Cherokee Purple is, for me, miraculously, the most delicious tomatoe I've ever tasted and/or grown. Grew them here in Mass. they came in almost as big as grapefruit but the Taste!!! Am a neophyte gardener; just got incredibly lucky with them. Thanks.
I will always grow Black Krim because it’s my favorite! I had a lot of success with Green Giant and they’re pretty tasty but a little too acidic for sauce.
I've grown and enjoyed all of the tomatoes on your list except German Pink. My favorites are Mortgage Lifters, Gold Medal, Belle Marmouise Juane, Paul Robeson, Black Cherry and Aunt Rubies German Green. For sauce tomatoes: Amish Paste, San Marzano Redorta, Russian Orange (bicolor) 117 and Italian Heirloom. Thanks for the great video and blessings to you and your family.
Good Afternoon Jim - So glad to hear from you this morning and hope the healing is continuing to go well for you. I had to take notes from this video as I have not grown any of these varieties. LOL Appreciate the experience of your audience for all new gardeners and for your research in making this video. Wishing you a blessed weekend and stay cool..
Good afternoon! Thanks! I think the valuable thing about this video is that it's not just one person's opinion. Any of these are worth trying. Have a great weekend!
Black Krim is sooo good and adds an indescribable flavor to soups and stews. It's like this amazing rich and umami flavor that enhances the whole dish.
I have several growing with fruit already large and probably no more than 2 weeks from ready. I can't wait to try it! ...never grew this variety before.
Happy to ear you again :-) I hope you're going well. Sewed several of those tomatoes the last ten years. This year is not our best season, according to the rainy summer, but among our 100 varieties grown each year, Paul Robeson was one of our best success ; as always, we always prefer dark tomatoes for their rich taste ; but this list is a good summary of tasty classic tomatoes. Thanks for sharing. Greetings from Belgium and have a nice weekend😊
Thanks! I'm slowly getting better, but it will still take some more time. We could have used some of that rain over here. That must be a lot of fun growing that many types of tomatoes. Hope things are going well in Belgium! Have a great weekend!
I regularly grow four of the tomatoes on your list: Sun Gold, Brandywine (my favorite), Kellogg's Breakfast, and Pineapple. They are all great. Next year I'll try some of the others that you listed.
@@MidwestGardener Try "Taxi" sometime. The bush never gets very tall (at least here in Portland Oregon) but it produces many, many bright yellow medium-small sized fruits. The flavor is mild, sweet and I think less acidic than most tomatoes. Because I'm an idiot sometimes, it was probably the third year that I grew them when I finally realized why they're called "Taxi". There I was picking a bunch of these BRIGHT YELLOW tomatoes wondering about their name and then....DUH.... forehead slap.
So great to hear from you, I've missed my Saturday morning Midwest Gardener video. I agree with you about the black krim and brandywine. They are delicious. I grew the yellow brandywine. Both struggled in the heat. The ones that I did get were delicious. I also really like the Hungarian heart. It too is very meaty. I'm hoping to grow more of these before we get any frost. I sure enjoyed the video, it made want a tomato sandwich. Take care and God bless.🍅🍅🍅🍅🍅
I grew a tie-dye tomato plant one year and the taste of it blew my mind and nothing has come close to that taste since but I’m growing black Krim this year and pineapple can’t wait to try them both.
It was! I thought it would be some useful information though. I might have missed a few, because some of the comments were very long, and some of the conversations also.
This was a good year for tomatoes. I sowed then transplanted 23 varieties early, so most of the harvest was earlier than usual and before the terrible heat. Our favorite was Paul Robeson. Consoluto Genevese and Chef's Choice Orange #2 & #3. We tried a new cherry, Orange Roussolini. Loved it, and it's still going strong. Glad to see a video, Jim. Hope you're healing and doing well.
Based on your recommendation from a previous video I watched, I got online and purchased 30 Black Krim seeds. Nearly all of them sprouted. They are now outside growing fast. I love the look of them from pics and videos, so I’m excited to try them. Thanks for the recommendations.
