Favorite (for taste) red OP medium or large round, oblate, or beefsteak tomato

User avatar
Shule
Reactions:
Posts: 2729
Joined: Thu Dec 12, 2019 3:29 pm
Location: SW Idaho, USA

Re: Favorite (for taste) red OP medium or large round, oblate, or beefsteak tomato

#21

Post: # 49040Unread post Shule
Mon Jun 21, 2021 7:11 pm

[mention]Tormato[/mention]
I never imagined big reds might be so unpopular for flavor until around the time I started this thread. I guess I figured it was only the earlier tomatoes (red or not) in that situation.

Great to know about Bulgarian Triumph, even though it's outside the scope.

Have you tried Baker Creek's Beefsteak? I've heard good things about that one.

How about Italian Heirloom? I should add that one to the list.

I personally like red tomatoes, generally (it's perhaps my favorite color of tomato), but when it comes to specific varieties, my all-time favorites for flavor are actually not usually red (at least not consistently).
Location: SW Idaho, USA
Climate: BSk
USDA hardiness zone: 6
Elevation: 2,260 feet

User avatar
MissS
Reactions:
Posts: 5598
Joined: Fri Dec 13, 2019 4:55 am
Location: SE Wisconsin Zone 5b

Re: Favorite (for taste) red OP medium or large round, oblate, or beefsteak tomato

#22

Post: # 49049Unread post MissS
Mon Jun 21, 2021 9:21 pm

I am very glad to see this thread here. I haven't grown a red tomato for eating in years (only for seed swaps). Once I tried pinks and purples, I was hooked. I would like to revisit the reds so this thread will help to steer me in the right direction.

I would like to find the red that my Grandpa grew. That tomato was sweet with an acid bite that when the juices ran down your face it would burn just a little. Gosh those were good! But alas, tastebuds change as one matures so even if I found that tomato I doubt that I would recognize it.
~ Patti ~

User avatar
AlittleSalt
Reactions:
Posts: 459
Joined: Thu Dec 12, 2019 9:55 pm

Re: Favorite (for taste) red OP medium or large round, oblate, or beefsteak tomato

#23

Post: # 49054Unread post AlittleSalt
Tue Jun 22, 2021 12:10 am

Tormato wrote: Sun Jun 20, 2021 4:20 pm
AlittleSalt wrote: Sat Jun 19, 2021 1:35 am "Pink"
That...says...it...all!
Yes sir, it does.
Texas Zone 8A

User avatar
Shule
Reactions:
Posts: 2729
Joined: Thu Dec 12, 2019 3:29 pm
Location: SW Idaho, USA

Re: Favorite (for taste) red OP medium or large round, oblate, or beefsteak tomato

#24

Post: # 49058Unread post Shule
Tue Jun 22, 2021 1:40 am

Cole_Robbie wrote: Fri Jun 18, 2021 12:48 pm There are a lot of juicy tomatoes that I like, far fewer more firm ones. One more firm red that I like a lot is mr bruno. We have sold a lot of them at the farmers market.
Favorite juicy tomatoes are great to mention, as long as they're OP, medium or large, red, and within the shapes listed.
Location: SW Idaho, USA
Climate: BSk
USDA hardiness zone: 6
Elevation: 2,260 feet

User avatar
Shule
Reactions:
Posts: 2729
Joined: Thu Dec 12, 2019 3:29 pm
Location: SW Idaho, USA

Re: Favorite (for taste) red OP medium or large round, oblate, or beefsteak tomato

#25

Post: # 49060Unread post Shule
Tue Jun 22, 2021 1:44 am

I've added quite a few to the list.
Location: SW Idaho, USA
Climate: BSk
USDA hardiness zone: 6
Elevation: 2,260 feet

User avatar
Shule
Reactions:
Posts: 2729
Joined: Thu Dec 12, 2019 3:29 pm
Location: SW Idaho, USA

