Posted on 04/03/2012 6:58:11 PM PDT by Former MSM Viewer
Are heirlooms really as good and tasty as good old hybrids like Better Boy or BeefMaster?
I am growing Old German, Cherokee Purple, Boxcar Willie and several yellows...
I've dedicated the majority of my small garden to heirlooms.
Hope they are all they are cracked up to be.
Each type of tomato is useful for different types of things. Some for juice, some for salsa, some for sauce, some for salads.
If I can only have one... for me, it's the Roma.
/johnny
People in NC say Cherokee Purple are excellent.
We grew several varieties of heirloom tomatoes last year. Some were good, others didn’t get any tomatoes. I’ll have to check my notes to see which were the failures, before we plant for this year!
Love them all! Brandywine are my all time favorite. They are much better tasting then hybrids in every way.
/johnny
I also have Sunny Boy, Pineapple & Golden Boy (Yellows).
Been watering exclusively with captured rainwater since I planted, too.
Grown Better Boys, they make great sandwiches.
I have Brandywine from seeds....coming on strong now. I’m excited.
Using this year as a test plot to a possible 1 acre tomato farm in coming year or two...
How much did they pay per pound for the heirlooms?
Please see the Weekly Gardening Thread:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2866495/posts
Wonderful information for many questions and answers too!
Enjoy
See if you can find some big ol’ Burpee Marglobes. Oh, my gosh, what a tomato!
/johnny
Most are ugly as heck but the flavors are beyond describing.
Yes, they ARE that good.
I have liked Cherokee Purple that I have grown better than any other variety.
YES! :)
I work part time in a fruit & veggy stand in Port Townsend and we get a lot of exotic stuff in. I think Heirlooms were an oddity when they first came in and sure, they tasted good and looked fascinating, but it was hit and miss. Some of them were actually on the tasteless side to me if anything. Also I noticed that they would sometimes be “pithy” on one entire side, while fine on the other.
Don’t get me wrong, some of the large purple or multicolored Beefsteak type Heirlooms were actually outstanding. But nothing can beat any of the West coast farms which produce the large, red, in-season Beefsteak tomato. They are like a meal in themselves, no need for even salt. So dang incredible. Organic or otherwise, major farms or family. I used to grow the Better Boys and Early Girls myself that turned out excellent but was never able to grow a nice Beefsteak for some reason. I just had to respond to this post. I hope YOUR tomatoes turn out great!
As I said, different tomato varieties are good for different things. We used them in salads, and wanted salad tomatoes. Juicers or saucers wouldn't have worked well.
Don't be shy about talking to the chefs, they want good local stuff, if they can plan for it a week or six in advance.
Best of luck with it. I've seen small growers and high-end restaurants have great relationships with everyone making money.
/johnny
This would be a good question to post on the Weekly Gardening Thread.
Heirlooms rock! You can save the seeds and get the same tomato from them the next year. They usually have better old time flavor - may be a little more acidic which is good for canning purposes. Good luck with your tomatoes.
Saw one called Mortgage Lifter. Can only imagine the resourcefulness of previous generations.
So many of my neighbors are just amazed I grow a garden...they are clueless
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