Glad to see this video. I didn’t know what had happened but I was worried about you. Glad to hear you’re doing better. My favorite tomato of all time is the Burpee Big Boy. My dad saved seed and planted these every year. It’s a great memory from long ago. I love fresh sliced tomatoes and will be sad to see them go this fall but this video and comments will help me think about the ones I’ll grow next year. Prayers for your continued healing.
Thank you very much for the kind and thoughtful words and the prayers! It's great that you have gardening memories of your dad. My dad was also a gardener, and it's hard to think of him without thinking if him being in his garden or fishing. Yes, the comments in this video will be a treasure trove of tomato information in coming weeks and month.
Your dad saved hybrid Big Boy seeds? They wouldn’t have been true Big Boy then, but a parent of a cross. As long as it tasted good. I’m on a search for true tomato flavor and OP to save seeds, but think I will go back to hybrid as there seems to be too much distortion in the soil called heirlooms.
What a cool way to crowdsource a tomato growing list! I don't have any of these ten (though I've heard of them all) and tomatoes are probably my favorite vegetable to eat, so I've got seeds for more than 80 varieties. Super interesting!
@@MidwestGardener I will! I can't grow all 80 in any given year but my favorite flavor standout last year was a grape tomato called Moonbeam. And last year was a challenging season with all of the Canadian wildfire smoke, too much rain and too cool summer. I'll report back with this year's winners!
The C.Purple is king. Lots of great types on there. Over here nostalgia can't save it forever so close behind the CP at least for now is the Pineapple for Angel and the Black Beauty for me. So many great types though can spend forever trying new ones. Great video. Thanks for the share!
Cherokee Purple and Black Cherry are my favorites. I started growing them both around ten years ago. Had to start my own from seed because all you could ever find as far as seedlings were the usual hybrid suspects. About four-five years ago I noticed the Cherokees were suddenly available at nurseries everywhere, and even the big box stores. I guess the secret got out.
I hope you’re feeling better Mr. Jim. I love pretty much all those tomatoes but I agree with the pole, Cherokee purple is everything you want in a tomato.
Down here in the south, hot and humid, cherry tomatoes thrive the best. Of those Black Cherry and Sun Gold are fantastic. Larger tomatoes like Rutgers, Parks Whopper and good ole Romas produce well and are delicious.
Hard to argue with Black Krim getting on the medal podium - we’ve been growing them since we started our garden and they’re reliable producers of beautiful, super flavorful tomatoes. The best tomato I’ve ever had in terms of flavor is Aunt Lou’s Underground Railroad - perfect balance of sweetness, acidity, and savory/umami. They’re likely not going to win an award for being the most productive plants, but the fruit they do bear are big and bursting with flavor.
I not a big tomato fan, but I do like to grow them for family and friends. Last year I got a late start with my planting so I wanted to start with seedlings rather than from seeds. The particular plant store I went to was almost out of vegetable plants and there were only 3 tomato plants left. Two were roma types and the third I had never heard of before. It was the Cherokee Purple. I grabbed all three. I planted each in separate pots and watched them grow to harvest. I was curious of how that Cherokee Purple would taste. It was delicious. I absolutely fell in love. It was sweet and tomato yummy without that strong acidy twang most tomatoes have. This year I started them from seed and am so looking forward to harvest. Cherokee Purple is my favorite number 1!
Me too- grew mine from seed this year…the tiniest of seed…have about 8 plants in pots outside. Gave away a few as well. They are - for me - the best tasting tomato ever. Also growing Rutgers.
After watching one of your videos last year about the Boronia, I had decided to grow it this season, This is a very very good tomato, in my opinion it is up there with the Cherokee Purple.
Great to hear! Yes, I think Boronia is very underappreciated. If you haven't tried Rosella Purple, I like the taste of it better than Boronia. They both remind me of Cherokee Purple.
