The great tomato taste-Off - most flavourful tomato varieties and gardening tips

Sunset, March, 2001 by Jim McCausland

We prowl the West's tomato festivals to discover the most flavorful varieties you can grow

There are hundreds of great tomatoes to choose from, so how can a thoughtful gardener possibly narrow the field to a promising half dozen or so? For answers, Sunset staffers queried tomato growers and chefs around the West, attended tomato festivals, and hobnobbed with growers at farmers' markets.

It didn't take long to discover that some tomatoes came up on winners' lists again and again, and that they fall into every possible category: big slicers; tomatoes for paste, sauce, and drying; cherry tomatoes; and even wild currant tomatoes.

A surprising number of favorite tomatoes are heirlooms--ones whose seed has been passed down from gardener to gardener for generations. Many have great stories attached. 'Brandywine', for example, was bred by the Amish more than a century ago. 'Paul Robeson' is a variety named for the African American singer and actor, but it was cultivated and named in Russia. 'Radiator Charlie's Mortgage Lifter' was bred by a West Virginia radiator repairman named M.C. Byles during the 1930s. He sold his seedlings for $1 each and paid off his $6,000 mortgage in six years.

But we don't grow tomatoes for stories. We grow them for that intense flavor you can only get from vine-ripened fruit--and for their amazing array of colors, shapes, and sizes.

Varieties

At the festivals we attended, everyone--from passionate vegetable gardeners to casual weekenders out for a good time--seemed intent on ferreting out the best-of-show tomato, something with flavors more rich and complex than the finest wine. Everyone, that is, except the chefs who were preparing tomato-based foods for festivalgoers to eat. Judged by the dishes they offered, these cooks were as interested in color and shape as in flavor, offering salads spangled with yellow, red, and orange cherry tomatoes, and basil-sprinkled, olive-oiled slabs of white, pink, green, and crimson tomatoes layered with thin slices of sweet onions.

It seems that presentation counts for a great deal more when tomatoes are prepared for eating, especially in light of the ways in which their flavors change when combined with other ingredients. A little salt can enliven a bland tomato, and seasonings such as basil flakes and salad dressings can completely alter the flavor of the tomatoes they dress. Cut up into salsa, a tomato's original flavor fades well into the background, overpowered by cilantro, garlic, onions, peppers, and salt.

With all these things in mind, we offer our spring list of great varieties. All have memorable flavors, a few are sculptural beauties, and some are downright ugly. But each one is worth growing.

Slicers

Every gardener needs at least one tomato variety that's big enough to slice onto hamburgers and sandwiches, and to fan out on deli trays.

'Brandywine' is a hands-down favorite. The original, a pink beefsteak type, can weigh 1 1/2 pounds per fruit. It has big flavor to match, and a unique, melt-in-your-mouth softness to the flesh. It also grows in red, yellow, and black versions, but the original is still most favored. A wonderful lighter pink is 'Odoriko', a Japanese hybrid with perfect balance between sweet and acid flavors.

'Paul Robeson' stands out among several great black tomatoes. Most appear tinged with black, brown, or purple, skin and flesh included. They tend to be richly flavored, sometimes with hints of spice or red wine, and they vary widely in size. 'Paul Robeson' weighs about 10 to 12 ounces. For an outstandingly rich black variety, try 'Cherokee Purple', whose fruit often grows to 10 ounces or more. 'Black Prince', from Siberia, is on the small end of the scale for black tomatoes; it's flavorful and juicy, and can be sweet when it gets enough summer heat.

Grow 'Earl of Edgecombe' for its firm and meaty texture, superb flavor, and gold-orange skin and flesh. It is also remarkably disease-free. 'Flamme', a French heirloom, is only half the diameter of 'Earl of Edgecombe' but has a deeper, persimmon orange skin and nicely balanced sweetness.

Among the classic reds, 'Dona' is a medium-size French hybrid that was bred for the fresh market, where flavor is at a premium; plants produce liberally. 'Costoluto Genovese' and 'Charlie Chaplin' have fluted sides that make them tough to peel but great for stuffing or slicing. Of the two, the heat-loving 'Costoluto Genovese' has the most fluting and is probably better for eating, with a meaty, full-flavored, slightly tart interior. 'Stupice', a Czech variety that's modest in size and cold-tolerant, does particularly well along the coast and in other mild-summer climates.

'Green Zebra' is an heirloom open-pollinated variety that comes true from seed. Its golden yellow base is covered with green stripes, and flavor is on the tart side, too green for some. 'Tigerella' (also called 'Mr. Stripey') has met with better reviews for flavor. It's also on the small side, with yellowish stripes over a red base.

There are also a couple of great yellows worth noting: the huge (up to 2-pound) 'Pineapple' (yellow with peach blush) and 'Nebraska Wedding'. Though they aren't pictured here, they placed highly in tastings.