I'm going to start a new thread on this subject, the elite, knock-your-socks-off, "desert island" tomatoes. A few people are asking about such tomatoes in the MMMM swap.

While I'd like to read about all-time favorite tomatoes, I'd also like to see favorites for different types of tomatoes, such as shapes, sizes, colors, etc...like cherry, grape, saladette, globe, heart, beefsteak, plum...black, blue, green, pink, red, orange, gold, white, striped, bi-color...even plant sizes like determinates, dwarfs, micro-dwarfs... also tomatoes for cooking?, etc...

And, this is just favorites for taste/flavor, with nothing to do with production, disease resistance, hot or cold fruit set, or anything else.

Pink Princess is a very tasty cherry .

Linda

The Mountain Magic has won the Jardín del Gotch Taste Test Challenge three (3) years running, but faces a serious challenge from the newcomer, and WESconsin developed, Sheboygan Heirloom.

Still, the best BLT I've ever had featured the Daniel Burson.

The Gotch

I will take my socks off for these fruity and sweet yellow cherries:
Galinas Yellow
Medovaya Kaplya

Similar notes in a large yellow heart: Zolotye Kupola

Anna Russian pink heart, tastes like watermelon.

Zolotoy Zapas, orange round/oval, has a hint of canteloupe.

Lotos, small white beef, melony.

Yellow Clusters of Ukraine, tangerine orange beef, indescribably mild, melting and yet morish, the most morish tomato I've met. You take a small slice to taste, can't describe it, and then you eat the whole tomato not even caring if your socks are on or off.

Weather, rainfall amounts, and soil quality are just as important as variety selection, IMHO, and explain a lot of the differences in our preferences.

Bower wrote: ↑Sun Sep 04, 2022 2:52 pm I will take my socks off for these fruity and sweet yellow cherries:
Galinas Yellow
Medovaya Kaplya

Similar notes in a large yellow heart: Zolotye Kupola

Anna Russian pink heart, tastes like watermelon.

Zolotoy Zapas, orange round/oval, has a hint of canteloupe.

Lotos, small white beef, melony.

Yellow Clusters of Ukraine, tangerine orange beef, indescribably mild, melting and yet morish, the most morish tomato I've met. You take a small slice to taste, can't describe it, and then you eat the whole tomato not even caring if your socks are on or off.

I'd like to see Anna Russian return to the MMMM swap. It's been about 5 years since I've seen a pack.

One might get into the zone while eating a tomato, but after a long hot day in the garden, I care deeply about the distance to which those socks fall.

Cole_Robbie wrote: ↑Sun Sep 04, 2022 3:00 pm Weather, rainfall amounts, and soil quality are just as important as variety selection, IMHO, and explain a lot of the differences in our preferences.

Not to mention the strange taste buds of those that love the dark tomatoes.

Great idea on this thread Tormato. Didn't realize right away that you were the one that sent me the email, shows how slow I can be, LOL. I do remember you from years ago. Feeling myself slipping back into the old mode of wanting to try every thing I read about. OMG. I can see my wish list expanding already. My all time fave is Brandywine Cowlicks, don't remember where I got the original seed, one of the reputable seed vendors. I am now using tomato tone on all my plants, re-applied every 2 weeks, and what a difference that has made. In plant health and flavor. Now I wonder if I would have liked more of the varieties I grew over the years If I had followed that kind of regimen then.

Beefsteak - Brandywine Cowlicks, to die for.

Cherry - Sungold F1 - would like to find an OP cherry as good or better than.

Plum - Orange Banana - good off the vine, makes an outstanding sauce if the gel and seeds are stripped before cooking down, flavor too intense if not stripped. Some blossom rot but high production gives many good ones.

Amish Paste - Great flavor sliced, and makes a great red sauce, 1st year growing this but I am impressed.

Round Globe - Rose de Berne - Brandywine like flavor in a blemish free fruit.

Black - Never had a black I thought was outstanding - but did not use fert regimen back in those days, need to re-visit. Vorlon was the best I
remember, so I will be looking for an elite black this year.

My avatar is a Cowlicks and my favorite hard neck garlic, Chesnok Red. Photography and gardens my main passions.

Vorlon is a black tomato? Clearly not a sci fi fan, whoever named that one.

I am pretty much set on these as slicers. That is a good 10 years of refining. I'm very satisfied with these three for sandwiches.
red - cuostralee
pink - stump of the world --i grew and liked that 6-7 years back and thankfully got good seed again last year
yellow/orange - sweet ozark orange

but I have a few from the last couple years of trade seed to try out.

Two always stand out year after year - Solar Flare and Daniel Burson.

Agree with @Bower that Lotos is very nice.

My knock-your-socks-off varieties have mostly been Pink.. some from Eastern Europe and others from the U.S.

Pink Tiger from Artisan, for example

Malinovy Yablonka F1.. amazing. A commercial pink det from my Eastern neighbour (purchased way before the world went mad)

Tarasenko Rozevyi from Ukraine is also delicious, OP, and not too small or too large.

Soldacki is the largest pink in my favourites.

Ambrosia cherries are the best tasting golden / yellow / orange cherries I have tasted. wow. Tropical fruit cocktail. Some yellows are bland, but the Ambrosias... wowzee.

Summer Sunrise (yellow) is another surprise.. for those, who think all yellow tomatoes are bland and lack complexity. This one is fantastic.

Orange Banana is maybe the best tasting I know among the orange / yellow non-cherry tomatoes .. but again, I like tropical flavours..!

Black Krim, or its smaller fruited variant Noire de Crimee... just earthy smoky goodness.

Chocolate Cherry is maybe the best tasting dark cherry I ever tasted... just wow.

@PlainJane; "Two always stand out year after year - Solar Flare and Daniel Burson."

I'm with you's on the Daniel Burson, which has made it into the permanent rotation, here; a tough nut to crack!

Now I feel compelled to trial Solar Flare? Oy!!

The Gotch