Every year I choose about 40 varieties of tomatoes to grow. I plant cherry, orange, green, striped, black, red, pink and paste varieties, each for proven flavor and yield. If I could grow only one, it would be the Hungarian Heart. It has exceptional flavor, is very meaty, a good slicer and makes for great cooking and canning.
Yay! I'm growing Cherokee Purple for the 1st time this year, and it's the only variety I'm growing in this top 10! I'm also growing Beefsteak, Red Cherry, and Super Sweet 100! I hadn't even heard of half of theses! Thanks for sharing!
My first year growing cherokee purple as well. Remember them around as a kid then they sorta disappeared. So glad to find these again hope it is a good producer.
Cherokee Purple so far is my all-time favorite. It was not a great year for tomatoes in my garden. Next year will be better! I tried Paul Robeson this year, Juliet(a cherry), a White Tomato, And Dr. Wyches. I had heard people rave over Paul Robeson but Cherokee Purple kicked its fanny in taste. The Dr. Wyches was a yellow and tasted great. I will try the Black Krim next year along with Pork Chop, Pieapple, and Kealogges Breakfast, and 2 I can't remember the names but are from Strictly Medicinal seeds, and one was said to be as sweet as Sun Gold but is an heirloom so I can save seeds. I can say it has been a bumper year for peppers. Glad to see you feeling better!🙏💞
Welcome back! I was starting to worry about you! I love many kinds of tomatoes but have been more focused on disease resistance and productivity in a shady environment. My current favorite is a beefsteak-like indeterminate variety I call "super bush", descended from what was supposed to be a pepper seed I started 5 years ago -- it is cold-tolerant, with a strong stem, somewhat early and still one of the latest-producing every fall. This year all of them survived unusually hot wet weather in July in which nearly all heirlooms, including Cherokee Purple, succumbed to Fusarium Blight (a few other hybrids and enhanced heirlooms also survived). Super Bush was also the most productive of a full-sun raised bed in a friend's allotment. I hope I can move on from survival and productivity to a bigger focus on taste down the road -- thanks for the road map of varieties to try. I did succeed in growing Sungold this year, and it was incredibly sweet and productive early on. I also grew some tiny wild Mexican tomatoes that have a great intense flavor. But neither of these survived July.
Thanks! I understand why you focus on types that work well in your growing conditions. Our biggest challenge here is the heat that we have some years worse than others. We had an extremely hot August here with the two hottest days being 111 and 108 F., or somewhere around 42 and 43 C. Since I couldn't really do much during that time, some plants just didn't make it. There is always next season though :)
In my general area it got up around 100F a few times, but in the forest it rarely broke 90. A dry spring followed by a wet July/early August and then a dry 3 weeks (that just ended) wiped out perhaps half my tomato plants -- most of that was Fusarium while it was wet and hot at the same time for most of a 6 week period. Very distinctive symptoms -- leaves turn yellow starting all on one side, progressing up the plant, and a dry wilt on the top then kills the plant. Plants with resistance have a much slower progression and can hang on until weather improves, or even completely avoid symptoms.
Love what we call the German Johnson, and the Mister Stripey, have some of the Cherokee Purple planted like those also, heck it's hard to pick, there all great.
I’m glad you mentioned flavor is different from year to year. I think it is different depending on area it’s grown also. I grew 25 varieties of heirloom tomatoes last year and can’t say I liked any of them. Sure the Sun Gold seemed to be many’s favorite, but I had a late season taste and I couldn’t tell if it was a grape or a tomato. I think we are losing the true tomato flavor and seems most vegetables are described more often then not as sweet. I tried the black tomatoes-Krim, Cherokee and black cherry and the cherry was fine, but the others just didn’t have it. Many of the heirlooms had a lot of waste due to scarring and not a fan of green shoulders or cores. To tell the truth we just opened a 2022 can of tomatoes and the aroma was terrific! I searched back and all but two were hybrids. I do like the Brandywine and still looking to find the right OP one to save seed, but I think I will gravitate back to hybrids I grew in 2022. The other thing is I don’t believe there can be so many varieties of true heirlooms. I think many are surfacing from backyard crosses. The acidity is being bred out and they don’t keep long. I thinks we are losing the true tomato flavor and that is why I’m looking to save seed before they go the way of the grape.
