Comments on: Tasting the Tomato Test Patch

By: Dee from Tennessee

Dee from Tennessee — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 04:48:09 +0000

Thanks for the heads up on the bowls. I checked online and the colors for the set of bowls now are a wee bit “off” for me right now. I read the reviews –wonderful/they’ve got a following — have I got a good eye or what I’m telling ya !—– hopefully, they’ll rotate the colors. I’ll get to go to Nashville in Oct and/or Dec. (I hope) , and I can check there. Thanks again for taking the time! (course, I need more bowls like I need another pair of flip-flops….but that’s okay)

By: muddywaters

muddywaters — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 22:55:37 +0000

One of these days I’m going to crash one of your tasting parties.

I have the following book on my reading list:

The $64 Tomato: How One Man Nearly Lost His Sanity, Spent a Fortune, and Endured an Existential Crisis in the Quest for the Perfect Garden by William Alexander

It might be right up your alley.

By: Nanc in Ashland

Nanc in Ashland — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 21:07:42 +0000

No Lemon Boys in your garden? You must try some next year! We never produce enough to can–they get eaten as soon as they are ripe.

By: Cindy in Tennessee

Cindy in Tennessee — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 20:44:10 +0000

Try a “Goliath” tomato next year. They are really good, or so we think.

By: Rechelle

Rechelle — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 19:06:29 +0000

Dee – I get those bowls at Anthropologie. They are called latte bowls and they cost around 4 bucks each. I love them too.

By: shelley

shelley — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 17:22:53 +0000

This was great! I think I’ll have to plant some Burpee Big Boy hybrids & Beefmasters next year! I think I really like the name “Beefmaster” too, as in “all other inferior tomatoes will bow down to the Beefmaster!”

By: Emily

Emily — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 15:54:15 +0000

Great idea for a taste testing! Heirlooms are funny things. I once grew a Garden Peach tomato. It truly was fuzzy on the outside. Very bizarre, indeed! Anybody’s guess as to why I would actually want a fuzzy tomato, but January and FEDCO seed catalogs and cabin fever do cause one to make some strange buying decisions!

By: p.j.

p.j. — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 15:11:18 +0000

I grew a Beefmaster here in St. Louis for the first time this year, after years of Better Boys and completely unsuccessful heirlooms (which die on me).
What humongeous tomatoes! And delicious. I will grow a couple next year, for sure. I would prefer a smaller tomato, but the flavor has me sold on these. I don’t find them to be “mushy,” although I think they are not on the “firm” side.
My one negative comment may be due to the cool weather we had in July and August: after setting fruit nicely in June, I don’t think any fruits have set in weeks-few blossoms. Hmm.

My Sweet 100′s and Sungolds are doing well, but I am tired of the Sungolds splitting so frequently.
A tasting party: what a fine idea! Glad you got together with some supportive and fun friends.

By: Miz Booshay

Miz Booshay — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 14:00:36 +0000

Hey! That is great that your sweet seedling was the fave!
I hate mushy tomatoes. They make me sad.
You see I love my tomatoes sliced with salt. Mushy is bad.

I wish I lived closer…I would have loved to be at the tasting!

By: Theresa from Alberta

Theresa from Alberta — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 11:02:07 +0000

Friends, food, conversation,,,,nah, nobody looks like they had a fun time ;-)

By: Dee from Tennessee

Dee from Tennessee — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 02:30:44 +0000

Oh forget about the tomatoes….please tell me about those cute little bowls!! It’s all about the dishes with me…..I love those bowls!

(In our little part of Tennessee, we live next to a “world famous” county that produces the best tomatoes….so we sometimes trek down there to buy a case/box just for my hubby to munch on. I don’t have a freezer except for above the fridge, but I am going to try to freeze a bag or two like your commenters said to do. ) Back to the bowls….LOVE them!

By: Clayvessel

Clayvessel — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 02:18:03 +0000

Where’s the wine?

And how about some crostini to put those tomatoes on, with a little fresh mozzarella and a basil leaf or two?

I don’t think I could taste that many tomatoes without some wine to cleanse the pallette.

But you didn’t invite me, so I’ll have to have my own…

Looks like you had fun anyway.

By: Tracy

Tracy — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 23:44:57 +0000

I’ve been searching for the perfect tomato. I get them every now and again at the grocery store. They’re the only ones that taste half decent in the winter time when most of the grocery store tomatoes taste like nothing and are as hard as baseballs!
I’m going to a tomato testing on Wednesday at our local extension office…I really hope I can find out the name of this tomato!
I’ve got a post to make about canning my tomato juice cocktail, hopefully tomorrow.

By: Kathy from NJ

Kathy from NJ — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 22:50:57 +0000

Personally I like a good old fashioned beefsteak tomato – one thick slice between rye bread with oregano & mayo – delish! If your garden center ever carries Purple Prudence in the heirloom section, try them next year. They are funky looking but taste great.

I love the way you got your friends to do the canning for you. We used to do a tremendous amount of canning, in October we would go to a Cranberry Festival and buy 75 lbs of cranberries! Then turn them into 150 pints of sauce. Now I’m out of the canning business, last year I gave away 25 cases of empty jars.

By: MAYBELLINE

MAYBELLINE — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 22:21:36 +0000

I can relate. I’ve grown from seed, seedlings, and plants. I’ve grown hybrid and heirloom. My preference is hybrid seelings.

This year I grew Ace, Early Boy and Better Boy. Ace was the winner. My canning finished up a few weekends back. Prior to that I was canning each weekend. Today, I still had enough tomatoes producing to make salsa. Taco nigh tonight!

Thanks for sharing.