Tomato Taste Trials

Kat and I evaluated our tomatoes yesterday. It was definitely not scientific. We picked the best two or more tomatoes on multiple plants. If we tasted a poor quality tomato we give it a second chance by tasting an additional tomato of the same kind. We are at the end of the season, and the tomatoes flavors have noticeably changed over the season.

Our Favorites -Three Stars ***

Better Boy was definitely the Garden Star this season. It produced an amazing amount of fruit, uniform size, an excellent flavor. I don't know where I picked up Sungold, but it produced early sweet cherries. A salad favorite. Large Cherry has the classic sweet cherry tomato flavor not found in any other tomato I grew. Red September was a gift packet Sandhill Preservation sent me to try. Red September was a pleasant surprise, beautiful, medium size fruit, that have outstanding acidy flavor. Golden Rave was another surprise find. A small plum tomato, firm, and very tasty for a yellow tomato. I like the meaty textures of plum/Roma types. This was the star of Kerri's Summer Garden Salads. Colorful, tasty, immensely productive, Golden Rave is a must grow again. One tomato that is not here, and that I could not find was Pineapple. I hope to find the seed for it next year.

Acidy, Juicy, Good Texture, Productive, Tasty

Excellent Flavor, Sweet/Tart

Sweet, Excellent Flavor

Beautiful, Excellent Flavor/Tasty, Acidy

Sweet, Juicy, Tasty

Good Tomatoes Worth Growing -Two Stars ** 

I do like variety, and most of these tomatoes have a quality that is worth adding to the garden. Hughes is one of the best tasting yellow tomatoes with a classic garden fresh tomato flavor. Taxi is productive, but a little bit mild in flavor. The bright yellow color, and firm texture are extremely lovely in salads. Celebrity and Super Sioux are excellent, but do not rank with Better Boy in size and productivity. Box Car Willie is a beautiful heirloom. Its texture and flavor do not quite match its beauty, but it is worth giving another shot. The Striped Roma  is colorful and can be variable in flavor. It is best when firm and not overripe.

Old Fashion Rich Flavor, Silky, Sweet, Tasty

Beautiful, Firm, Mild Flavor

Delicious, Classic Flavor, Beautiful

Soft, Good Taste, Beautiful

Classic Mata Flavor, Tasty

Sweet, Good Flavor, Beautiful, Tough Skin

 OK Tomatoes with some good qualities - One Star *

These tomatoes I found to be acceptable, not necessarily disappointing, but without at least one great quality to require me to want to keep them in the garden. They are all good, but not great.

Acidy, Sour, Good Flavor

Sweet, Silky, Pretty

Mellow, Good Tomato Flavor

Beautiful, Tart, Acidy, Mellow/Flat Flavor

Sweet/Tart, Acidy, Juicy

Good Flavor, Acidy, Large, Soft Texture

 Poor Performers

Disappointingly Poor

Flat Flavor, Acidy, Sour

Mushy Texture, Poor Taste, Spit-Out Yukky

Flat, Poor Flavor, Bad-Blah