I’m always looking forward to your recommendations, great list! I have a few great ones on my list: Girl Girls Weird Thing(funny name,fabulous tomato), Captain Lucky, Nina’s Heirloom, Gary O’Sena, sweet cream, Marmande, Terhune, Silvery fir Tree( grown as novelty turned out great), Santa María, Marzano Fire, Curtis Cheek, sungold( I have tried sunpeach and sunchocola but prefer the sungold.) Mortage Lifter VFN, Benevento, and of course Cherokee purple and German Johnson as they are beloved here in NC.
Girl Girls Weird Thing and Curtis Cheek are another two I would grow again as well. 😋 I love Sun Sugar, which is a hybrid, but I am trying to stabilize it. Been saving the seeds the last 3 years and growing them and hand polinating them. So far they are 2 years and I have the 3rd year seeds from this grow season and will test them next year.
Hmm.... Black from Tula made the list? Interesting. Never tried it. Good list. I might've changed the order a bit but these are a great lineup for those choosing seeds next year and newbies wanting direction. Thank you
Great list! I've never tried black krim. I may have to do that next year. I love the taste of Cherokee purple, but I've always had issues with growing them in South Carolina and just don't get very many. I've had similar issues with big rainbow which also has excellent flavor, but low production for me. I get great results with pink brandywine though. For cherry tomatoes I've had great results year after year with Blush cherry. It has excellent flavor, especially if you make sure to let it reach full ripeness.
Thanks for sharing your favorites with us. I never got good production from Cherokee Purple either. We get very hot very early here some years, and I think that might have something to do with it.
For whatever reason I had no luck on tomatoes this year. I might try the Cherokee Purple next year. I was a month late getting seeds started. Best to you, Sir. May you continue to heal and be well.
my grandfather always grew Big Boy and it was always my favorite. But last year I tried a Domingo. It was not only the biggest tomato I've ever grown, but also the best tasting. I'm going to see if I can find some Black Krim and Cherokee Purple.
Black krim, Paul R, Cherokee purple, Kellogg's b, Gold Medal are my favorites no order just love. In fact I am running in place trying to decide what to start. This year.
I once grew nothing but tomatoes in my huge backyard garden (plus Basil , walla walla onions and Anaheim peppers.) I had 45 varieties of tomatoes and made the best homemade salsa ever. I had friends who admitted to actually just eating it out of the jar like it was a chunky tomato soup. Also, I doubt any of my neighbors had to go out and buy tomatoes that summer because the tomato fairy kept leaving bags of them on their doorstep before they’d wake up. I earned the nickname of Tomato Lady from a friend who, when he saw my garden stood there with his mouth open gobsmacked. He was 6 ft 5 and my garden was a literal forest of tomato plants two feet taller than he was. I had made a smart decision when I planted that garden and put a drip irrigation system in so that watering would be easy. My biggest tomato was a pink Brandywine that was 4 1/2 inches tall, 18 3/4 inches in circumference and I can’t remember the weight. When I brought it to a family dinner and sliced it took up the whole plate. I babied that tomato protecting it from animals and making sure the stem wasn’t going to break. I took all other blossoms and fruit off of that stem. I didn’t crack and was perfectly shaped. Biggest tomato I had ever grown and never have since.
@@eventhisidistaken I don’t know. But I was so attentive to those plants I went around and sprayed each blossom with this stuff I can’t remember the name of but it was supposed to help with pollination and fruit set if I remember correctly. At the time I was working as a visiting nurse 3 days a week and the rest of the days were spent in my yard and garden.
