The Classic Oxheart
Here at TomatoTown, we’ve always held a special fondness for the the heart-shaped tomato varieties and Upstate Oxheart is no exception. The dense full-flavored pink flesh of these large fruit do not disappoint. We love them as thick slicers for sandwiches as well as sauces.
Carbon
No garden is complete without a few reliably abundant and flavorful Carbon tomato plants. As the name suggests, it is the heart of tomato darkness and Carbon has all the complex attributes of a great-tasting, dark-fleshed variety tomato.
Midnight in Moscow
We had high hopes for this tomato. It has all the allure of the of the black varieties, but none of the taste. Not to say that it isn’t a good basic tomato, it just lacks the sparkle that we’ve come to expect. Compared to Carbon and Cherokee Purple, this tomato just does not stand […]
Grandma Viney’s Yellow and Pink
This brilliantly bicolored fruit is bold and beautiful. The taste, though not bold, does not disappoint and is lovely and subtle. And a Grandma Viney’s in a sandwich is absolutely ravishing.
Purple Haze
Characterized by a sweet, vividly tomato taste, Purple Haze is a revelation. Deep purple flesh with a silvery sheen makes this tomato a stunner. Local tomato breeder Keith Mueller’s main goal is creating tomatoes that they taste good. With Purple Haze, Mueller has outdone himself. Savor the flavor. Eat these little gems one by one.
Anna Russian Heart
This pinkish, beefy oxheart variety is a substantial wonder. Large and beautifully shaped, Anna Russian has the right combination of juiciness and meatiness. More than a few of our favorites here in TomatoTown were introduced to America by our Slav brothers. According to legend, Anna Russian seeds were given to Oregon grower Kenneth Wilcox by a […]
Huang Se Chieh
These oversized yellow cherry tomatoes, Huang Se Chieh are juicy yellow tomatoes with a fine flavor. Light and fruity, these make a festive addition to salads or salsa.
Pierce’s Pride
Rich, deep reds with fringed, green shoulders defines Pierce’s Pride. Introduced by Larry Pierce, the medium-sized beefsteaks have been a delightful addition to our collection of dark-fleshed varieties. The rich flavors and color make a distinctive BLT. Yum!
Persimmon
Our Persimmon plant is covered with slightly lumpy, distinctively golden fruit. Of all the orange tomatoes we have experimented with, this one has the best taste. The flesh is delicate, yet firm and meaty. There have been a few websites that place this tomato in Thomas Jefferson’s garden, but we have not been able to […]
Medovaya Kaplya
Medovaya Kaplya means ‘Honey Drop’ in Russian, and, warm from the sun, these tomatoes live up to their name. Introduced from a grower in Minsk, Belarus, in 2009, Medovaya Kaplya offers stiff competition to Beam’s, our favorite yellow pear tomato. Delicious!
Tasmanian Chocolate Dwarf
This is our first year to experiment growing tomatoes in containers, but we’ll grow anything dark-fleshed or otherwise unusual. It seems such a shame to put a tomato in a pot with so much garden space, but we’ve been impressed so far. We’ll keep you updated.
Vorlon
Named for the Vorlons, a fictional alien race, this tomato’s dark red flesh is pleasantly sweet and sour. Hailing from a Cherokee Purple and Pruden’s Purple cross, Vorlon was introduced in 1988. Bottom line: these aliens are welcome in TomatoTown anytime!
Stupice
Stupice is one of our earliest ripening tomatoes. An heirloom tomato from former Czechoslovakia, this tomato is one of Farmer T’s favorites. He always looks forward to the tangy taste of this compact fruit that announces the start of summer.
Purple Calabash
According to the Thomas Jefferson Foundation, this green-shouldered beauty dates back to pre-Columbian Mexico. The Aztecs created the first salsa combining it with hot peppers and ground squash seeds. We love the funky ribs and the taste has an intensity that is exciting.
Costoluto Genovese
Wednesday morning, Farmer J found Farmer T in the midst of a victory dance. He had discovered a blushing Costoluto Genovese, a fluted Italian variety from Baker Creek. Of course, any tomato is reason to celebrate, but the first ripe fruit of the season is especially noteworthy. Tomato season has officially begun!
Don’t Make Me Blush
People often ask us when to pick tomatoes from the vine. Once you see a faint blush on the fruit, it is time to bring them inside. Otherwise, fully-ripened, red fruit are just advertising that the buffet is open to all the squirrels and birds in the neighborhood. Do not fear that picking early will […]
Cherokee Green
Cherokee Purple started us on our heirloom journey. Its close cousin Cherokee Green has many of the Cherokee family characteristics with some of the sweetness of the green varieties. This one is a keeper!
Brandywine Black
Another addition to our varieties of black tomatoes. This dark tomato with green shoulders is a tasty summer treat that we have enjoyed on these sultry, summer afternoons.
Time to Order Heirlooms!
Here at TomatoTown, it is never too early to think about ordering tomatoes. Farmer J usually begins to daydream about next year’s list the moment fall frost strikes. This year was particularly difficult to decide. James Worley doesn’t make it easy. His list seems to get longer with every season. This year, he is offering […]
Speckled Cuor Di Bue
With cooler temperatures have come some odd spots on a few of our varieties. The Cuor Di Bue seem particularly prone to this variegation. The color does not effect the taste, although after a couple tomato free months, Farmer T enjoys just about any fruit from the garden, strange or not.
Absinthe
Though named for the hallucinogenic spirit that reportedly prompted Vincent van Gogh to remove his ear, this Absinthe is harmless. Packed with flavor, this fruit made it into the top ten best tasting tomatoes at this year’s annual KCTT Tomato Tasting. Created from a cross between Emeraude, Aunt Ruby’s German Green, and Brandywine, the characteristic […]
Wapsippinicon Peach
This fuzzy-skinned fruit is named after the Wapsipinicon River in Northeastern Iowa. Slightly larger than a cherry variety, this tomato has been a little disappointing to us here in TomatoTown. While we enjoy the novelty, we’ve found the ping pong ball-sized Wapsippinicon Peach lacking in both flavor and texture. To put it plainly, it seems […]
Grub’s Mystery Green
Farmer T loves his green tomatoes. Not unripe tomatoes, but the juicy, green when ripe varieties. Much discussion ensued this spring after a proposal that, in the name of experimentation, we should only plant a single Aunt Ruby’s German Green, one of Farmer T’s favorites. Farmer T won out and we currently have two ARGG […]
Thessaloniki Oxheart
We have been inspired by oxheart varieties this season. Kosovo intrigued us with its gracefuly-shaped pink fruit last year, so we decided to experiment with more oxhearts. We’ve mentioned in previous posts how much we’ve enjoyed Cuor Di Bue. We loved both flavor and shape of the Thessaloniki Oxheart. Unfortunately, shortly after harvesting this beauty, our […]