Tomato reviews likes & dislikes 2015 - 2020

[Penellype]

That looks like green back Pen. Usually due to the weather - sun related. I’ve had it on a few toms in the GH this year.

Its similar to greenback, but its not at the stalk end. Its blotches of red and green in random parts of the tomatoes. They do eventually turn red if left to ripen.

[robbra]

Mine this year so far.
Ildi, lovely flavours and lots of them but tough skin, flatters to deceive, many flower buds though many never produce. I won't bother next year as it made me realise I'm not keen on cherry toms.
Tigerella, as I said before, watery and insipid
Ailsa Craig, reliable and tasty as ever, my favourite.
Coming up(as they say on Police Interceptors)
Ananas, Cour di Bue, Red Robin and with any luck Red Cherry, Essex Wonder, Harbinger and Tangella.

[Scarlet]

Its similar to greenback, but its not at the stalk end. Its blotches of red and green in random parts of the tomatoes. They do eventually turn red if left to ripen.

Whitewall?? Same as greenback really but in patches on the fruit. But it’s generally hard or mealy and doesn’t give the full flavour of the tomato.

[Penellype]

Whitewall?? Same as greenback really but in patches on the fruit. But it’s generally hard or mealy and doesn’t give the full flavour of the tomato.

Could be whitewall. These tomatoes are grown outside, so I wouldn't expect this, but it has been unusually hot.

[geepee]

Its similar to greenback, but its not at the stalk end. Its blotches of red and green in random parts of the tomatoes. They do eventually turn red if left to ripen.

My Red Alert have by far been the heaviest cropper,My initial estimate of 200 + fruit one one plant has been blown out of the water......Already harvested 287 toms off it and it still looks as though there are as many left.......ALL TOMS HAVE BEEN OF AN EQUAL SIZE and range between stages of ripeness.
Like you Pen' some showed green patches/Greenback etc but I found if you leave them on the vine for even another 12/24 hours they do even up.
I think its only due to shading from overhanging leaves etc that causes this.
Taste wise and for keeping quality I rate them highly.
Gp

[Penellype]

I'm picking the allotment tomatoes early as the snails are eating them if I let them get too red.

[Babru]

A couple more pictures to go with the above post:

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Garden Pearl - one of the branches on the left hand plant has split.


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The unevenly ripened Red Alert tomatoes.

My Red Alert has had green markings. It's my first time growing tomatoes (they're in a blow away), and I didn't realise they weren't meant to be like this. They taste ok though.

I'm enjoying this thread very much, as it will help me decide what to try next year in my NEW GREENHOUSE (excitement!) I think I need to take most note of the recommendations from Scottish grapes, as we do have a shorter growing season and cooler weather up here).

[robbra]

My cour di bue tasted superb but were starting to go over so mixed with tigerella and made some passata for the first time ever. 4 cour and 9 tigerella.
I put them in the liquidiser then heated in a large frying pan, it took about an hour to reduce to a non watery consistancy with no trace of skin, quite chuffed. It left around 2 pints so looking forward to a nice spag bol.
Rob
PS. highly recommend the Cour for taste, meatiness, size and ease of growing.

[Small pumpkin]

I've tried my first buffalo horn. OMG !!!! The most amazing tomato ever. Big,firm flesh, juicy, stunning flavour. Added bonus it's not too unruly in its growing habit.
Thank you Scarlet for very generously giving me the seeds to try. Will be growing again definitely.

[Scarlet]

I've tried my first buffalo horn. OMG !!!! The most amazing tomato ever. Big,firm flesh, juicy, stunning flavour. Added bonus it's not too unruly in its growing habit.
Thank you Scarlet for very generously giving me the seeds to try. Will be growing again definitely.

Before eating I hoped you picked out some seeds !!

[Small pumpkin]

Before eating I hoped you picked out some seeds !!

That's exactly what I'll be doing with the next one that's ripe

[farendwoman]

What a great idea Scarlet.

Sungold - excellent flavour, keeps well on or off the plant. I was still eating Sungold which were picked green in October at Christmas last year, although the flavour and texture was nowhere near as good as fresh. Sungold has everything I could want - huge crops and usually the first to ripen. The outdoor Sungold have beaten everything in the greenhouse this year. Only criticism would be that the skins are slightly tough. My first choice.

Shirley - good flavour, heavy trusses of fairly large tomatoes which sometimes need supporting. Does well indoors, less prolific outdoors. Keeps well. My 2nd choice.

Balconi (red and yellow varieties) - first year growing these, starting off as a windowsill plant as they are supposed to be small. Produced a decent crop of very early tomatoes from a February sowing before having to be put outside as they had reached 18 inches tall and were leaning alarmingly. They had also stopped setting fruit. More fruit set immediately they were put outside and this is now producing a slow but steady trickle of ripe fruit. Flavour is not brilliant, especially the yellow variety, but a good choice for an early and very dwarf plant. I'll be growing the red ones again next year, but probably not the yellow.

My other varieties have not produced anything edible yet this year.

Have to say I agree with you on the Sungold. Have had loads and loads of these and they are just delicious. Almost resenting giving space to the less prolific and less flavoursome ones I’m growing.
But, never mind, we have to be adventurous - AND I’ve got more than enough produce from my solitary Sungold to keep us going.
Definitely would not recommend Mountain Magic, but that could just be me!

[kitty12345]

This year I have only grown Roma VF and the cherry tomato Sweetie. It is my first year growing tomatoes in English weather and it was more an experiment than anything. I don't have a greenhouse so these were grown outside.

Roma - I have grown this in hot hot weather and the result was lovely, tasty tomatoes. Unfortunately I didn't enjoy the Romas we had this year - they had a soft texture and not much flavour. I think I understand now why this is mostly regarded as a sauce variety. I might grow 1-2 plants next year but not as many as this year. I am saving them up now to make into pasta sauce in jars.

Sweetie - very sweet and easy to grow, prolific. I will definitely regrow this, fiddly though with tiny seeds. Great in salads.

Next year I will grow some with tastier flavours - the striped ones look tempting as I haven't grown those before. Also Black Russian, those had amazing flavour.

[annie8]

Has anyone got any ripe san marzano yet? I am getting a decent crop from my gardeners delight, Shirley and red cherry but no sign of the san marzano ripening at all.

[robbra]

Has anyone got any ripe san marzano yet? I am getting a decent crop from my gardeners delight, Shirley and red cherry but no sign of the san marzano ripening at all.

Of my plum toms, not sure if they are SM, one is just turning and I'm 450 miles south of you. Seems a slow year to me, think it was to do with the heatwave.