Tomatoes
How it starts. A few tiny seeds, soaking in water in the bottom of a coffee cup.
A few days later.
And a few days more.
2015
Sally's German tomato
My grandmother Sally was also a gardener. Her favorite tomatoes were what she called
I did not bring seeds with me when I moved to the Netherlands. A few years later I learned the rules around importing fruit (and consequently seeds), but the people I gave seeds to before I left had lost them or didn't have any luck growing them. In 2009 my mom found a ziplock with tomato seeds, labeled
My grandmother Sally was also a gardener. Her favorite tomatoes were what she called
Germans- the seeds were given to her by her neighbor in the 1950's, who was German. I have no idea if these are a genuine German heirloom or something from a 1950's seed catalog, but they are definitely different from any other tomato I've encountered. They are a big beefsteak type (lots of flesh with very few seeds) and fairly acidic. They also were well adapted to the hot Missouri summmers where I grew up, and are somewhat sullen and forlorn in our damp, chilly climate. They do well enough in the greenhouse though, and in hot summers they outproduce almost all of the purchased varieties. The color is just a bit pinkish; not quite a true red, and they tend to form deep folds around the stem. The closest tomato I've encountered is something called
Omar's Lebanese tomato, which has a similar color, texture, and flavor but is much smaller.
I did not bring seeds with me when I moved to the Netherlands. A few years later I learned the rules around importing fruit (and consequently seeds), but the people I gave seeds to before I left had lost them or didn't have any luck growing them. In 2009 my mom found a ziplock with tomato seeds, labeled
1999. This was the year I'd moved away from Missouri, and had probably given my mom some seeds just in case. There were 10 seeds that were now 10 years old - but 4 of them germinated and 3 produced fruit. Sally's German tomatoes were saved.
Sally's German tomato
Lilian's Yellow Heirloom
Vendor: Tuinkabouter's zaden
A big, yellow beefsteak-type with a distinctive flavor. Tends to be acidic but milder than the Germans. Makes a nice salsa.
Vendor: Tuinkabouter's zaden
A big, yellow beefsteak-type with a distinctive flavor. Tends to be acidic but milder than the Germans. Makes a nice salsa.
Lilian's Yellow
2018
Sally's German tomato
Sally's German tomato
Black Yum Yum
Vendor: Carlos (now defunct)
There is nothing especially
Vendor: Carlos (now defunct)
There is nothing especially
blackabout this tomato, but it is a nice big beefsteak-type. The flavor is not as good as the smaller beefsteaks, but its not bad, and makes up the difference in volume.
Black Yum Yum
2019
Black Yum Yum
Black Prince
Vendor: Tuinkabouter's zaden
Medium-sized, with greenish shoulders.
Vendor: Tuinkabouter's zaden
Medium-sized, with greenish shoulders.
Black Prince
Nyagous
Vendor: Tuinkabouter's zaden
Medium-sized, brown tomatoes with an excellent flavor. These are hardy plants that produce reasonably well even in poor years.
Vendor: Tuinkabouter's zaden
Medium-sized, brown tomatoes with an excellent flavor. These are hardy plants that produce reasonably well even in poor years.
Paul Robeson
Vendor: Nicky's Nursery
Fairly large, brownish-red beefsteak-type tomatoes with green shoulders. Very good flavor - one of the best.
Vendor: Nicky's Nursery
Fairly large, brownish-red beefsteak-type tomatoes with green shoulders. Very good flavor - one of the best.
Paul Robeson
Black Krim
A relatively large
A relatively large
blacktomato. Mine were not particularly black, but had just a bit of green around the shoulders.
Black Krim
Lilian's Yellow heirloom
Lilian's Yellow heirloom
Sally's German tomato
Sally's German tomato
Tomatito de Jalapa
Vendor: Tuinkabouter's zaden
These are tiny cherry tomatoes, rarely more than 1cm in diameter. They are rather seedy. But they are interesting - individual tomatoes on the same plant have a different flavor profile. They are also amazingly hardy - they have self-seeded and are now growing entirely on their own in my garden. Obviously, they will also do fine in a pot or pretty much anywhere else. They seem entirely oblivious to the blight that kills most tomatoes in this climate.
Vendor: Tuinkabouter's zaden
These are tiny cherry tomatoes, rarely more than 1cm in diameter. They are rather seedy. But they are interesting - individual tomatoes on the same plant have a different flavor profile. They are also amazingly hardy - they have self-seeded and are now growing entirely on their own in my garden. Obviously, they will also do fine in a pot or pretty much anywhere else. They seem entirely oblivious to the blight that kills most tomatoes in this climate.
Tomatito de Jalapa
2020
Bloody Butcher
Vendor: Nicky's Nursery
This is a fairly ordinary, golfball-sized tomato. Their great gift is being hardy and early. This one produces reliably even in poor years.
Vendor: Nicky's Nursery
This is a fairly ordinary, golfball-sized tomato. Their great gift is being hardy and early. This one produces reliably even in poor years.
