comparing tom varieties - quality, taste and yield

foreign_correspondent

Primrose wrote: »

Incidentally, what do your White Queens look like? They sound interesting. Are the skins a very pale cream or do they just turn a very pale pink when ripe?

here you go - I took some photos..

This is White Queen (ripe)



In case anyone is interested, these are Purple Ukraine:


And this is Paul Robeson I believe (although it could be Carbon - some seeds were mis-labelled!) - not all the fruits are this cracked, but most tend to be a little ugly, and almost impossible to pick with thr calyx attached, (as are the Marmande) although they do taste quite nice!

Primrose

Fabulous photos foreign correspondent. Thank you, and really helpful for those of us who like to try new varieties but know in advance what they're likely to turn out like.I assume the White Queens start off green just like other tomatoes? My Black Russians look exactly like your Paul Robson although the greeny black part covers nearly a quarter of the top of the tomato near the calyx and is very cracked so effectively 25% of the tomato looks too ugly to use in a salad. Also I've noticed with the Black Russians that 50% of the flowers on each truss have not set. They have just died and dropped off, so it seems to be a very poor cropper. Your Purple Ukraine look interesting.

foreign_correspondent

the purple ukraine look more interesting than they taste to be honest!

....I am not over-awed by any of the black toms, although lots of people on the internet rave about them! Yes, some of them taste ok, but they seem to be light croppers and not all that pretty! I have ended up using quite a lot of them in cooking, chutneys etc.

The White Queen start off green, just like the others, and ripen to a cream colour - these I do like, and they are quite an attractive tomato I think - little to no cracking and very few mis-shapen fruit, although they do tend to have a scar where the blossom was (not blossom end rot, just a brownish mark) but I think I would grow them again, I will post some pics of other varieties later in the week, and would be interested to see pics of any one else's!

Lotus-eater

Fc, I'm finding out that the PU are not bad when cooked. Almost make a plum tomato type sauce.
I also think that you are picking your PU too late. If you wait until they are as purple as yours are, you lose all the taste, I think they taste very nice, but you do have to get them early, otherwise they tend to go bland.

cheerfulness4

Didn't think I fancied a white tomato until I saw that picture above. White Queen is now on my 2010 list!

Just tried my first Golden Sunrise and loved it. Was so sweet for a standard tomato -was very pleased.
My Tigerellas seem to be coming thick and fast now and are good but not as good as GS. (IMHO)

So far the not so keens are:
Mini Charm
Green Sausage
Vilmas (seem a bit wooly to me very prolific tho)
Jersey Sunrise

The must haves again:
Golden Sunrise
Garten Perle
Tigerella
Yellow Pear (flavour not bad but beautiful on plate)
Gardeners delight

Verdict still to come on:
Brandywine
Moneymaker (massive and many on plants)
Sweet million
Roma

These haven't ripened yet. I've got others but the labels have bleached off and I've lost my journal for now. (yes I'm THAT organised. )

foreign_correspondent

Lotus-eater wrote: »

Fc, I'm finding out that the PU are not bad when cooked. Almost make a plum tomato type sauce.
I also think that you are picking your PU too late. If you wait until they are as purple as yours are, you lose all the taste, I think they taste very nice, but you do have to get them early, otherwise they tend to go bland.

ah thankyou! Havent eaten many of them, but have been leaving them on as they appear to be half green for so long! Will try a few less ripe ones - The ones in the pic are currently in the slow cooker as part of a ratatoiulle, which I am sure they will be fine in!

lightisfading

foreign_correspondent wrote: »

ah thankyou! Havent eaten many of them, but have been leaving them on as they appear to be half green for so long! Will try a few less ripe ones - The ones in the pic are currently in the slow cooker as part of a ratatoiulle, which I am sure they will be fine in!

Completely changing the topic but do you by any chance have a recipe you could give me for the ratattouille? I just (as in half an hour ago) got a slow cooker off freecycle and I'm net trawling for veggie recipes for it (plus my own toms.. when they finally ripen... will be prolific and I'll need to do something with them!

foreign_correspondent

lightisfading wrote: »

Completely changing the topic but do you by any chance have a recipe you could give me for the ratattouille? I just (as in half an hour ago) got a slow cooker off freecycle and I'm net trawling for veggie recipes for it (plus my own toms.. when they finally ripen... will be prolific and I'll need to do something with them!

yes - no probs, it is dead easy and very seasonal, as aubergines, courgettes and tomatoes are all ready now, so if you grow then, that's great, if not, it is a cheap time of year to buy them!

I have already posted it here -
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=1072485&page=3
you can vary the proportions of aubergine/courgette etc... it all tastes good! its also very healthy and low in calories which is good!

foreign_correspondent

cheerfulness4 wrote: »

Didn't think I fancied a white tomato until I saw that picture above. White Queen is now on my 2010 list!

yeah, I think they are really pretty! Considering making tomato soup from them to see what it looks like! Or salsa (white toms and green chillies could look quite cool!)

lightisfading

foreign_correspondent wrote: »

yes - no probs, it is dead easy and very seasonal, as aubergines, courgettes and tomatoes are all ready now, so if you grow then, that's great, if not, it is a cheap time of year to buy them!

I have already posted it here -
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=1072485&page=3
you can vary the proportions of aubergine/courgette etc... it all tastes good! its also very healthy and low in calories which is good!

Thank you

As a slow cooker virgin - do you just bung the lot in and leave it to simmer on low? How long for? I'm assuming you saute the onions and garlic first?