Topic: Tasteless tomatoes!

[lewic]

Amazingly, some of my tomato plants survived the blight, and the tomatoes are now ripening. They are rather tasteless though.. what could I be doing wrong?

One plant is Coeur de Bue beefsteak, outdoors, and is about as tasty as overcooked marrow, with a horrid texture.

Have some Totem indoors and these are a bit nicer, but still not as good as you get in the supermarket.

I have fed the Totem every couple of weeks and watered it regularly. The Coeur de Bue was fed when it was young (seaweed extract) but left to its own devices recently as I assumed it was going to get blight like its siblings.

Or perhaps they are just tasteless varieties? (despite what the packet said!)

[tim]

We tried Sakura, Stupice & Lucciola this year..

Don't!!

[Chrispy]

I think with tomatoes, you do not feed when they are young, but start when the first fruit has set.
Don't know if this is why they don't taste of much.

I also find, the bigger the fruit, the less flavour, so would not expect much from the beefsteak.

A lot of my gardeners delight in my greenhouse only grew very small fruit, about 10mm (probably got dried out), but when you taste them they are so sweet and tasty.

[cleo]

One plant is Coeur de Bue beefsteak, outdoors, and is about as tasty as overcooked marrow, with a horrid texture.

I do not rate those ox heart types as much as some others do but it should have had a least a `decent` flavour. Did it get over ripe??

Some toms have only a very short time between being `just so` and being a mush.

Yellow Brandywine being one in the dock

[tim]

Tasteless Beefsteaks?

Oh, no!! Caro Rich, Summer Cider, John Hawkins, Pineapple, even Brandywine ..................

[Trevor_D]

I've never grown either Coeur de Bue or Totem, so perhaps it is those varieties, but I suspect you've been over-watering. Well-watered tomatoes always seem blander than those that have been given a bit of neglect. And how much sun have you had? Quite a bit of the country has had a non-summer (although we've done quite well here in the south-east).

But try growing something like Black Russian, Auriga or Sungold if you want flavour.

[Chrispy]

Tasteless Beefsteaks?

Oh, no!! Caro Rich, Summer Cider, John Hawkins, Pineapple, even Brandywine ..................

Hmmm...maybe I should give 1 a go next year and see.

[ourdai]

Marmande - a beef tomato with flavour and prolific, also tried Black variety this year, superb flavour, more mellow than red and very sweet.

[BarriedaleNick]

Big boys are very nice as well  ;D

[saddad]

  :-* Never knew you cared...  ;D

[lewic]

Thanks for all the advice. Will defo try some other varieties next year. Re watering, the outside ones got plenty of that, so might explain it!

[meg_gordon]

Pantano are now ripe, and I wouldn't rush to grow them again.  A bit tasteless and mushy texture.  Really disappointing :-(  Ailsa Craig, on the other hand ......  YUM

Meg

[Barnowl]

Grew Totem in 2006 - comment "ok but lacking flavour."

My Pantano finally ripened this week - OH & I thought they tasted great but there's very little time between their being ripe and over-ripe. Might be best to ripen off the vine.

Pink Brandywine (second) season) and Red Zebra and Valencia (first season) have been pretty good in production and taste although both the latter were  prone to BER (I know, I know. It's primarily my fault  :-[)

[terrier]

My earlier ripened toms were poor on flavour but as the plants get older, they seem to be producing fruit with more taste. I grew Costuluto but they seem to be very prone to blight, the few I did get to taste were quite good for flavour. Next year, Marmande and Sungold and... not decided yet. I may have another go at Costuluto, but well away from my main crop.

[meg_gordon]

My Pantano finally ripened this week - OH & I thought they tasted great but there's very little time between their being ripe and over-ripe. Might be best to ripen off the vine. 

Took second plant toms off the vine and ripened inside - much better, and lasted a bit longer too.  Wouldn't rush to grow them again.

Meg

[digswell]

A tip I got from an old Italian gardener I knew was to pee in a bucket, dilute it down by about an 8 - 1 ratio water to urine and then use this to water the tomaoes once a week once the first fruits have set.

Apparently the Urea gives them a sharper fresher taste.

I believe commercial growers use chemically created urea for the same purpose. Alternatively if you use horse manure that really smells of horse urine mixed in with the compost when you plant up it gives the same result.

[cacran]

OMG that sounds awful!!!!!!

[tim]

Whatever - you have to nave CHERRIES for early, STANDARD for bulk & BEEF for Tom Salads & Sandwiches.

[lewic]

My cherries were early, but most popped their skins and fell off before I got a chance to eat them. The plant is still there battling against the blight (very resistant I must say!) but the ground is littered with mouldering cherry tomatoes!!