Eating tomatoes

[northener]

Hello, just started eating my first crop of cherry tomatoes [Tumbler]. They are not as sweet as i had expected, just wondered what people do, eat them straight away, ripen on a windowsill, cut the whole truss off?

[northener]

[Debs]

Were they completely ripened?

I haven't tried Tumbler - only Gardeners Delight, which have a fab taste.

Debs

[aquilegia]

I always leave mine to ripen on the plant. Wait until they are fire-engine red and then harvest quick before they go all squishy.

[Piglottie]

Warning ***This may be a how long is a piece of string questions***

I'm growing Red Alert tomatoes and have quite decent sized toms now - was wondering how long it takes for them to go red?  Or is it completely random and dependent on weather et al?

PS:  No, I am not hoping to enter a show  ;D

[beejay]

[Tumbler]. They are not as sweet as i had expected

We have grown Tumbler in a hanging basket for a number of years, this year we decided not to bother as we preferred the flavour of our allotment tomatoes much better. I tend to think they are a nice novelty but the taste leaves alot to be desired.

[jennym]

I agree that Tumbler is not as sweet as some others.
Let them get as red as poss, then eat.
How long? Once they are as full a size as they'll get, probably 1-2 weeks - to tell the truth, I've never noticed.

[tim]

Don't despair over flavour - at least one out of three can be tasteless.

[northener]

Thanks for that i'll scrub them off next years list.

[westsussexlottie]

Anyone got tasting notes on "totem" or "santa"? Ours are still green but being grown outdoors.

[Moggle]

Santa are YUM!  ;D Great in salads

And because they have thick skins and thick flesh they last for ages! I had some ripe ones last in my hot kitchen for at least a month, possibly more, before they went squidgy.

[Icyberjunkie]

Always used to grow tumbler before I got the lottie this year.  I found that weekly feeding with Tomorite gave a much sweeter fruit.  Without I'd agree they were often tasteless.

Iain

[tim]

I meant that flat taste can happen with any variety - possibly more so with the cherries.

Santa? Oh, yes! One of our standbys. All flesh, no squidge. Freezes well for cooking.

[northener]

Whats them beutys Tim ? they look like strawberrys at first glance.

[tim]

SANTA!!

[ruud]

I have a very sweet cherry-tom called texas wild,it is a native plant in texas,so it is a true variaty,one of the ancestors of all tomato variaties.

[jennym]

This year I'm growing an outdoor plum bush variety called Roma. They look really healthy and sturdy, there are about 20 on the plot, about 2ft high, no fruit of any size yet. I'm hoping they have fewer pips than, say, Red Alert or Gardeners Delight. Also growing Sungold (was good last year) and another one I haven't tried before, Craigella - but I've only got 2 plants that I got given - they've already got fruit, not ripe yet.
Does anyone have any experience of Roma or Craigella?

[sandersj89]

I actually like Tumbler, I have grown it every year for at least 6 years. I dont do the hanging basket thing with them as they get too large so I grow them in large 10 litre pots on a greenhouse bench. The pots are stood in a tray and watered from below with added tomrite twice a week at half strength.

The toms get to a good size and I like the flavour, they also dry very very well for use later in the winter.

Jerry

[philcooper]

Roma is "just another plum" (I'm not a great fan of plums) and Craigella is quite tastey - I haven't tried either outdoors but they did well enough in my lean to

Phil

[RobinOfTheHood]

Marmande, anyone?

Got some inside and out, a few green ones on but nothing ripe for a couple of weeks I reckon.

What's the best thing to do with them?

[Bagpuss74]

Roma are good given plenty of water and nutrition.  Let them fully ripen and watch out for tough stalky bits  ;)

We're growing Roma, Golden Sunrise (yellow) beefsteak and shirleys this year, all fruiting well but nor ripe yet despite the sun dances.