Brad's Atomic Grape
Vendor: Baker Creek (no longer recommended due to their unfortunate support of Clive Bundy and the views he represents)
A
Vendor: Baker Creek (no longer recommended due to their unfortunate support of Clive Bundy and the views he represents)
A
new heirloombred by Brad Gates, the progenitor of several interesting new varieties. The color on these is every bit as interesting as the advertising implies. On the down side, this seems to be a case of
the lights are on but no one's home- the flavor on this one is okay, but not nearly as good as other cherry tomatoes. But it sure is pretty.
Brad's Atomic Grape
Brad's Atomic Grape
Brad's Atomic Grape
Brad's Atomic Grape
Indigo Rose
Vendor: Magic Garden seeds
These are small, just a bit bigger than a cherry tomato. They retain a deep purple color on the shoulders and the flavor is great - rich and well-balanced. Makes an excellent (and very pretty) salsa.
Vendor: Magic Garden seeds
These are small, just a bit bigger than a cherry tomato. They retain a deep purple color on the shoulders and the flavor is great - rich and well-balanced. Makes an excellent (and very pretty) salsa.
Indigo Rose
Indigo Rose
Cosmic Eclipse
Another one from Brad Gates' breeding program. These are still green. but eventually turn a reddish-brown color similar to Nyagous but with red and yellow stripes. The size and flavor profile is also similar to Nyagous, which makes me suspect that it may have been descended from that variety. In any case, the flavor is quite good. Nothing to dislike about this one - it even grew reasonably well outdoors in the hot summer of 2020.
Another one from Brad Gates' breeding program. These are still green. but eventually turn a reddish-brown color similar to Nyagous but with red and yellow stripes. The size and flavor profile is also similar to Nyagous, which makes me suspect that it may have been descended from that variety. In any case, the flavor is quite good. Nothing to dislike about this one - it even grew reasonably well outdoors in the hot summer of 2020.
Cosmic Eclipse (now ripe!)
Paul Robeson
Black Beauty
Yet another great tomato from Brad Gates' farm. Although the Cosmic tomatoes are neat, this was the winner for prettiest tomato of 2020. It also is one of the best tasting. The only difficulty with it is that it does not like our cool, damp climate - it did okay in the hot summer of 2020 but withered and died in the cool, damp year that followed.
Yet another great tomato from Brad Gates' farm. Although the Cosmic tomatoes are neat, this was the winner for prettiest tomato of 2020. It also is one of the best tasting. The only difficulty with it is that it does not like our cool, damp climate - it did okay in the hot summer of 2020 but withered and died in the cool, damp year that followed.
Sally's German tomato
Sally's German tomato
Sally's German tomato
Sally's German tomator
Sally's German tomato
Lilian's yellow heirloom
Lilian's yellow heirloom
Sally's German tomato
Sally's German tomato
2021
Purple calabash
Vendor: Nicky's Nursery
Medium-sized tomatoes with deep ridges. Flavor is balanced. What this variety has going for it is production. I did not count how many tomatoes were produced by this one plant, but I would guess it was upwards of 50. The down side is that they are rather prone to cracking.
Vendor: Nicky's Nursery
Medium-sized tomatoes with deep ridges. Flavor is balanced. What this variety has going for it is production. I did not count how many tomatoes were produced by this one plant, but I would guess it was upwards of 50. The down side is that they are rather prone to cracking.
Purple calabash
Indigo Rose
Nyagous
Lucid Gem
I made the error of planting the Black Beauty and the Lucid Gem next to each other, making it difficult to tell which tomatoes were which. When cut open the difference is clear - Lucid Gem have a bit of yellow inside; Black Beauty are dark red. Very pretty tomatoes with a balanced flavor.
I made the error of planting the Black Beauty and the Lucid Gem next to each other, making it difficult to tell which tomatoes were which. When cut open the difference is clear - Lucid Gem have a bit of yellow inside; Black Beauty are dark red. Very pretty tomatoes with a balanced flavor.
Black Icicle
A black, Roma-type tomato. These tomatoes have dense flesh (as you would expect from a Roma-type), great flavor, and great production. The plant survived quite well in the damp, chilly summer of 2021. No complaints on this one.
A black, Roma-type tomato. These tomatoes have dense flesh (as you would expect from a Roma-type), great flavor, and great production. The plant survived quite well in the damp, chilly summer of 2021. No complaints on this one.
Lila Sari
Vendor: Irina's Tomaten
This is a truly big, truly dark, very tasty tomato. What more could you want?
Vendor: Irina's Tomaten
This is a truly big, truly dark, very tasty tomato. What more could you want?
Lila Sari
Lila Sari
Lila Sari
Omar's Lebanese Tomato
Vendor: Refining Fire
As the name suggests: an heirloom tomato from Lebanan. These have an unusual acidic flavor, surprisingly similar to Sally's German tomatoes. The pinkish color is also similar, but these are much smaller.
Vendor: Refining Fire
As the name suggests: an heirloom tomato from Lebanan. These have an unusual acidic flavor, surprisingly similar to Sally's German tomatoes. The pinkish color is also similar, but these are much smaller.
Omar's Lebanese Tomato