Jim, I'm enjoying one of the best tomato-growing years that I've had in quite a while. Of the four new (to me) varieties that I'm growing, one was a real standout. Unfortunately, I don't know which one it is, because the day I planted them my young great-grandson insisted on helping me plant "Matoes". The unfortunate part was... I didn't realize that my precious little one had pulled all of my plant tags out of the ground and had taken them home in his pocket. His mommy found them while doing laundry and threw the tags away. I didn't grow them from seed this year but purchased the tomato plants at a local nursery. I would definitely grow them again if I can figure out what variety they are. I hope you and your sweetheart have a wonderful weekend. ~Margie🤣😂🤣
Thanks Margie! Lol, yep, those little ones can really surprise you sometimes. Hope you can figure out which one of the Matoes it was :) It sounds like a good one. We had a really good tomato year too, but I didn't get to enjoy them except for early and recently. Have a great weekend. It's going to be cooling down here soon.
Great video, Jim!!! I don't love tomatoes, but I love to grow them for everyone else & I eat salsa, of course. We discovered F1 Clementine cherry tomatoes a couple years ago when Johnny's had a sale on seeds & I think they're the larger, better big brother to Sun Gold. Very meaty and sweeter than Sun Gold. They're over 1" in diameter usually, and they keep going when all the other varieties have quit. Ananas Noire (Black Pineapple) is my second favorite, but it seems to be determinate and not indeterminate because they produce for a short time, and are the first to die back.
@@MidwestGardener I’ll send you some! We bought a pack of 250 because that’s all they had on sale. They really take over and get huge like cherry tomatoes do. They’re coming back from the extreme heat here in central Oklahoma this past week. I’m gonna nurse them as long as they’ll bloom. 😇
@@lmullens75 Thanks for the offer. I have like I mentioned, there are so many I want to try. I have enough in mind already that it would probably be several years before I got around to it. We have plenty of heat up here too. Our two hottest days this year were 111 and 108.
I've grew many different varieties in the East Tennessee mountains... I got to put two tomatoes in number 1# spot- The Black Sea Man and Gary O"sena (The Gary O'sena is a stabilized hybrid between Cherokee Purple and Pink Brandywine....
Thanks for sharing. I have grown all but german pink, black from tula and cherokee purple. However, I already have plans of growing cherokee purple next year so do not worry. I will give you two favorites. My fav cherry tomato is barrys crazy cherry and my fav large tomato is a new one I grew this year called orange crush. It's quite productive, tastes great and has virtually no seeds which makes it difficult for seed saving and also difficult to find seeds for but great on burgers and sandwiches.
Orange crush sounds interesting. Productive and great taste are two qualities that I value. I might have to check that out. Hope you enjoy cherokee purple. It seems like everyone on the planet does :)
@@MidwestGardener 😂 just saying because you said everyone on the planet. My tastebuds are ok, but finding too many tomatoes inferior. I think they are losing real tomato flavor and aroma in place of sweetness and less acid.
Funny as I was watching this I kept saying it has to be Cherokee purple and black Krim near the top , and it was! I like Brandywine, but I grew Aunt Ruby German Green last year and imo it deserves a spot in the top 5 too.
I grew Sun Gold this year and another Cherry variety that was tied with or perhaps a slight winner over Sun Gold in some blind taste tests with friends. Italian Ice.
I planted Cherokee Purple for the first time this spring and the plants are full of green fruit. I've been wondering what to expect, being totally unfamiliar with them. Thanks for the video!
That's great that you have lots of them that have set on already. They were always a little stingy for me. I think you will really like them....most people do.
Man, I’ve got a Cherokee Purple going that is just blowing me away. I’ve got over 25 tomatoes on it and one is at least over a pound already. I tried red mulch for the first time and I can confirm I’ve noticed a difference in yield. The red mulch studies are correct in my anecdotal experience.
I'm just going through my seeds now, deciding what to grow this year. I'm going to grow 2 dwarf tomato varieties, Geranium Kiss and Wherokowhai. Haven't made my mind up about what other varieties, but I have lots of time. I DO have to decide on which peppers to sow soon though as I start them earlier.