Re: Favorite (for taste) red OP medium or large round, oblate, or beefsteak tomato

#26

Post: # 49061Unread post Shule
Tue Jun 22, 2021 1:48 am

Whwoz wrote: Fri Jun 18, 2021 2:51 am . . .
Costuloto Genovese has been refined over hundreds of years selection in Italy as a Sauce tomato. It is therefore drier and not as juicy as some.
. . .
That's great to know that it's on the dry side. I had a cross between Purple Calabash and likely Costoluto Genovese. The cross was pretty juicy. I'm growing the F2 this year; so, if Costoluto Genovese is a parent, I shouldn't be surprised if it's not so juicy this time (or maybe it wasn't an F1 hybrid, but rather an F2+ and something else was the parent). I tried to grow Costoluto Genovese, this year, but it never sprouted (but I got regular Purple Calabash volunteers, I think).
Location: SW Idaho, USA
Climate: BSk
USDA hardiness zone: 6
Elevation: 2,260 feet

User avatar
root_grow
Reactions:
Posts: 136
Joined: Fri Dec 13, 2019 12:21 pm
Location: Coastal Washington

Re: Favorite (for taste) red OP medium or large round, oblate, or beefsteak tomato

#27

Post: # 49081Unread post root_grow
Tue Jun 22, 2021 2:09 pm

So far Nepal is the only red tomato larger than a saladette that I've wanted to grow more than once. It was actually one of my favorites last year, a nice surprise since most reds from my gardens have been really underwhelming flavor-wise, and/or ripen too late. That classic look has its appeal though so I'm trialing a whole bunch more this year, I'll try to remember this thread once they start ripening. :)

User avatar
Ginger2778
Reactions:
Posts: 1411
Joined: Tue Dec 10, 2019 3:01 pm
Location: South Florida zone 10b

Re: Favorite (for taste) red OP medium or large round, oblate, or beefsteak tomato

#28

Post: # 49082Unread post Ginger2778
Tue Jun 22, 2021 3:01 pm

Two on your list that I adore are Akers West Virginia, and my top red which is Linda's Faux. I just love both. add Brutus to the list, and Wes( I know, Wes is a heart)
I wasnt impressed with Cosmonaut Volkov, I liked George Detsikas, but never regrew it.
- Marsha

Albertan
Reactions:
Posts: 11
Joined: Thu Dec 10, 2020 4:06 pm
Location: Calgary, Alberta zone 3a, 3200 ft elev.

Re: Favorite (for taste) red OP medium or large round, oblate, or beefsteak tomato

#29

Post: # 49093Unread post Albertan
Tue Jun 22, 2021 6:37 pm

The Neves Azorean is a good one. I like Bychiy Lob. It was from Tatiana's and an indeterminate, whereas I have seen this name used for a determinate. The best ever was Krasnyi Krupnyi. It blew the doors off any other red for taste last year. That was my first time with it and it didn't produce great, but got crowded out so this year I have one in a better spot.

User avatar
MissS
Reactions:
Posts: 5598
Joined: Fri Dec 13, 2019 4:55 am
Location: SE Wisconsin Zone 5b

Re: Favorite (for taste) red OP medium or large round, oblate, or beefsteak tomato

#30

Post: # 49106Unread post MissS
Tue Jun 22, 2021 10:37 pm

I just did a search for Krasnyi Krupnyi and Renaissance Farm has this one listed as a pink. Everyone else has it listed as a red. I guess that this is one way the wrong tomato gets passed around and known to be the correct tomato. I did try to email Curtis but his mail is not working.
~ Patti ~

User avatar
HL2601
Reactions:
Posts: 409
Joined: Tue Dec 10, 2019 9:29 pm
Location: Metro Denver

Re: Favorite (for taste) red OP medium or large round, oblate, or beefsteak tomato

#31

Post: # 49107Unread post HL2601
Tue Jun 22, 2021 11:21 pm

Thessaloniki was just an excellent tomato in my garden. Productive, flavorful and a very strong plant. I liked Neves, George Detsikas and Italian Heirloom quite a bit but in my short season they did not produce a lot. Cuostralee is wonderful and definitely worth a try!

