Big Mama tomatoes

[HunkieDorie23]

I am not growing roma's anymore because I am lazy and they are too much work for sauces. I am thinking about growing Big Mama's because of their advertised size. Are they really that big?

 

[lesa]

I'm confused, hunkied... why do think roma's are too much work to make into sauces? They are so meaty, with so few seeds... I am afraid any large tomato will be so watery you will have to cook it down, forever. Did you think it took too many of the romas to make sauce?

 

[chris09]

In my eyes you cant beat a Roma tomato but here is some information on the "Big Mama Hybrid tomato"

Plum-shaped and enormous, Big Mama Hybrid tomatoes grow up to 5 in. (13-cm) long and 3 in. (8 cm) across these tomatoes need at least one inch (2.5 cm) of water per week.

I will also add it look to be apart of Burpee, "Mama line" they have;
Big Mama Hybrid, Little Mama, Golden Mama Hybrid and Tangerine Mama Hybrid.

Big Mama looks like a Hybridized spin off of the Amish Paste tomato and Little Mama looks to be a Hybridized spin off of the Roma.

Chris

 

[dickiebird]

Before this last season everything I grew was purchased as plants, so I grew Romas from retailers. This past season I started my own plants but could not find Roma seeds locally. What I did find were San Marzano, which in my opinion, are better than Romas.
I did buy a flat of Romas but lost all but about 6 plants to a very wet spring.
The San Marzanos are quite a bit larger than the Romas and just as solid and seedless.

THANX RICH

 

[Ridgerunner]

I grew Burpee's Big Mama's this past year and really recommend them. They are pretty big compared to the San Marzano's and not a bit watery. I was very pleased with them.

 

[OaklandCityFarmer]

The ONLY paste tomato that we have been growing now consistently for the last 5 years is the Amish Paste. We got some seeds from Seed Savers Exchange a few years back and have been using that same stock ever since.

They are one of the biggest paste tomatoes you'll get out there! No core, low seeds, good balance of acidity and sweetness, and very meaty. Usually you'll get 8-12 oz fruits with a large number of fruits per plant.

I highly recommend.

 

[HunkieDorie23]

I have had several years of very small roma's and it is so much work skining and processing hundreds to make a batch. This year I was going to grow Hungarian hearts which I did last year and loved. Very meaty and big tomatoes. I have grown amish paste and I did like them. I just saw the Big Mama's and thought they may be worth my time. I have never grown San Marzano's but am glad to see that you like them Ridgerunner (the big mama's). I like the look of them. Thanks.

 

[journey11]

I don't skin my sauce/paste tomatoes. Just wash, quarter, cook until soft and run through the foodmill. It will take out the skins as well as the seeds. Put the puree back into the pot and cook until it's as thick as you like.

ETA: I like the San Marzanos too. Great flavor.

 

[LVVCHAP]

I grew Big Mamas and Pony Express last year for an experiment on bigger paste tomatoes. DW didn't express any preference of one over the other for processing but the Pony Express produced better. This was only a one year experiment but they were grown about 10' apart.

 

[digitS']

. . . I am hoping to find the term "fresh salsa" here . . .

Does someone have a preference for the use of one of these varieties fresh?

Steve