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Picking Favorites: Some of the Best Tomatoes for Puget Sound

October 5th, 2009 · 8 Comments

 Don’t let cool summers keep you from growing the season’s finest garden treat. Of all the tomatoes I planted this year, here are some my favorites, based on taste, robust growth and prolific nature.

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Northern Exposure tomato is an all around winner: beautiful round deep red baseball-size toms –firm, meaty, flavorful and possessing an impressive shelf life of up to a week after picked. The plant is bushy, well-behaved and determinate (only grows to about three feet). blog_northern_exposure_sliced

Old German tomato was new for me this year, planted as a substitute f0r my all-time favorite Pineapple tomato. I’d have to say Old German is my new favorite as the largest, sweetest and meatiest slicing tomato in the garden this year (and the plant was robust to boot).blog_Old_German_tomato

A crazy kaleidoscope of yellow, orange and red, it’s almost seedless and packs a dense meaty goodness that makes it my preferred BLT tomato.

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Two slices manage to cover half a sliced baguette. blog_German_blt

Too many BLTs, so little time

So many BLTs, so little time...and one should never hold the mayo.

Snow White and Sugar Lump Cherry Tomatoes: small size, but big flavor
Snow White tomato (next to one sungold cherry) takes first place in the cherry category followed by Sugar Lump. Snow White is a very vigorous vine loaded with light yellow-colored orbs that are sweet, tangy and crack resistant after summer rains. Sugar Lump tomato is milder but still a flavorful cherry tomato that seems meatier than most. Again, a healthy easy-to-grow vine. Sungold is a great choice too, but it splits and spoils quickly after rainy weather.blog_whitewonder_tomato
White Wonder tomato is also new to me, a novelty of sorts that pays off with sweet melting low-acid flavor that makes it a pleasure to eat simply with salt, pepper and a drizzle of olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
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White Wonder is not the most vigorous vine, but I was happy with the ten or so medium to large fruits that found their way to my dinner plate. blog_fourth_july
Fourth of July tomato was a real winner, though ripening a month later than its namesake would suggest. It’s juicy and sweet and about the size of a ping pong ball–a perfect salad or snack tomato. The vine is very vigorous, the fruit does not split after rains, and it keeps well, too.

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Lemon Boy tomato is a sharp, tangy tasting medium size tomato that adds a nice dimension to fresh eating, salads and salsa.

Amish Paste is the juiciest meatiest paste or Roma type tomato I've ever grown. It's a great fresh eating tomato and not as thick-skinned as most paste tomatoes.

Amish Paste is the juiciest meatiest paste or Roma type tomato I've ever grown. It's a great fresh eating tomato and not as thick-skinned as most paste tomatoes. I found no need to skin them when I made sauce.

Boz and Gracie would rather not eat than eat a hothouse
Boz and Gracie asked that I point out they would rather tap a nap than eat a hothouse tomato. I’d also like to point out that they’d rather take a nap than do a lot of things.
My friends Beth and June (Four Green Acres) have weighed in and it looks like the Persimmon tomato has a devoted following. June, in fact, has a great blog post where she shares her top tomato picks this season. I can’t wait to try them myself and discover other new tomatoes in the coming season.
What are your favorite homegrown tomatoes?
 
What I was blogging about a year ago:
 Violetta Fig Finishes Out the Season

Tags: Tomatoes

8 responses so far ↓

  • 1 miffala // Oct 5, 2009 at 1:25

    YUM YUM YUM…damn, this Jersey Tomato has never seen better!! You or your tomatoes Tommy!

  • 2 Tom // Oct 5, 2009 at 1:25

    Thanks Miffy!

  • 3 June@Four Green Acres // Oct 6, 2009 at 1:25

    How great, Tom! We did our tomato round-ups on the same day. Mine suffers from the lack of Boz and Gracie photos…and BLTs with mayo. You do know how to live!

    I can’t believe you’ve talked me into venturing beyond Sungolds. Not that I’d ever forsake them, no! But the cracking does pester me. Northern Exposure goes on my list. And I’m going to have to grow Old German along with Ruby Gold: Time for a taste test!

    I loved this post. Can you tell?

  • 4 M.A. // Oct 10, 2009 at 1:25

    Hey Tom-Tom,
    Aya has hard green heirloom tomatoes still on the vine. Do you have any tips for either ripening them off the vine or a recipe for green tomatoes. I never bought the idea to fry them. MA

  • 5 Tom // Oct 11, 2009 at 1:25

    M.A. me thinks you stumbled on the perfect post for this time of year. Just what do you do with all the green tomatoes and/or how do you ripen them off the vine. Stay tuned!

  • 6 Lyn Frankel // Oct 17, 2009 at 1:25

    Thanks for all your great recommendations. If you’ve never tried Paul Robeson, you haven’t lived!

  • 7 Tom // Oct 17, 2009 at 1:25

    Lyn, looks like I have another winner to add to my seed order — thanks!

  • 8 Kitchen Butterfly // Oct 20, 2009 at 1:25

    Maybe next year, I’ll grow tomatoes again. Last year, I ended up with a tree of green tomatoes in November!!!!!!!! Ended up making jars of green tomato chutney to give away for christmas. These look lovely

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