Mark_Thompson
Reactions:
Posts: 802
Joined: Thu Dec 19, 2019 2:21 am
Location: Hawaii

Re: Favorite (for taste) red OP medium or large round, oblate, or beefsteak tomato

#32

Post: # 49110Unread post Mark_Thompson
Wed Jun 23, 2021 2:05 am

Tormato wrote: Sun Jun 20, 2021 4:36 pm That leaves Neves Azorean Red, and Bacon Lettuce and This.
Is BL and T for sale anywhere?
Wet and windy side of a Hawaiian island, just living the dream

User avatar
Whwoz
Reactions:
Posts: 2461
Joined: Wed Dec 11, 2019 12:08 am
Location: Trafalgar, Victoria, Australia

Re: Favorite (for taste) red OP medium or large round, oblate, or beefsteak tomato

#33

Post: # 49112Unread post Whwoz
Wed Jun 23, 2021 3:29 am

Burke's Backyard Italian Marmande

A few comments on this one, as the show after which it is named ran here on Oz from about 1987 to 2004. Burke's Backyard was a gardening/home handyman type show. Don Burke, main presenter, took the crew over to Italy and spent a fair bit of time there filming an "Italian Special". As a result of this trip, Don released two tomatoes here, one would have been a variant of San Marzano and the other was this one. The San Marzano type seemed to disappear fairly quickly but this one has hung about, although it seems to be getting harder to trackdown under the Burke's Backyard Tomato tag. I have not personally grown it, but consider it to be a Costuloto variety rather than a Marmande variety as the former is Italian and the later if French and they did not enter France during the episode. Considering the level of tomato knowledge within most of the Australian veggie growing community at the time one is not surprised that it wound up with a wrong tag as Rouge de Marmande was well known here while the Costulotos were not very well known outside the Italian community.

User avatar
MissS
Reactions:
Posts: 5598
Joined: Fri Dec 13, 2019 4:55 am
Location: SE Wisconsin Zone 5b

Re: Favorite (for taste) red OP medium or large round, oblate, or beefsteak tomato

#34

Post: # 49114Unread post MissS
Wed Jun 23, 2021 6:17 am

Mark_Thompson wrote: Wed Jun 23, 2021 2:05 am
Tormato wrote: Sun Jun 20, 2021 4:36 pm That leaves Neves Azorean Red, and Bacon Lettuce and This.
Is BL and T for sale anywhere?
That is available for take out from Tormato's delivery. Just order one and it will come. :lol:
~ Patti ~

Mark_Thompson
Reactions:
Posts: 802
Joined: Thu Dec 19, 2019 2:21 am
Location: Hawaii

Re: Favorite (for taste) red OP medium or large round, oblate, or beefsteak tomato

#35

Post: # 49121Unread post Mark_Thompson
Wed Jun 23, 2021 9:59 am

[mention]MissS[/mention]

Free two day shipping for Prime members?
Wet and windy side of a Hawaiian island, just living the dream

User avatar
MissS
Reactions:
Posts: 5598
Joined: Fri Dec 13, 2019 4:55 am
Location: SE Wisconsin Zone 5b

Re: Favorite (for taste) red OP medium or large round, oblate, or beefsteak tomato

#36

Post: # 49122Unread post MissS
Wed Jun 23, 2021 10:29 am

Mark_Thompson wrote: Wed Jun 23, 2021 9:59 am @MissS

Free two day shipping for Prime members?
:lol: :lol: :lol: Gotta tip the delivery man!
~ Patti ~

User avatar
Tormato
Reactions:
Posts: 3699
Joined: Thu Dec 12, 2019 3:14 pm

Re: Favorite (for taste) red OP medium or large round, oblate, or beefsteak tomato

#37

Post: # 49138Unread post Tormato
Wed Jun 23, 2021 5:31 pm

Shule wrote: Tue Jun 22, 2021 1:44 am I've added quite a few to the list.
I see you have.

