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Bethlehem CT

I was wondering what varieties you like to grow for taste? I am growing a variety called 'Carbon' from Baker Creek. It is the best tasting I have grown. It is a purple/ chocolate colored type with nice large fruits with very few catfaced ones. What are your favorites for taste?

7/29/2012 9:32:40 AM

Allentown, PA

Baker Creek is a great source for heirloom varieties.

I like Uncle Mark Bagby which is a pink beefsteak on a potato leaf variety as well as Paul Robeson which like yours is a black tomato that grows from a regular leaf plant.

I purchased both of these seeds from Baker Creek.

7/29/2012 11:30:06 AM

Omaha, Ne.

I like the Black kinds the best. including the carbon, Cherokee purple, Black brandy-wine and Black grim. My most favorite of all tomatoes is the Black cherry.

7/29/2012 3:29:10 PM

Minnesota

New to growing Tomato's, this year I googled best tasting and I decided to grow these (note, they all these were the best tasting but they all compared it to Brandywine, Brandywine must actually be the best tasting) I have four plants.
Cherokee Purple
Amazon Chocolate
Paul Robeson
Marianna's Peace
I just picked 3 Amazon Chocolate, very good, sweet.

7/29/2012 4:59:48 PM

Menomonie, WI (mail@gr8pumpkin.net)

Cherokee Purple are my favorite...Then Suddith Strain Brandwine..

7/30/2012 1:10:57 PM

Bethlehem CT

Linus what seed co. do you get the Suddith strain from? I will be growing some of these suggestions next year.

7/30/2012 7:05:33 PM

East Carbon, Utah

I would have to disagree with Brandywine being the best tasting or benchmark for flavor among heirloom tomatoes, though for historical reasons it continues to come up as a "fabulous" tasting variety. Other tomato forums have discussed this topic on occasion and I'm not alone in labeling Brandywine as having mediocre flavor.

I agree that all the others mentioned here so far are very good tasting varieties, except True Black Brandywine was nothing special for me.

Sudduth's, Cowlick's and Yellow Brandywine are different varieties from plain "Brandywine" and all have superior taste - at least to my taste buds.

One variety my customers raved about last year was Berkeley Tie-dye Heart. I have my favorites, but knowing one person's preferences is not much of a starting point. A side-by-side taste test with several varieties and numerous tasters is a good way to get a general idea of which are the better tasting ones.

I conducted such a taste test with 83 varieties last year (Big Zac finished in the Top 10!) and will be doing another with even more varieties on August 25th.

7/31/2012 12:17:41 AM

Menomonie, WI (mail@gr8pumpkin.net)

Seamsfaster would you rather have a tomato on your salad from Mcdonalds or a brandywine? Tomatoes are like a beer or wine...

7/31/2012 7:38:22 AM

Allentown, PA

@ Seamfaster,

I'll be buying my seeds from you next growing season.
I'm on your website alot.
It's great to support a member here.

7/31/2012 8:00:53 AM

Mercersburg, PA

what website is that?

8/1/2012 7:18:58 AM

East Carbon, Utah

Those thin tasteless pink things are tomatoes? All these years I just assumed they had invented some sort of soft, chewable plastic.

Oh, I like Brandywine just fine and will take it in a heartbeat over any of those green-when-picked "tomatoes" from the store. I just came upon dozens of varieties last year which I liked better.

Speaking of which, I'm trialing >200 new (to me) varieties this year. I got a late start and the weather's been exceptionally hot, but I've got some nice looking ones coming on. Stay tuned at www.gianttomatoseeds.com. Just updated my blog there with my first one >1 lb. this year. Really hopin' to get something respectable this year!

And thanks for the good word - hopefully I'll be able to squeeze in some time in the next few months and learn how to create a website the way it ought to be done. For now it's a mess...

8/2/2012 12:57:14 AM