Hello,

The season is underway, and I've been able to sample and try out 7 out of the 10 varieties I am growing this year.
As usual, some very nice hybrids from the Eastern neighbour.. but the best without any question has been Chocolate Cherry.
It was one of the best last year, and this year, the flavour is even better.. better soil and better ferts this season.

The CC is just fantastic... such a deep, sweet and hearty flavour - better than any other small black tomato I have tried.
(Black Cherry, Black Opal and some others have not been even close)

The small determinate hybrid cocktail sized from Russia (Oblepikha and Malinowky Yablonka) are super tasty as well. So fresh and aromatic.. but not irreplaceable
Malinowky Yablonka F1 is delicious, and I might re-grow it next year... it is pink, and I generally love pinks... but there are many other great pinks.

The large red one, Banana Leg, and Dwarf Arctic Rose are still green. So I remain really curious about them.

Sounds delightful!! My best taisting this year we’re cherry falls a must grow again,lemon drop from out local greenhouse and bush early girl they were outstanding this year .. saved seeds from all of them

AKgardener wrote: ↑Mon Aug 29, 2022 7:27 pm Sounds delightful!! My best taisting this year we’re cherry falls a must grow again,lemon drop from out local greenhouse and bush early girl they were outstanding this year .. saved seeds from all of them

I have got seeds for Cherry Falls (did grow it some years ago), and was planning on growing it again next year..! very good taste indeed.

Not familair with Lemon drop.. so many yellow / pale / golden cherry varieties on the market, I find it confusing to be honest..
It's good you got seeds saved.
I need to save some this season.. I want to give some away as well, seeds are very expensive in stores.

@NarnianGarden i have never seen the lemon drop variety before it’s part of the matsu express strain our local shop grows it’s the size of a roma tomato and very delicious!! Why I saved seeds just in case they don’t have it anymore! I had no idea what the variety was because the tag just said matsu so I thought it was the big red ones.. definitely worth keeping I haven’t grown a yellow tomato yet I loved it

Rosedale, Girl Girl's Weird Thing and Reinhard's Purple Sugar are the best tasting for me this year. Rosedale at the top with Purple Sugar a close second.

The best among this year's beefsteaks is pink brandywine (unknown strain, gonna try Sudduth's strain next year).
My top 2 smaller tomatoes are 2 unknown varieties that were mislabeled. Both are yellow pear tomatoes with potato leaves. One has bigger fruits than the other. Different sources, and different taste, so likely different varieties. I have some candidates for what they could be, but I can't be sure ...

@rossomendblot GGWT is really tasty. It has this earthy, smoky and sweet flavour that many purples and blacks have. and it has been tasty in less than ideal conditions. Such a lovely creation.

@Frosti Wow. That's fascinating - potato leaves and yellow pear shape.. interesting combo, and to hear they were tasty instead of bland...sounds like you have been doing something right with your soil and amendments !

For me so far, flavor has been excellent on these:

Chocolate Sprinkles OP
Indigo Pear Drops (which is always great)
Cosmic Jewel
Pink Giant Ukrainian
Ludmilla's Peach
Golden Buddha

I usually also like the flavor of Yellow Fire, but I don't know if I've actually had a fresh one this year yet. My daughter likes to snag them when she passes through the kitchen and I've been making sauce with the ones that remain. I'll have to make sure I try one.

Midnight Sun is another that generally makes this list, but our plants have had a few set backs this year and haven't ripened any yet. Some of the green ones are getting close, though.

Since Rosedale was mentioned, I should say that it's one of my daughter's favorites out of about 7 or 8 new ones we tried last week.

@Acer Rubrum
I'd love to see a pic of your Chocolate sprinkles: I have a hybrid I am growing this year (purchased from Russia, name is 'Schokoladnaya' something) that looks a lot like the photos of Chocolate Sprinkles I have seen on-line.

Very good, earthly flavour, a thick skin, so it probably is great for transportation.

The same goes for many other Russian hybrids.. great taste, thick skin.

I wonder if good transport ability is considered important in Eastern Europe and that's why so many newer hybrids like that..?

Western cherry varieties aimed at hobby gardeners tend to have much thinner skins. (the Bumble bee cherries are an exception..)

Chocolate Sprinkles is a very sweet tomato, with medium skins. They do crack with too much water but generally they're fine.

Yes, looks very similar to the ones I have.. will post a pic later.

( there are several varieties that look that way, dark skin, elongated cherry / grape with the 'nipple')

Everything's been pretty tart this year, for some reason. However, Carolina Yellow did impress me. Its flavor could compete with Amana Orange.

Best of 2022,

Best BLT tomato = Beefmaster
Best Mexican Salsa Tomato = Japanese Black Trifele
Best Caprese Salad Tomato = Pineapple
Best Cucumber and Tomato Salad Tomato = Hoy
Best off the vine and into the mouth Cherry tomato = Sungold

Best for me.
Brandywine Cowlicks. Yet to find anything in a slicer that comes close. I have grown Stump, Sudduth, and several other BW's. Nothing compares.
Orange Banana, great off the vine, fruity sweet with a bit of tang. Great sauce.
Sungold Cherry needs no introduction.
Amish Paste, nice flavor and great sauce.

TheMad_Poet wrote: ↑Mon Sep 26, 2022 3:08 pm Best for me.
Brandywine Cowlicks. Yet to find anything in a slicer that comes close. I have grown Stump, Sudduth, and several other BW's. Nothing compares.
Orange Banana, great off the vine, fruity sweet with a bit of tang. Great sauce.
Sungold Cherry needs no introduction.
Amish Paste, nice flavor and great sauce.

Yes Cowlick's was great for me also and this year it was very productive compared to years past !

Dan

The best tasting was Polaris, but I got maybe a couple good-sized fruit and 3-4 smaller ones.

Runners-up, with decent production and pretty good taste: Benevento F1 and Purple Boy F1.

Still haven’t roasted the Picus F1 paste tomatoes; good production.

Start F1 was surprisingly sweet and shockingly small but production was ok.

Good production and ok taste for Yana and Komohana Grape. Fair production and good taste for Brandy Boy F1.

The other 50 or so varieties were disappointing: quite a few produced nothing, and the ones that produced a few token tomatoes were not memorable..

Rebel Yell takes the crown this year.

Others that stood out for taste this year:

Bear Creek
Altai Orange
Dwarf Emerald Giant
Dwarf Scarlet Heart
Uluru Ochre
New Big Dwarf
Grub’s Mystery Green
S.V. Zamorozki
Muddy Waters
Sweet Aperitif
Rosella
Rebel Alliance

I'm glad to hear your comment about Rebel Yell cause it's been on my bucket list for a few years now and I have recently obtained the seed so next year it's a sure thing.

Dan

Another comment on Rebel Yell. For me, the flavor has been excellent but production in this part of Nebraska has been uneven; one year great, the next average, the next less than desired.