Tomatoes to Die For

I’ve been gardening for about 14 years, but it has only been since around 1986 or so that the unusual, old and unique has graced my gardens each year. If one were to ask what my favorite tomato was, it would be a long conversation because I have many favorites! But, since Carolyn answered this question for you all (I should say “y’all” now that I reside in the South), it is time for me to reveal the varieties that I would not want to be without!

One thing that I have noticed is that many of my favorites are among the first heirlooms that I tried. Either I was lucky in my first choices, or there is a romantic attachment to the varieties that got me hooked on growing them! In order to make this easier to go through, I will adopt Carolyn’s method of listing and describing by color.

Among the great red tomatoes that I have grown are Believe it or Not, Big Sandy, Bisignano #2, German Red Strawberry, Lillian’s Red Kansas, Nepal, Opalka, and Reif’s Italian Red Heart. Believe it or Not is the largest tomato I have grown, yet was quite uniform, didn’t crack much, but had an old fashioned, full flavor. Big Sandy, which I received from Charlotte Mullens, a West Virginia tomato enthusiast, grew red, not pink for me; it was also quite large, but unlike the creased typical irregular beefsteak, was quite smooth. The flavor was outstanding. Two heart shaped, large tomatoes come next - German Red Strawberry, which is very meaty and sweet, and Reif’s Italian Red Heart, which though similar in shape and size is much juicier and seedier. Lillian’s Red Kansas and Bisignano #2 are elongated (nearly deep globe) types that have very full flavor, and would be great for either slicing or sauce. Nepal was the first OP tomato I grew, and the best flavored of my 1986 garden, which contained popular hybrids such as Better Boy, Gurney Girl, Whopper, and Big Girl and Boy. It is medium to large, nearly globe shaped, smooth and richly flavored. Rounding out the reds is Opalka, my favorite example of the long, pepper shaped sauce tomatoes that are also so delicious eaten fresh, unlike the Roma types that are so bland.

Now comes my favorite category - the pink colored varieties. Actually, the only difference between the red, or scarlet tomatoes described above and the pinks is the skin color. In the red tomatoes, the skin is yellow; in the pink tomatoes, the skin is clear. There is no difference in the acidity of tomatoes with respect to color, either (that is just folklore). Anyway, the list of excellent pinks that I have grown would include Belgian Beauty, Brandywine, Burcham New Generation, Eva Purple Ball, Fritsche, Goliath, Gregori’s Altai, Mortgage Lifter, Nicky Crain, Anna Russian, Pink Sweet, Polish, Prudence Purple, Stump of the World, Tappy’s Finest, Ukrainian Heart, and Wins All. To simplify things, I will lump them into general categories of similar types. First, Belgian Beauty, Burcham New Generation, Goliath, Gregori’s Altai, Pink Sweet, Tappy’s Finest, Wins All and Mortgage Lifter are examples of regular leaf large smooth slightly oblate beefsteak types that may run from eight ounces (Gregori’s) to over two pounds (Mortgage Lifter and Burcham). They are all firm, juicy, and very sweet, with a very full and rich flavor. Next come the potato leaf versions of the oblate beefsteak, such as Brandywine, Polish, Prudens Purple and Stump of the World. These are my flavor favorites, having some tartness to go along with the outstanding sweetness and fullness. Brandywine has become a tomato legend, as many seed savers call it their favorite tomato; if forced to come up with one favorite, I would have to agree. Two tomatoes that are distinct for their regular roundness are Eva Purple Ball and Fritsche, being perfect, 6-8 ounce globes, with great juiciness and flavor. Finally come some outstanding heart shaped varieties, the relatively early Anna Russian, and the much larger Ukrainian Heart and Nicky Crain. All are productive, delicious and attractive. One common problem is the lack of vigor in the young seedlings (they are very spindly and fragile looking); even the mature plants have relatively small foliage and poorer leaf cover than other varieties.

Two tomatoes that are unique for their unusual color are Cherokee Purple and Price’s Purple. Each are very dark pink, nearing brownish purple. The interiors are brick red, with green gel surrounding the seeds. Cherokee Purple is a regular leaf, large oblate variety, while Price’s Purple is a large potato leaf type. Both have intensely rich flavors, and tend to be controversial, probably due to the color, which some find rather unappetizing! Not me or my family, though!

Now we move on to shades of yellow and orange. In this family are Golden Oxheart, Hugh’s, Dr. Wyche’s Yellow, Lillian’s Yellow, Madara, Persimmon, Potato Leaf Yellow, Sun Gold, Spark’s Yellow, Yellow Bell, Yellow Brandywine, and Yellow Oxheart. Hugh’s (regular leaf) and Lillian’s Yellow (potato leaf) are pale lemon yellow, very large and late, and deliciously sweet. Golden Oxheart (round, not heart shaped, actually!) and Dr. Wyche are medium to large, golden orange varieties with rich taste. Persimmon can grow to 2 pounds, and is a unique pale orange tomato that is so meaty it is nearly seedless. Potato Leaf Yellow, Spark’s Yellow, and Yellow Brandywine are similar in that they are vigorous, potato leaf varieties yielding large, oblate fruit of over a pound, and with very rich flavor that has more tartness than most tomatoes in this color family. Finally, Yellow Oxheart is a beautiful, large deep yellow heart shaped tomato with nice flavor, although the plant is quite spindly looking early in the season. Madara (yellow) and Sun Gold (orange, and the only hybrid that I routinely grow) are prolific, sweet cherry tomatoes. Yellow Bell is a canary yellow tomato of the Roma shape, yet very juicy and delicious, not like typical paste tomatoes.

The most beautiful of tomatoes are the red/gold bicolors, which are streaked inside and out. Though numerous, I have found the best flavor and color in Georgia Streak, Ruby Gold, and Robinson’s German. Typically, these varieties grow very large on vigorous deep green leafed plants. The globe to oblate fruit are yellow to golden yellow with a red blush or splash on the blossom end, and the extent of red varies from fruit to fruit. When cut, the red coloration bleeds through to the flesh, giving a marbled effect. They are very sweet and juicy, and in my mind are the perfect cheeseburger tomato!

Now come the real oddities... Green tomatoes inside and out, of which I like Dorothy’s Green the best; red/gold striped Tiger Tom, the ivory colored White Queen and Yellow White, also known as Viva Lindsey’s Kentucky Heirloom. Dorothy’s Green is a medium to quite large oblate variety that is the smoothest of the green types in my experience. When ripe, the exterior color is an amber green color; the real surprise is seeing the emerald green interior when cut! And the flavor is rich and delicious, and among the best I have grown, no matter what the size or color. I love to use these in salsa recipes, as people are unprepared for the sweet flavors! Tiger Tom is the size, shape and smoothness of a large ping pong ball. The tomatoes have skin that is scarlet with jagged gold stripes, and the interior seeds are often surrounded by green gel. The flavor is snappy, tart, and full, and it is one of the best flavored early tomatoes that you can grow. Finally, White Queen is a large, ribbed, slightly irregular tomato that is creamy white in color, and surprisingly full in flavor. Yellow White is even more beautiful, being smoother in contour, and with a gorgeous pearly pink blush on the blossom end.

It is encouraging to see seed companies developing an interest in unusual tomatoes. Among the ones we highly recommend are Johnny’s Selected Seeds and Southern Exposure Seed Exchange. Carolyn and I have been sending these companies samples of our favorites for a few years now, and they are now carrying a number of these in their seed catalogs. I hope that this, and Carolyn’s, listing of some of our favorite tomatoes will encourage to do some exploring in your own gardens!