Topic: Regular size tomato with good ratio sweetness/acidity?

[tricia]

While I enjoy popping a Sungold in my mouth direct from the plant I do not like the very thick skin so I won't put them in a salad! I would like to grow a regular size tomato next year with a comparable flavour to Sungold. Any suggestions? Or am I being too optimistic? I wish I could find seeds for the kind of tomato I used to eat when I lived in Spain - they were so full of flavour!

Tricia

[squeezyjohn]

I wonder whether the amount of sun in Spain accounted for more of the flavour than the variety planted?

[Jayb]

Sadly I’ve not come across anything larger than a cherry that compares on sweetness and flavour. Lots of nice tomatoes out there but the larger sizes don’t seem to have that same sweet flavour intense hit of Sungold and a few others.

Did the Spanish tomatoes have a name?

[tricia]

You could be right SJ. I seldom had to buy fruit or veg - my students' families were mostly in the business of growing or selling them and would often bring me a crate of whatever was in season. But even on the odd occasion when I shopped for tomatoes they had that sweet/acidy flavour. They were all locally grown on the fincas around the village. I miss the tomatoes and  oranges straight from the tree the most, but also harvesting loquats, persimmon and figs from trees locally that nobody else bothered with!

I have no idea about the variety Jayb. They were a bit bigger than the regular size tomato grown here and a tad less round, but I wouldn't call them beefsteak size.

My - How time flies! It is almost 17 years since I left Spain for Canada - and 14 since I landed here in the west country where for the first time since the 1980's I am growing my own fruit and veg again.

Tricia
(In nostalgic mood!)

[squeezyjohn]

Well I don't know about oranges and loquats ... but you can certainly grow decent sweet figs here in abundance if you put your mind to it ... so maybe that could be a way of channeling the nostalgia instead 

[tricia]

I have a two year old fig 'tree' growing in a large tub against a south facing wall. It's growing slowly but as yet no sign of any incipient fruit.

Tricia

[antipodes]

One tomato that I like that I think has a really good flavour is Tigerella.  They are very sweet and juicy and excellent in a salad. Very productive too.
You might try an orange or yellow variety? I find they sometimes have a more tangy flavour than the red ones which tend to be sweeter. What about a Green Tiger?  They are good for salads too.

[chriscross1966]

Hmm... I gre Tigerella a few times adn although early, generally found it a bit bland.... a friend of mine swears by "Stupice" adn I will be trying them next year.... If you can put up with a big cherry then Black Cherry is pretty nice adn not as sweet as some but with a proper tomato flavour...