Tomato Varieties - Planning for Next Year

[Broke Down Ranch]

I planted several varieties this year wanting to find a couple that I like and that do well for our area. I have decided I like the Brandywine for eating raw, Rutgers for canning, and Early Girl (which did surprisingly well with large fruits). *Most* of our tomatoes go for canning so I was considering trying Roma's next year but they are quite a bit smaller than the Rutgers so I was wondering if anyone out there has tried both varieties and which was better? I know Roma supposedly is the best for canning but are they THAT much better than the Rutgers to justify using a smaller (which equals more) tomatoes?

 

[farmerlor]

Actually, as someone who cans lots of tomatoes I find Roma tomatoes to be a little mild in flavor. Okay, they're bloody boring, alright? If you want a really BIG, flavorful, canning tomato go for a Mom's Paste, Polish Linguisa, Amish Paste, or Opalka (though these are a little mild too). For best results plant a couple of EACH and mix them up with some good blacks and leftover slicers. Super sauce and salsa.

 

[Rosalind]

Already? Jeez, mine only have flowers on.

I am not a fan of the Romas. I used to get a few volunteers out of the compost heap before we had the garden really started, but to me even homegrown Romas taste mealy.

The San Marzanos we had last year, those were pretty good. Nice acidity. This year we're doing Amish, Heidi and Banana for paste tomatoes. But I must say, my best sauces come from a mix of whatever happens to be ripe. The sweet ones, acid ones, fruity ones all sort of balance each other out.

 

[Hattie the Hen]

Rosalind, I agree with you on the mixture front -- I have always found that worked best for me. Bung them all in the pot & taste it as it cooks, balance it all up with a little sugar, salt & pepper, olive oil & lots of herbs, sieve it & preserve it.

My tomatoes are all setting huge amounts of fruit; all I need is sunshine, while all we have is rain..........but that's the way it goes in the UK. I've just put up a wind-break because the wind is terrible. I hope it stays in place -- I got soaked to the skin doing it. The joys of an English summer

Hope you are all having a better Sunday than this wet old lady!!


:rose Hattie :rose

 

[Rence]

Last summer, I went to school full time and as a result didn't have a summer garden. But before I decided to do that, I received a burpee's plant special that I had ordered months previously. It was the one with Golden Mama, Tangerine Mama, Razzle Dazzle, Ice something (a white cherry tomato) and some sweet something grape tomato.

As a result, I didn't get to water it ONCE when I was in school. I didn't weed, I didn't do anything.

I just thought someone would be interested to know that the Tangerine Mama just went nuts crazy producing without any attention at all. I wound up with about four (krogers, walmart-sized) plastic bags full of those tangerine colored tomatoes.

The rest didn't do as well. I can't say they were a total flop because I didn't take care of them at all, but they weren't as hearty as the tangerine mama and only produced less than five each, if that.

I can't grow San Marzano's to save my skin. I've about given up :/
Next year I'm going with farmerlor's suggestions.

 

[patandchickens]

Early Girls actually can pretty well too, they are not the driest tomato in the world but as long as you don't mind a slightly wetter product you could consider throwing all your surplus of them into the canning pot too. My mother hasn't canned anything *except* Early Girl for probably 20-30 years

Personally I like San Marzano for taste but have never been able to get them to produce as well as Roma types. I keep reading about Amish Paste, Opalka etc but from their 'days to maturity' they would not do well in this climate, maybe better in yours though.

I think a lot of it comes down to what exactly you want your canned product to be like -- are you canning whole tomatoes, or doing stewed tomatoes, or want a fairly thick paste-y sauce, or is a thin sauce ok?

My own first coupla tomatoes of the year, from plants put out in late April in wall-o-waters, are *just* starting to have a tinge of yellow... with our continued bizarrely-cool weather I doubt I'll be eating them til mid August, sigh.

Have fun,

Pat

 

[DrakeMaiden]

I think my favorite tomato right now is black plum. It looks kind of like a roma, but is a lot more flavorful. They also seem to fruit abundantly and fairly early.

 

[Broke Down Ranch]

Thanks for all the input. I may just try the Mom's Paste or Amish Paste next year. I have been canning them all tho the Brandywine SUCK to can with...lol. I have done salsa, stewed, tomato sauce and spaghetti sauce. The Early Girls really surprised me with how well they are doing and have canned up pretty nice tho I think I would like a drier tomato for the sauces (if I could find one with fewer seeds that would be nice). Yes, we have an extremely long growing season - I am even considering starting some seeds for a late crop. But to be honest I am TIRED of canning....lol. Seems like I do some every stinkin day

 

[davaroo]

I planted several varieties this year wanting to find a couple that I like and that do well for our area. I have decided I like the Brandywine for eating raw, Rutgers for canning, and Early Girl (which did surprisingly well with large fruits). *Most* of our tomatoes go for canning so I was considering trying Roma's next year but they are quite a bit smaller than the Rutgers so I was wondering if anyone out there has tried both varieties and which was better? I know Roma supposedly is the best for canning but are they THAT much better than the Rutgers to justify using a smaller (which equals more) tomatoes?

I personally like tomatoes best when they fill the hand. 'Rutgers' are the way to go.

 

[HiDelight]

I am a San Marzano fan I will always plant one full bed of these exclusively
they are imho absolutey the best sauce tomatoes and I make the best marinara (and will argue with anyone who says they do not!) so I go all broody over them....talk to and snuggle my San Marzano bed..I would sleep with them but my husband already is sure I need a padded room so I better not move the hammock anytime soon (I do rotate the beds however every year and always have a tent ready incase of rain

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Marzano_tomato

my second bed always has something I have never tried before ..last year it was black tomatoes and they were fantastic I had a tomato from Ukrain that was plum and black and really fruity tasting
one year all green varieties and it was hard to tell when they were ripe! then I went through a yellow phase
this year orange is the new black for me in tomatoes
I am doing some Persimmon salad tomatoes and a striped German tomatoes
and one very large cherry type I forgot the name of and lost the tag

next year we may do three beds depending on what else is going on ..I am always so joyful over the first bite and so sad with the last bite of a seasonal vine ripened tomato they get the most effort of anything else in my garden!

but do not tell my other plants k? I want everyone to feel equally loved

I always buy locally grown plants
I know this sounds crazy but I am so excited we will be hitting high 90's maybe in 100 degrees here this week because if we have a longer stretch of hot weather I will have some amazing tomatoes this year!

and amazing tomatoes in your garden are a luxury in this area!!!

I am so excited