Allotments 4 All

Quote from: RobinOfTheHood on July 08, 2005, 12:36:49
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?

I grew marmande last year, both under cover and outside. Nice meaty type but it did suffer a little from greenback. It was good for slicing and cooking with, made some great roast tomato and pepper soup with it.

Jerry

Quote from: philcooper on July 08, 2005, 11:22:58
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

"Just another plum" indeed!  Roma are a good reliable plum tomato, but don't make great eating raw.  They are brill for boiling down into a passata sauce (we boil down to 1/3rd original volume with 1/2 teaspoon of sugar in our biggest pan) and freezing for later use as a base for spag bol etc..  You can also use them chopped/whole in any recipe where you would otherwise be tempted to use tinned tomatoes.

Quote
made some great roast tomato and pepper soup with it.

Jerry

Got a recipe?  ;D ;D

I grow Romas a lot as we eat loads of pasta. I wouldn't even bother eating them raw. But they do make a good sauce. Also got good yields, even last year which was an awful year!

I've found you do need to give the branches support (I tie them up). And I ripen them on the vine.

I was going to try San Marzano instead next year, which is supposed to be tastier, but I already have 19 different varieties of tomato, so maybe I'll leave it for a few years!

I'll let you know, i've 3 san marzano with first truss setting

Interesting stuff,just my views--Tumbler is OK,Red Alert can be good,and it is reliable and early outdoors,Santa is very good,Roma(and most of that type)-they are for cooking with and do not show their character raw. Marmande can be very good-not always easy to get fully ripened outside.

Re-arrange the following words into a well known phrase or saying--

`Crap moneymaker is-`-for new growers a ? mark is allowed.

Stephan

Thanks for info on Roma and Craigella. I am growing them to use in pickles and sauces so the info is good news.

Teehee Stephan! 

Of the beefsteak varieties this year, not only am I doing Marmande but also Hungarian Giant, and the fruit on that are already vast, but way way off colouring up.  My Romas look so pretty all hanging there.  Tigerella are stripey already as well as green zebra.  Last year the yellows ripened first so am keeping an eye on sungold and golden queen. 

I fear there are signs of blight on our allotment so I have been bordeauxing regularly.  Not ideal I know, but the plants are doing so so well, I really would like something from them this year!

 :) I grew Roma last year, they grow well but you must water and feed. Not easy to train as they go a bit haywire so best left to do their own thing.

They are an excellent tom for pasta sauce, few seeds and lots of flesh. WATER WATER WATER or they get tough!!

I had tomato fever earlier (ebay) and am growing, Gardeners Delight*, Roma*, Marmande*, Allicante*, Black Prince, Brandywine, Nebraska Wedding, Prudens Purple, Mr Stripey*, Green Zebra, Thessalonika and Amish Paste. All grown from seed.

My friend feeling I did not have quite enough has given me a yellow plum* one, not named.

All those marked * are outside in very large tubs, 3 to a tub, in a 50/40/10 mix of compost and mushroom compost and vermiculite, with french and african marigolds. Some have peppers instead of the marigolds for company. All are growing like mad and all have fruit, so am now feeding twice weekly. AND no greenfly!

I know I have way too many but its great fun growing them and I and the neighbours are awaiting the taste test!!

I think Roma is the variety used to make the best tomato ketchup...given the demand for ketchup in this household it's a priority crop round here!