Found my Holy Grail of tomatoes!

[MsCowpea]

Confession-I really don't like growing 2 each of 50 different kinds of tomatoes (mostly heirlooms) and then trying a different bunch the next year. Too much work and too many big disappointments. Looking for maybe 5 spectacular ones--knock- your -socks off kinds- and grow , say, 10 each.

I really loved Earl's Faux this year and would put it in my top 5 list but it just got bumped to number 2 by (drum roll......) MOMOTARO!! (cue beautiful music)

(oh dear, it is a hybrid and I am already worried that seeds won't be available! THIS is NOTHING like the hybrids bred for Florida that I am used to.)

May not be for everyone but it is perfection to me. You like sweet tomatoes? (I know lots don't) this is the sweetest I have ever had yet flavorable too. It is surprisingly firm--it sat on the counter and I kept squeezing it slightly and just did not think it was ready to taste but today I thought , oh well, the color is going to go beyond ripe if I don't try it soon. It is very firm and that makes it crunchy (?) but it is still juicy.

Here is Tomato Growers blurb about it:
Momotaro #5149 (20 seeds) $2.95
(This is the most popular tomato in Japan, where gardeners prefer their tomatoes pink and sweetly flavored. Hybrid plants produce abundant crops of round, medium-sized, perfectly smooth tomatoes with no blemishes or imperfections. Their taste is wonderful, intensely rich and sweet, with just the right amount of acid. We think that this variety will also catch on with American gardeners once they find out how delicious it is. Indeterminate. 74 days. $2.95 )

I always try the ones that says it is the most popular tomato in such-and-such country. I just tried Dona from France and it was also excellent. Not as sweet but very tomatoey.

The yield on Mom. wasn't the greatest but I really sort of ignored that plant as I had bigger fish to fry. It also did not get watered very much so that may have helped with the intense flavor. I have one now in an earthbox -put in maybe a month ago and the yield looks like it will be much better.

I believe others have tried it but no one wrote it was the most incredibly delicious and fabulous tomato they ever had. Too sweet maybe?

[lumierefrere]

I grew it last year and it was unremarkable, no particular taste one way or the other, but I'm trying again this year. I blame its lack of performance on the fact that it was in a bucket and pretty much ignored. This year it will probably be in a bucket and ...I'll try to pay attention.

Earl's Faux though is getting a primo spot.

Barb

[valereee]

Barb, are you starting with seed you saved from last year's crop?

Val

[honu]

MsCowpea, Thank you for that post! I have been wanting to try a really intensely sweet and fruity tomato, and am so happy to hear your description. The seedling I have is quite aggressive, and what a bonus to read it has tolerance to nematodes too! I think this is one of the few that I will put in the ground this year.
This is a quote from Evergreen Seed's on-line catalog description of Momotaro:
"Tomato with tough skin is tolerant to cracking. Plants are highly tolerant to disease attacks such as Fusarium1, Nematode, Stemphylium and Verticillium."
(Incidentally the TGS price for Momotaro is a deal. I got mine from a local vendor that imports Takii seed from Japan and it was $2.50 for only 8 seeds.)

[bully]

I thought it was a decent tomato.
I might not put it where you have it but if you love sweet tomatoes then I understand.
My brother Billy loved it..second to Opalka as far as he's concerned.
I may be mistaken but isn't Sungold from the same company?..if so they have a great one two punch.

[MsCowpea]

Honu--thanks for telling me about the disease tolerance --I did not know any of that information. And you are right-it is great they mention nematodes.

Don't worry that they said it has tough skin--it is not noticeable like the large elongated cherry Juliet's skin-which is almost unbreakable with say, teeth.

I can see why it would not crack though and would probably last a long time on the counter--as I said it was firm. Must be good for shipping. I actually like that quality -firm but juicy. Hope it works out well for you. (Don't let those tomato bugs get to it!)

[angelstiger]

Momotaro seeds are available from Trade Winds, for $1.25 a packet + $.25 per packet shipping. They also have Oridoko which they say is closely related and has the same flavor. BTW they list them both as heirloom, LOL.

http://www.tradewindsfruit.com/order_vegetables.htm

[Rena]

If my brother makes it back to Japan then I am going to have him pick up more Japanese seeds. They really grow them sweet and according to a fellow in Canada (Japanese Expert) they breed them to taste like fruit. I thought this was interesting.
I did grow Momotaro but it was not in a good location. I did recall they were pretty and had no cracks. That is saying a good bit as EVERYTHING seems to crack here. sigh

[MsCowpea]

BTW they list them both as heirloom, LOL.

You don't suppose they mean open-pollinated do you?? That would be too good to be true.

(Bully, your brother has excellent taste--is he an older, wiser big brother or trend-setting younger one?)

[bully]

He's older by a year and should stick to his area of expertise...peppers..and heirloom peas and beans.
That reminds me to start the peppers I got for him from Geza in Hungary.
I have so many tomato seeds this year that I had to plead with him to allow me to grow 12 I don't have room for out at his place....I'l sneak in at least 15

Bully

[angelstiger]

You don't suppose they mean open-pollinated do you?? That would be too good to be true.

If they are not OP, maybe we can get Bully to add them to the Sad Sac project, LOL.

Or maybe they "are" yet another OP being marketed as a Hybrid, LOL.

[lumierefrere]

Valeree, no they're hybrids so I didn't save any seeds from the 1 ripe tomato I got, just got another packet from Tradewinds. Maybe I'll put it on the south side of the house....

[Earl]

It's possible, but as of yet I don't believe the Japanese have built a better tomato than what we have. :-) I think your tastebuds are off. I think you've been drinking to much sulfur water and it has effected your tastebuds. LOL.

[timcunningham]

Wow, glad to hear your positive description. I bought some momotaro seeds from Trade winds, have 6 good sized seedlings coming up, two for me, the rest for distribution to friends and family.

This is the only tomato that I planted this year that I didn't base off of people raving about in forums. Simply put, I like things Japanese. I like Japanese gardens, I like their tea cermonies, I love japanese baths, Japanese food, sushi, sake, shoes and architecture. So dang it, if this is the most popular tomato in Japan, I am planting it !!! But I will temper this with the knowledge, that not much Japanese cusines include tomatoes. They have only been introduced to tomatoes during recent history, and many Japanese consider tomatoes a foreign delicacy.

Oh yeah, my wife reminds me, I have one Japanese Oxheart tomato plant growing. Well it came up in my search on tradewinds.. I couldn't just order one packet of seeds, now could I?

[MsCowpea]

Earl, what can I tell you--I got a Japanese truck (made in America) that I love and now a tomato.

My tastebuds are odd--can I help it if I like a crunchy candy-sweet tomato? Don't I redeem myself by putting Earl's Faux in the top 5?

Tim, hope you enjoy Momotaro. I bet your little garden buddy will love it.