor on the other. It was huge and there were so many fruit.

I can't guarantee it was MP. I got it from a seedbank and ...hmmm, the Dr. Carolyn Pink was red, the Black Krim was small, round and a horrible reddish green that tasted worse than it looked. Maybe it wasn't MP after all. It looked like one, tho. It was RL and everything. (I'm kidding, it was a PL.)

Raymondo · February 18, 2006

It's a tomato I'm destined never to try. Last year fruit fly got 'em all! This year, the first batch died in a late freeze. In the second batch, only one survived to plant-out and it later succumbed during this year's spider mite plague, as did almost everything else.
Time to move on!

Earl · February 19, 2006

If I can figure out how to post in the Gallery, I'll post some Faux pics so everyone will know if they have Faux.

Grub, your partner saying "yum, mmm, ooh, ahhh..." might be a bit x-rated. :-) But my wife agrees with her and wife says Faux's flesh is 'silky' whatever the hell that means. :-)

Grub · February 19, 2006

Hi Earl,
The texture is very good. Not too seedy or watery, meaty, yes, but not mealy. The flavour's great and it's still our best thus far.

Next year I'm going to get my PL pinks in earlier to improve the yield. In your zone, from what I have seen before, you get big harvests of this one. So maybe it likes it a little cooler than our present 90F and 80 per cent humidity.

Now my second Earl's Faux has fruitset. As does Green Giant

Earl · February 19, 2006

Grub. It seems to be slow to get cranked up, but once it does it comes on strong. When it reaches its growth potential [in the fall] it sets a lot of fruit. I'd like to have an extra 30-60 Fall days to just what it would do. What was your DTM? I think mine was about 75 days last year.

These were off one plant last year.

58 fruit off one plant

Here's the plant

Grub · February 19, 2006

That's a truly exceptional yield off one plant, Earl!

Just goes to show the variations between climates.

Hey, maybe I can get my two plants to party on through winter? I did that with a B.Sudduth once and got about 20 fruits in spring from an 18-month old plant that gave me zero in summer.

Ideally, I'd like to see early Spring fruitset that ripens in the warmer months. Then again, such is the depth of flavour that even fall fruit probably tastes delicious.

I'll keep you posted on this thread about how they perform in the somewhat more temperate months ahead. Both plants are 4ft tall, so plenty of scope for growth. Though it's no Polish (the strain I have growing also hails from you and it's very good in the heat).

Thanks for getting the seeds out there. Good growing and I'll be following your season and threads for new discoveries

Grub

Kathy_Wa · February 20, 2006

I only got about 1 or 2 ripe ones here in shady WA, but dang this was a winner as far as taste goes. Next year or so I'll be starting these in Jan, not Feb so I can enjoy a lot more.

Grub · February 20, 2006

Kathy,
You mean WA as in West Aussie as in Sandgroper? Have we a compatriot here?
Cheers, Grub.

Tomstrees · February 21, 2006

I think I'm going to try to do that whole "grass-clipping" idea this year ~ Tom

bully · February 21, 2006

I still remember like it was yesterday when I bit into my 1st Earl's Faux Red Brandywine.

I was in the kitchen and I sliced it on top of the dishwasher with no cutting board..Which should tell you that Mrs. Bully was not anywhere around.

It was like a special effect in the Matrix movie..the room spun the taste hit my taste buds and time stopped. I was standing in a time/space rip as the flavor from that tomato washed over my tongue..I remember pumping my fist in the air..honest to God.

All I can say about that tomato is that it not only hits the high note..it holds it..like Streisand.

February 18, 2006	#1
Grub Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Sydney, Australia Posts: 2,722	Earl's Faux - Tasting Notes We just ate our first one, a nice big ripe pink Earl's Faux, and I must say it's a sensational tomato. Sweet, a touch fruity, balanced, meaty and just madly moreish. It rates on my scorecard right up there with Brandywine Sudduth and Marianna's Peace, my two favourite tomatoes. Now I have a top three and they're inseparable. I should also add that my partner, who has eaten sooo many tomatoes this past month, said it was the best of the season. It's a real standout in every way. And now, half an hour later, she's on the couch going "yum, mmm, ooh, ahhh..." Now, if we can just get that plant in earlier and the production to rise I'd almost stop my search

