Tomato texture -- smooth, creamy, silky, melting etc.?

[karstopography]

Anything grainy in a tomato flesh is bad, knowing seeds aren’t smooth. Another reason to like these relatively seedless non-mealy or grainy beefsteak types.

Some pears have a grittiness under the skin, but otherwise might be similar to the texture of some tomatoes. Comice pears from Oregon have the best texture. A good watermelon is firm and not mealy, but I would never equate a good watermelon in texture to a good tomato. I’d die if a tomato ate texturally like an apple. Peaches have a pulp that feels different than tomatoes, but the texture of a great peach is one of the best things a person can eat and a big part of the enjoyment of a great peach is that glorious texture. The best peaches, texturally and flavorwise, I have ever had are Colorado western slope peaches. A Pecos Cantaloupe has a divine flavor and glorious melting texture.

Just as we know all these fruits like pears, peaches, watermelon can have varying textures within the species and some varieties are superior texturally to others, why cannot this all be true for tomatoes?

[bower]

I don't think I've ever eaten the kind of pears you folks are talking about Pears here are always grainy and ptooey to me.
We probably don't get good peaches here either (I seldom buy them due to less than enjoyed experience) - but I would describe canned peaches as being close to the "silky" texture of perfect large tomatoes, and ripe canteloupe as well - bingo!

Seriously @Tormato have you ever bitten into a tomato that had the same texture as an apple???
I guess apples vary too, but my favorites are pretty crisp compared to a tomato.
Likewise watermelon and honeydew are always crisp, to me (but you never know with imported produce!)

Even cherry tomatoes I wouldn't call "crisp", but the firm ones that burst when bitten are a different feel, for sure. (Not sure about words for that!)

[seanm]

This is a great discussion, I don't think we talk enough about different textures/mouthfeels. I'm currently on a vendetta against *crunchy* tomatoes, after I took a detour through various new-introduction hybrids over the past few years. Some of them are *very* close to that straight-up apple crunch, and its an abomination. I've seen this in both large and small tomatoes: Red Torch, Sakura cherry, up to Chef's Choice Orange and Bicolor, and Buffalosun, one of the worst.
I trialed Benevento last year along with the new bicolor that's now named Benevento Marmo (I think?). Both wonderful plants and fruit in almost all respects: vigorous healthy vines, great production that lasted all season, good sweetness and balance, but both are *right* on that line between normal tomato mouth-feel and *crunchy*. I hate to cast shade on these two because they're really pretty great, but I think there must be a specific "crunchy* gene or something that gets bred in to help shelf life, and there's just no way to completely disguise it.
(And don't get me started about supermarket peaches all being crunchy now, too! I've taken to only buying nectarines now, which are not so bad yet).

[Seven Bends]

(And don't get me started about supermarket peaches all being crunchy now, too! I've taken to only buying nectarines now, which are not so bad yet).

Shhhh! They'll hear you about the nectarines and ruin them, too!

[Frosti]

I really like the smooth but slightly firm textures of Pink Brandywine, Green Giant, and Azoychka. Green Giant probably takes the crown.

[Shule]

Grainy tends to mean the same thing as mealy. That's when you bite into a nice-looking tomato (probably a firm-looking one) only to have it spread out all over your mouth like cream of wheat, or like edible non-hard sand. Mealy things tend to lack flavor. I called them mushy before I heard the term mealy.

It sounds like your Brandy Boy tomatoes were mealy. They're not supposed to be like that. I use black plastic to prevent mealy tomatoes (I used to get a lot of mealy beefsteaks before that). It works with watermelon, too. Much tastier on average.

I tend to think low phosphorus and high potassium might impact mealiness. Phosphorus is more available in warmer soil. Potassium is more available in cooler soil. Our soil where we've had mealy tomatoes was a clay loam type that was probably cooler under the ground than most soils, even when it was very hot in the air. Digging a hole is a nice way to cool off, by the way.