Three of them are superb: Crnkovic Yugoslavian, Granny Cantrell's and Marianna's Peace.

Alas, they are also all pinks.

And, there is a pink version of Cuostralee, which I find better flavored than the red version.



Many years ago, before I knew what a pink tomato was, I planted one entire bed of what were supposed to be "red" tomatoes, 32 varieties in all. 31 of them were basically bland, with one being fantastic. Upon examination, I couldn't figure out why this one satiny ultra pale red tomato (looking like something you'd buy in a supermarket in February) had tremendous flavor, while all of the rest being deep glossy red were tasteless. I thought maybe I had awoken into a Bizarro world. Soon after that, I learned what a pink tomato was. That one tomato in that bed was Millionaire. When purchased, it was listed as a red. Today, there are still some vendors out there describing varieties as "pink to red".

User avatar
Tormato
Reactions:
Posts: 3699
Joined: Thu Dec 12, 2019 3:14 pm

Re: Favorite (for taste) red OP medium or large round, oblate, or beefsteak tomato

#38

Post: # 49140Unread post Tormato
Wed Jun 23, 2021 5:39 pm

Mark_Thompson wrote: Wed Jun 23, 2021 2:05 am
Tormato wrote: Sun Jun 20, 2021 4:36 pm That leaves Neves Azorean Red, and Bacon Lettuce and This.
Is BL and T for sale anywhere?
That depends.

If I hand deliver it, are you willing to pay for round trip airfare and a weeks stay at a beach front hotel? ;)

Otherwise, just PM me a mailing address for free seed. ;) ;)

LK2020
Reactions:
Posts: 79
Joined: Thu Mar 05, 2020 11:45 am
Location: Zone 6b (ish)

Re: Favorite (for taste) red OP medium or large round, oblate, or beefsteak tomato

#39

Post: # 49208Unread post LK2020
Thu Jun 24, 2021 6:27 pm

Big Beef - I grow this for a reliable red that tastes good to me.
Thessaloniki - I've grown it and loved it, very tasty and productive.
Aker's West Virginia - I grew this last year - it was late so I only got a few, but they were excellent and big.
Red Brandywine, potato leaf - My favorite so far! You might only get a few, but oh my, incredibly flavorful! Love them!
I like rich complex flavors, with some acidity, so take my comments with that knowledge in mind. Love the dark tomatoes.
Growing Box Car Willie along with Big Beef for reds this year, so we'll see.

User avatar
Shule
Reactions:
Posts: 2729
Joined: Thu Dec 12, 2019 3:29 pm
Location: SW Idaho, USA

Re: Favorite (for taste) red OP medium or large round, oblate, or beefsteak tomato

#40

Post: # 49216Unread post Shule
Thu Jun 24, 2021 7:41 pm

Okay, I added lots more, again. They're alphabetized, with links.

[mention]Tormato[/mention] (and everyone else), feel free to let me know if any of those happen to be pink, oxhearts (besides Wes), or whatever. I was going by the vendor descriptions/pictures (which of course aren't always 100% accurate with regard to color, and sometimes you can't see the bottom of the fruit to tell if it's an oxheart).

I'm getting the feeling Italian Heirloom might be a blunt oxheart. Am I right? Mine was oxheart-shaped (and wispy), but I figured it was a cross (and I'm not even sure if mine was blunt). Great taste, though, and it had vigor. However, now I'm seeing other people's pictures of it that look like maybe they're blunt oxhearts.
Location: SW Idaho, USA
Climate: BSk
USDA hardiness zone: 6
Elevation: 2,260 feet

Post Reply

Return to “Open Pollinated/Tomatoes of Yesteryear”