Last year I planted Thessoliniki and San Marzano for the first time and I doubt I'll ever plant another variety again. Sun Gold are my favorite cherry tomatoes and I planted Mr. Stripey one year and I remember it being fairly tasty.
Terroir. Familiar with that term -- usually applied to wine: the climate, soil and weather. For that reason I appreciate knowing the location of the video producer. In the Pacific Northwest I grew Cherokee Purple, once. While it was very prolific, it won my bland award. An interesting experiment would be for many gardeners across the country to grow the exact, same source variety in their particular location and report results, even measuring acid and sugar with instruments.
Yes, that would make a good experiment. These are the top 10 best tasting tomatoes according to 360,000 of my viewers. Those viewers are from all over the country, and all over the world.
Thank you very much! I really appreciate that! Green Zebra is one I haven't tried yet. I'm getting stronger and am trying to figure out what my new normal is going to be.
Really difficult to narrow down to 1 favorite. I grew Cherokee Carbon, Rosella Purple, Mortgage Lifter, Pineapple, Sun Sugar Boronia and Uluru Ochre. I am a fan of all of them look forward to eating each one. No red headed step children on my list. Enjoy them all.
I grew up on the farm in NJ in the 70’s and 80’s. Jersey was famous for tomatoes for decades. The best tomatoes I’ve ever had, and I’ve had some of the top few on this list, but the best I ever had was Jersey tomatoes. They were Ramapo, Morton, and Rutgers. Those were the varieties we were growing on the farm back then. I’d say that they were far better then, Black Krim and Cherokee Purple, which are good tasting tomatoes too, I grow them myself.
I don't have a top ten, but last year (and again this year) I am growing one called Hungarian Heart, which I recon is the best tomato I have ever tasted, it is heart shaped the biggest one was over 500 g in weight and easily 6 inches in diameter, very few seeds and solid flesh. Second favourite is Brandywine.
The past few years the best tasting tomatoes in my garden (according to friends and family vote) were Amish paste and Mexico Midget. I grow them each year to compare to new varieties but so far they win.
We get alot of sun out here in desert SW. Better Boys always do well, super fantastic s most beef stakes, get some shade. Heirlooms seem to need sandier soils with humidity
The most delicious tomato I ever ate was a Dr. Wyche's. The second most delicious tomato I ever had was a Black Prince, but I have never tried several on your list. I do have Black Krim and Kellogg's Breakfast tomatoes planted. I will test them this summer.
After decades of growing tomatoes, I always have Cherokee Purple, Brandywine (pink) and Pineapple in the garden. In the last couple of years I’ve also had great tasting tomatoes from the Missouri Pink, which is very similar to Brandywine. Cherokee Purple wins on taste. Pineapple is such a beautiful and good tasting tomato, although sometimes it can have a very heavy core. There’s just nothing more beautiful or delicious as a plate of sliced tomatoes with those three varieties and a little onion and basil. Thanks for this rundown. I had forgotten about the Black Krim and will have to grow that one next year. It is excellent, although I remember it producing smaller fruit than the Cherokee purple.
My favorite so far is Cherokee Purple. I have tried growing Black Krim but I think it was too hot for them to produce fruit these past two years. I have tasted Sun Gold and I really like them. I will be growing those next year. We can our produce, so most of my plants are for productive fruit bearing and sacrificing some taste.
Great list for once I agree with. Cherokee purple are the best tasting. The best harvested when the shoulders are still green. By letting the shoulders ripen the bottom becomes mealy.
I really like Black Krim too. Haven't had any problem with them getting over ripe or mealy. It'd be great if someone crossed both of these!! I've also found two stand out tomatoes sold by adaptive seeds. Those two are flamin burst, the Dehybridized sun sugar. And Sungella .