[Seven Bends]

Grainy tends to mean the same thing as mealy. That's when you bite into a nice-looking tomato (probably a firm-looking one) only to have it spread out all over your mouth like cream of wheat, or like edible non-hard sand. Mealy things tend to lack flavor. I called them mushy before I heard the term mealy.

It sounds like your Brandy Boy tomatoes were mealy. They're not supposed to be like that. I use black plastic to prevent mealy tomatoes (I used to get a lot of mealy beefsteaks before that). It works with watermelon, too. Much tastier on average.

I tend to think low phosphorus and high potassium might impact mealiness. Phosphorus is more available in warmer soil. Potassium is more available in cooler soil. Our soil where we've had mealy tomatoes was a clay loam type that was probably cooler under the ground than most soils, even when it was very hot in the air. Digging a hole is a nice way to cool off, by the way.

Sorry, my initial message maybe wasn't so clear. My Brandy Boy tomatoes weren't mealy or grainy. What I didn't like about the texture was that they just kind of dissolved in my mouth, so I was wondering if that's what people meant by a smooth, creamy, silky, or buttery texture. If so, I'm not a fan and will avoid those adjectives in tomato descriptions.

Then as a separate question, I was wondering if "smooth, creamy etc." as a tomato adjective is just intended to mean "not mealy," in which case I would definitely want that (non-mealy).

Are you saying low phosphorus and high potassium cause/increase mealiness? Probably what you meant by "impact" but just want to confirm. We have high P and high K in our garden (clay soils that hold on to nutrients, and we fertilize regularly) and don't have a problem with mealiness.

[karstopography]

The only mealy tomatoes I’ve grown were the fall grown Bella Rosa tomatoes and I’m attributing the poor texture to the relatively low temperatures these tomatoes were forced to grow and ripen. But, perhaps the lower temperatures blocked the needed phosphorus from being absorbed at the right time in the right amount.

There might could be a whole other thread discussing the impact of air and/or soil temperatures on tomatoes flavor and texture. At what temperatures do tomatoes really shine on flavor and texture and at what temperatures do the wheels start to come off?

[bower]

I went through the whole deal here @karstopography just trying to find tomatoes that would produce in cold temperatures. And there were a bunch that produced like crazy but were useless for fresh eating due to awful texture.
Some tomatoes just won't produce in the low temperature spring and others will produce but those first tomatoes suck and are nothing like the texture of their main crop.
So it's pretty well variety specific.
There are also a few tomatoes that seem to be at their best in cool temperatures.
And yes there are "crunchy" ones among em - well I only consider a cherry to be crunchy because there's a soft center.
There are non cherries designed to be 'rock hard' all the way through. And TBH they're okay as a frozen for cooking mater, if they're sweet or tasty. (Zolotoe Serdtse comes to mind).
"Crunchy" is the far end of "Mush". You know, thin skinned, splitted, blob like mouthful of softness that is really no fun unless it's so flavorful you don't care.
I don't think I've ever had an early cold weather tomato I would call "silky". Anything on the soft end was mush.

[Shule]

…

Are you saying low phosphorus and high potassium cause/increase mealiness? Probably what you meant by "impact" but just want to confirm. We have high P and high K in our garden (clay soils that hold on to nutrients, and we fertilize regularly) and don't have a problem with mealiness.

No. I really meant `impact` (kind of like `influence`). I wouldn't postulate that it would be a direct and definitive cause-and-effect relationship. There are a lot of potential variables that could also influence it (so, even with high potassium and low phosphorus, I'm thinking there are situations where you wouldn't get mealy tomatoes, even if my hypothesis was right).

[maxjohnson]

Opalka have the most enjoyable tomato texture I've ever eaten. Don't really know how to describe it, it's very soft and somewhat marshmellowy underneath the skin. It's too good for anything but eaten raw.

[karstopography]

Opalka have the most enjoyable tomato texture I've ever eaten. Don't really know how to describe it, it's very soft and somewhat marshmellowy underneath the skin. It's too good for anything but eaten raw.

Opalka,isn’t it known as a sauce/paste type? I’ve read the rave reviews about Opalka as a sauce tomato, but I would not have guessed the texture would be so great.