February 18, 2006	#3
Grub Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Sydney, Australia Posts: 2,722	All Gone Barb, We ate it. All gone. But there is a pic of the fruit in my Grub Update thread. I'll have to snap a pic of a sliced one in future. I'm usually so keen to tuck in I forget at this point If you get some EFs I think you will really like the taste. Grub

February 18, 2006	#5
Grub Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Sydney, Australia Posts: 2,722	Marianna's Peace Barb, Sure doesn't sound like the Marianna's Peace I've grown. In fact, wait a second... just checked. Still no fruit set yet. It isn't prolific in my patch, but the PL tastes great when it does produce. Cheers, Grub

February 18, 2006	#7
Raymondo Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Saumarez Ponds, NSW, Australia Posts: 946	It's a tomato I'm destined never to try. Last year fruit fly got 'em all! This year, the first batch died in a late freeze. In the second batch, only one survived to plant-out and it later succumbed during this year's spider mite plague, as did almost everything else. Time to move on! __________________ Ray

February 19, 2006	#9
Grub Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Sydney, Australia Posts: 2,722	Texture Hi Earl, The texture is very good. Not too seedy or watery, meaty, yes, but not mealy. The flavour's great and it's still our best thus far. Next year I'm going to get my PL pinks in earlier to improve the yield. In your zone, from what I have seen before, you get big harvests of this one. So maybe it likes it a little cooler than our present 90F and 80 per cent humidity. Now my second Earl's Faux has fruitset. As does Green Giant

February 18, 2006	#2
lumierefrere Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Zone 4 NY Posts: 772	Thanks, Grub, you've made EF sound very alluring and desirable. How about a photo? How large is it? It's so great to read a glowing report and have a good supply of seeds already in my stash. It's exactly the opposite feeling of having Isis Candy seeds and then have everyone start saying it's so problematic. Barb

February 19, 2006	#8
Earl Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: SW Ohio Posts: 1,278	If I can figure out how to post in the Gallery, I'll post some Faux pics so everyone will know if they have Faux. Grub, your partner saying "yum, mmm, ooh, ahhh..." might be a bit x-rated. :-) But my wife agrees with her and wife says Faux's flesh is 'silky' whatever the hell that means. :-)

February 19, 2006	#11
Grub Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Sydney, Australia Posts: 2,722	Incredible Yield! That's a truly exceptional yield off one plant, Earl! Just goes to show the variations between climates. Hey, maybe I can get my two plants to party on through winter? I did that with a B.Sudduth once and got about 20 fruits in spring from an 18-month old plant that gave me zero in summer. Ideally, I'd like to see early Spring fruitset that ripens in the warmer months. Then again, such is the depth of flavour that even fall fruit probably tastes delicious. I'll keep you posted on this thread about how they perform in the somewhat more temperate months ahead. Both plants are 4ft tall, so plenty of scope for growth. Though it's no Polish (the strain I have growing also hails from you and it's very good in the heat). Thanks for getting the seeds out there. Good growing and I'll be following your season and threads for new discoveries Grub

February 20, 2006	#12
Kathy_Wa Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: WA Posts: 2	I only got about 1 or 2 ripe ones here in shady WA, but dang this was a winner as far as taste goes. Next year or so I'll be starting these in Jan, not Feb so I can enjoy a lot more.

February 20, 2006	#13
Grub Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Sydney, Australia Posts: 2,722	WA? Kathy, You mean WA as in West Aussie as in Sandgroper? Have we a compatriot here? Cheers, Grub.

February 21, 2006	#14
Tomstrees Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: NJ Bayshore Posts: 3,848	I think I'm going to try to do that whole "grass-clipping" idea this year ~ Tom __________________ 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

February 21, 2006	#15
bully Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: S.E. MI Posts: 794	I still remember like it was yesterday when I bit into my 1st Earl's Faux Red Brandywine. I was in the kitchen and I sliced it on top of the dishwasher with no cutting board..Which should tell you that Mrs. Bully was not anywhere around. It was like a special effect in the Matrix movie..the room spun the taste hit my taste buds and time stopped. I was standing in a time/space rip as the flavor from that tomato washed over my tongue..I remember pumping my fist in the air..honest to God. All I can say about that tomato is that it not only hits the high note..it holds it..like Streisand.