Hillbilly PL

[Scooty]

I already have Hillbilly RL. Looking for PL.

[JosephineRose]

Carmel Bella Farms has a PL sport of this variety.

https://www.carmelbellafarm.com/product-page/hillbilly

I am doing a grow out of similar varieties (Virginia Sweets, Gold Medal, Oaxacan Jewel, etc). Have you grown these varieties? How does reg Hillbilly compare?

[Shule]

@JosephineRose
I'm not Scooty, of course, but I've grown Virginia Sweets, and I'm growing Gold Medal, this year. Virginia Sweets was great (except my fruits were strangely bitter, like how chicory is bitter, but otherwise great; I think it was my growing conditions, though, as I'm the only one I've heard about who has said that); the plant was vigorous and got nice big fruits; good production. I'm tempted to try it again. In the meantime, I'm trying out Gold Medal. Oaxacan Jewel is one I've been wanting to grow, too.

[Tormahto]

@JosephineRose
I'm not Scooty, of course, but I've grown Virginia Sweets, and I'm growing Gold Medal, this year. Virginia Sweets was great (except my fruits were strangely bitter, like how chicory is bitter, but otherwise great; I think it was my growing conditions, though, as I'm the only one I've heard about who has said that); the plant was vigorous and got nice big fruits; good production. I'm tempted to try it again. In the meantime, I'm trying out Gold Medal. Oaxacan Jewel is one I've been wanting to grow, too.

Strangely bitter? I simply don't understand how that could be. Of all the bi-colors that I've tried, one of two things has happened; with good weather the tomatoes are luscious and exceedingly sweet and fruity, and with poor weather (too much rain) they are insipid, and mushy. The bi-colors have never been bitter, tart, tangy (balanced flavor), earthy, or anything else but sweet or bland.

I wonder if you have the correct seed.

[MissS]

@JosephineRose
I'm not Scooty, of course, but I've grown Virginia Sweets, and I'm growing Gold Medal, this year. Virginia Sweets was great (except my fruits were strangely bitter, like how chicory is bitter, but otherwise great; I think it was my growing conditions, though, as I'm the only one I've heard about who has said that); the plant was vigorous and got nice big fruits; good production. I'm tempted to try it again. In the meantime, I'm trying out Gold Medal. Oaxacan Jewel is one I've been wanting to grow, too.

Strangely bitter? I simply don't understand how that could be. Of all the bi-colors that I've tried, one of two things has happened; with good weather the tomatoes are luscious and exceedingly sweet and fruity, and with poor weather (too much rain) they are insipid, and mushy. The bi-colors have never been bitter, tart, tangy (balanced flavor), earthy, or anything else but sweet or bland.

I wonder if you have the correct seed.

I was wondering the same thing too.

[Shule]

@Tormato @MissS
What I refer to as bitterness is an extremely rare phenomenon in tomatoes, but it happens, apparently (although not consistently, to my knowledge). When I say bitter (every single time I use the word--not just here), I don't mean sour, tart, acidic, tangy, nor anything that affects that sweet/acidic balance. I mean bitter like cumin is bitter (think the taste of magnesium chloride, except milder; it's exactly like that). The other flavors of the tomato still come in just fine, too (laced with bitterness). Other than the bitterness, it was delicious (mild, though).

[Tormahto]

@Tormato @MissS
What I refer to as bitterness is an extremely rare phenomenon in tomatoes, but it happens, apparently (although not consistently, to my knowledge). When I say bitter (every single time I use the word--not just here), I don't mean sour, tart, acidic, tangy, nor anything that affects that sweet/acidic balance. I mean bitter like cumin is bitter (think the taste of magnesium chloride, except milder; it's exactly like that). The other flavors of the tomato still come in just fine, too (laced with bitterness). Other than the bitterness, it was delicious (mild, though).

You explained bitterness perfectly when you mentioned chicory. The only times I experience bitterness is in green when ripe tomatoes. With too much rain, most flavor compounds are washed out of the GWRs, in my garden, but not the slight bitterness. If one chews on the skin or seeds of just about any tomato, that's where one might find bitterness. That's why I chew gently on tomatoes. I don't want to chew through any seeds, and release that nastiness.

[Shule]

@Tormato
Cool. This bitterness was in the flesh, rather than the skin or seeds. They were very meaty tomatoes, and the juice was even bitter. It was very surprising. I had imagined tomatoes like that, but I don't think I had ever eaten one.