Help with tomato variety please...

[gavinjconway]

Hi all - I am looking for a good tomato to plant next year... It has to be a good sweet, juicy, firm and crisp tom to eat straight off the plant with a dash of salt at the plot and if is is a type that cooks well even better.

What I really mean is it must not be an anemic looking tasteless Tesco value pack tom!!

I love my tomatoes and would really like a plant or two next year to pick at leisure and eat raw..

[gavinjconway]

[chriscross1966]

For cooking then Heinz 1484 if you can track it down,  there's a guy on ebay who sells giant spanish seeds and the yellow especially is gorgeous cooked....  To eat from the plant.... well Sungold and Black Cherry are very nice if you're willing to tolerate a cherry type and Sub-Arctic Plenty crops well in our conditions cos it's bred for worse....

[Tee Gee]

Tesco et al tomatoes are generally grown differently hence the 'watery' taste, they are mostly grown 'hydroponically where as home grown tomatoes are generally grown in soil / compost / straw.

I believe it is this, that differentiates between a 'home grown' and shop bought varieties!

So I won't name a variety as I think ones taste is a personal thing and my opinion might differ from yours or any other ones  tastes.

Without going into the 'hybrid' issue I find that if I am eating a tomato and I like the taste I save some seeds and grow them on the following year!

Most of the varieties I grow are a result of this method and I just give them a name that relates to where I got the tomato in the first instance!

For instance I have one named Josie,another named Eddiies and one named Keith's which are from a tomato I have been given to taste from people with these names!

I also have one named 'Tatton' which I got from a tomato tasting at Tatton flower show.

My favourite is named 'Feurta' which is one I tasted in Feurtaventura about fifteen years ago and I save seeds each year from the variety for use the following year.

So now you see why I won't suggest a variety ;)

[gavinjconway]

Tesco et al tomatoes are generally grown differently hence the 'watery' taste, they are mostly grown 'hydroponically where as home grown tomatoes are generally grown in soil / compost / straw.

I believe it is this, that differentiates between a 'home grown' and shop bought varieties!

So I won't name a variety as I think ones taste is a personal thing and my opinion might differ from yours or any other ones  tastes.

Without going into the 'hybrid' issue I find that if I am eating a tomato and I like the taste I save some seeds and grow them on the following year!

Most of the varieties I grow are a result of this method and I just give them a name that relates to where I got the tomato in the first instance!

For instance I have one named Josie,another named Eddiies and one named Keith's which are from a tomato I have been given to taste from people with these names!

I also have one named 'Tatton' which I got from a tomato tasting at Tatton flower show.

My favourite is named 'Feurta' which is one I tasted in Feurtaventura about fifteen years ago and I save seeds each year from the variety for use the following year.

So now you see why I won't suggest a variety ;)

Hi TG... How about some of your seed then now that you have replied without a variety 

[Tee Gee]

TG... How about some of your seed then now that you have replied without a variety

???? Are you requesting some of my saved seeds?

If so what type?

[aj]

What you need is some Piglet Willie's French Blacks, the best warm straight from the plant and fab in cooking.

Apart from that - nobody knows your tastes and what tastes good to someone tastes bland to others, or too sweet, or not sweet enough.

Best bet would be to get a few seeds of some various varieties and try them and see what works for you.

[gavinjconway]

TG... How about some of your seed then now that you have replied without a variety

???? Are you requesting some of my saved seeds?

If so what type?

Hi TG - if possible some seed of your variations would be great.. I'll pm you my details and what I have as a swap if you want.

[Jayb]

For snacking I love Sungold, Suncherry, Floridity, Rosada, all quite sweet cherry varieties, not so useful for cooking though! I agree with growing an assortment as taste is so individual. If you are looking for seeds why not put a post in swaps. 

[gavinjconway]

For snacking I love Sungold, Suncherry, Floridity, Rosada, all quite sweet cherry varieties, not so useful for cooking though! I agree with growing an assortment as taste is so individual. If you are looking for seeds why not put a post in swaps.

Thanks JB - i will do..

[Jayb]

If you are looking for crisp crunchy sort of cherry you can't go far wrong with Green Tiger or Black Zebra Cherry, both very similar varieties. beautifully striped, good taste and firm texture.

[cleo]

Not been my best two years but I still stick with Black Russian and Green Zebra