In search of that "old timey" tasting tomato

[boggybranch]

Now I know that there are a lot of folks that, being raised on supermarket tomatoes, have never experienced a really good tasting tomato.
After pouring over the "Tomato Grower's Supply Company" catalog, looking for a tomato that just might have the 50's and 60's taste of my grandparent's tomatoes, I purchased a pack of "Box Car Willie" tomato seeds..........ya'll, I was transported back to my youth via the 'taste buds time machine'.
Anyone else plant any really good tasting tomato varieties?
Gonna have another go, this year with 'Box Car Willies' and gonna add the 'Sioux' tomato and see if it lives up to it's description.

Just for the record...I'm 57, on the 'tomato taste chart'.

 

[cndula]

Box Car Willie. I'd buy it just for the name. Where do you get such a thing?

 

[boggybranch]

Box Car Willie. I'd buy it just for the name. Where do you get such a thing?

It's available from several seed suppliers including "Tomato Growers Supply Company".
You can even find them on eBay.

 

[seedcorn]

Box Car Willie. I'd buy it just for the name. Where do you get such a thing?

It's available from several seed suppliers including "Tomato Growers Supply Company".
You can even find them on eBay.

I hate you.....went to this site and found so many different varieties that I now want.......my garden budget is going to be way out of control because of you!!!!!!!!!!

Feel guilty yet, want to donate to my garden????

 

[boggybranch]

Box Car Willie. I'd buy it just for the name. Where do you get such a thing?

It's available from several seed suppliers including "Tomato Growers Supply Company".
You can even find them on eBay.

I hate you.....went to this site and found so many different varieties that I now want.......my garden budget is going to be way out of control because of you!!!!!!!!!!

Feel guilty yet, want to donate to my garden????

Hahahahaha.............Sorry, but I KNOW what you mean.

 

[digitS']

I think that fast-maturing and full-flavored are nearly contradictory. Lots of flavor may require lots of sunny days. The requirement in my garden for a variety that can ripen early eliminates an entire boxcar of choices.

Oh yes, I grew Willie one year. I got 1 ripe tomato on each plant - a performance that just doesn't put it above the bar.

The flavor of quick-maturing varieties can be very pleasant. They just tend to be mild. Rainy's Maltese, Thessaloniki, my grandmother's tomato, and Large Red Cherry are all heirlooms and all taste very good, or BETTER !

Cherries are a wise choice generally for dependable ripening even tho' LRC isn't very quick. We rejoice in the flavor of some of the sweet modern hybrids like Sungold, SunSugar, SunCherry, Sweet Chelsea, Sweet Baby Girl, etc. But, these are probably not the varieties that you are asking about . This year, I'll plant heirloom Black Cherry since it seems to get great reviews and DW has a new food dehydrator and they are supposed to be especially good dried.

The most flavorful early heirloom that I grow has to be Bloody Butcher. It is both a small tomato and a small plant - characteristics that must help with early ripening. DW doesn't appreciate Bloody Butcher probably because of all that flavor . But, maybe she's just a little easier to keep happy in my tomato patch, because of that .

Steve

 

[seedcorn]

I use Better Boys because they handle sand/heat well in Indiana. I would like a more meaty tomato for eating that is an indeterminate. any suggestions?

 

[digitS']

It may be that most of the flavor in a tomato is in the gel around the seeds. The less gel, maybe even the less seeds, the less flavor . . . I don't really know, tho'. Perhaps juicy tomatoes tend to be more flavorful.

A friend grows Better Boys each year. I've stood and admired those (and sampled them ) and wondered if I shouldn't be growing Better Boys. I think I know what you mean, Seedcorn. Bloody Butcher sort of explodes when you bite into it - so, that probably isn't a "more meaty" one you would be real interested in.

This is one of those "mild" tomatoes that I grow - Thessaloniki. There's an almost "herbal" undertone to the flavor of this variety, however. It makes me think that I've sprinkled it with parsley or something before serving. I'm very please with how it does in my garden.

As the seed companies might say , "it is originally from sunny Greece!" :coolsun

Steve

 

[Beekissed]

I like Brandywines, Hillbilly, Abe Lincoln and Old Germans for flavor consistency and good performance. Alot of your flavor depends on how much moisture your plants receive also....seems mine taste much better in dry years, very sweet and tangy!

 

[Ridgerunner]

I think whether you find something flavorful or not is a personal thing. I find those little yellow bell tomatoes mushy and tasteless even when they don't split. A friend thinks they are the greatest eating tomato in the world. What you grew up with probably makes a difference but my taste preferences have changed as I aged. I think you just need to plant a few of several different varieties until you find one that stands out for you.

For the record, I found the Mr. Stripey and Krim to both be a large tomato that have great flavor. I think Beekissed's Hillbilly may be another name for Mr. Stripey. Not sure about that. For me the Japanese Black has the best taste. It has not been a tremendously great producer for me but I will plant it again this year purely because of the taste.