I thought it was pink but now I see there is a red variety as well. I saved the seed from a fruit I got at the farmer's market last year but I don't think it was crossed with anything as all 4 plants I grew produced identical fruit. @@BravingTheOutDoors
Although Black Krim is far & away the favorite of my family and friends, Lemon Boy is solid in second place, and prolific. Got over 80 tomatoes off of two plants last year. I've cross pollinated a Black Krim with a Mortgage Lifter last summer (open pollinated). Looks like ML, but colored similar to BK. My seed fruit was 18 oz. So I'm anxious to see how the fruit turns out this year.
Lemon Boy is one I haven't tried. I've heard good things from other folks about it though. I love the idea of a BK x ML cross. Hope you find a couple of good projects from that cross!
My favorites are Pink Brandywine and Cherokee Purple. This year I am growing Caspian Pink that supposedly beat Brandywine in some taste tests. We shall see
Uncle Jim, this is a cool video!!!! ❤ My favorite this year that I grew was Aunt Ruby's German Green 💚 I will grow this every year now. I need to try Black Krim again. It just stinks that covid has officially changed my taste buds and tomatoes don't taste like they used to for me. It's horrible. But I just have to get used to the "new" taste and go off that.
Thanks Andrea! Aunt Ruby's German Green is a good one. It's hard to describe the flavor, but it is delicious. Yes, that is terrible that covid changed how things taste for you. I could tell by your last video that some of them still taste pretty good though.
@@MidwestGardener Haha, yeah. It's like my taste buds have to get used to tomatoes again every growing season now. It's weird. Anyway, I refuse to give up! 😤 😆
I don’t think it’s tastebud problem. I think we are losing true tomato flavor. Too many of the varieties are Not True heirlooms, just backyard crosses. I grew 25 varieties of heirlooms in 23 and didn’t like any of them. Many that have been listed in these comments. Location has a lot to do with flavor, but out of 25 I should have had at least one I liked. Too much crossing and losing acidity and the tomatoes don’t keep well.
@dustyflats3832 yeah, I can totally understand that! I definitely think location and growing conditions can really effect taste. But unfortunately covid really has effected my taste. There was a dramatic change in how tomatoes taste to me after I lost my sense of taste because of covid. I've had to get used to the new taste of things. It's definitely a cross in my opinion. I also can't smell things like I used to.
I grew Cherokee Purple next to Cherokee Chocolate in my garden last year and the clear winner was Cherokee Chocolate. Same look and flavor but larger more vigorous plants.
Kellogg’s breakfast is a yellow tomato. Cherokee purple is my fav, and burgess triple crop comes in second. Am trying The Abe Lincoln this year, can hardly wait…
Thank you for your effort! So interesting! The best tomato I ever tasted was also a Black Krim... I will never forget how unbelievable it was. And all the tomatoes from that plant tasted like that. But I've never been able to get seeds like those again - I've bought Black Krim seeds wherever I've seen them, but every year they weren't the real deal... So I'm still searching for that real Black Krim I tasted 12 years ago. But I'm starting to think you can't find those seeds anymore, because every time I see someone on UA-cam taste a "Black Krim" it also doesn't look like the real thing. So somebody will have to find and save the real Black Krim seeds, before we lose it completely.
You're welcome! I had a similar experience with Black Krim. Sometimes growing conditions can effect how tomatoes taste, so maybe things were just perfect that year. Good luck with your search!
You are SO correct! I don’t know about Black Krim changing, but I know I didn’t like them. I also know what I’m concerned about is true from what you are saying. I’m concerned we are losing the true tomato flavor. When I see all these names continually pop up there is no way these are all heirlooms, more like backyard crosses. The whole thing I think started when people wanted less acidic vegetables and now they don’t taste right or keep well. Grew 25 varieties in 23 and didn’t care for any of them. This year I will bring back some hybrids that canned up with the best aroma and taste.
@@dustyflats3832 Before you go back to hybrids, try a few true heirlooms from trustworthy seed suppliers, like TomatoFest. If true heirlooms like Brandywine Sudduth's Strain, Aunt Ruby's German Green Giant, Cherokee Purple and Green Zebra do not have great flavour when you grow them, then you will know the problem is not the seeds. Other factors can affect flavour. Too much water dilutes flavour (and can even change the texture). Too little quality sunlight can also reduce the flavour of larger tomatoes. Very high temperatures can also negatively affect the flavour and texture of some tomatoes. Etc.
For flavor, Mr Stripey and Cherokee Purple, for the best, consistant growing is Celebrity. No scars or blight. zone 5. Would love to hear about Roma types. I stopped growing those due to blight.
Paul Robeson is my husbands fav but your right it doesn’t have high yield. That’s ok for us because there’s only the two of us. Last year I grew 2 and this year I’m growing 5 so that should be enough.
Yes to Cherokee Purple, Paul Robeson and Brandywine. Trouble w/ Brandywine is low yield and disease. Starts out strong, then we only ever get maybe 2 or 3 fruits. We've tried different types, organic and regular, etc. Also, a small oblong yellow tomato with red striping called "Blush" is one of our faves, and I prefer slicers but this is deeelish! 🌻
Don’t give up on the Brandywine. When the first sign of spots show up on leaves spray a mixture of hydrogen peroxide 3 tablespoons to 32oz of water every 2 days for about a week. And spray again after rainy periods. Also during heat use shade cloth. Then towards end of summer you will also get new flowers and fruit that will be ready for harvest in November. This is for zone 8b
Yes! So it isn't just me. I planted red Brandywine and pink Brandywine. I got one large fruit and maybe one or two smaller ones per plant. They were so delicious but I thought what a waste of my time and effort. I wouldn't ever do it again.
My mouth was watering watching those tomatoes get cut up. I can't tell you how much I enjoy a fresh tomato.
I understand. Mine too!
imagine my surprise when I saw Black Krim on the list. I've got 2 plants started from seed about 16" tall so far cant wait.
Sounds like they are off to a great start. Good luck!
Cherokee Purple is, for me, miraculously, the most delicious tomatoe I've ever tasted and/or grown. Grew them here in Mass. they came in almost as big as grapefruit but the Taste!!!
Am a neophyte gardener; just got incredibly lucky with them. Thanks.
Sounds like you have a green thumb to me :) Your description sure made me want one.
Black Krim is my all time favourite and very similar to the tomatoes I remember from my youth in Southern Ontario.
Nice! I can't argue with that choice :)
This old timer in Nebraska still holds the flavor of Rutgers tomatoes as the benchmark.
A lot of people like that one.
I have to agree with you. Rutgers is my favorite for eating fresh and canning.
They are great for canning, but too acidic and seedy for fresh eating.
@@danieparriott265 that’s what makes them so good fresh.
@@danieparriott265 Except for those of us that LOVE tart, acidic, tomatoes.
I will always grow Black Krim because it’s my favorite! I had a lot of success with Green Giant and they’re pretty tasty but a little too acidic for sauce.
I love Lemon Boys. So mild and bright.
I've heard great things about them, but I've never tried them.
Growing some Cherokee Purple for the first time this year. Can't wait to try the first one!
Good luck! I hope they do great for you!
Welcome back😘!
Your video is so great, I learned a lot about tomatoes. Thank you so much!
Thank you! Glad you enjoyed the video!
I've grown and enjoyed all of the tomatoes on your list except German Pink. My favorites are Mortgage Lifters, Gold Medal, Belle Marmouise Juane, Paul Robeson, Black Cherry and Aunt Rubies German Green. For sauce tomatoes: Amish Paste, San Marzano Redorta, Russian Orange (bicolor) 117 and Italian Heirloom. Thanks for the great video and blessings to you and your family.
Thanks for sharing your favorites with us! Much appreciated! Blessings to you and your family as well.
The video in question is the first one of yours I watched. Happy to see a follow up! Boy, those look good!
Awesome! Thank you! Yes, they do look pretty good.
GREAT VIDEO!!! This took dedication, my friend. Thank you so much. God bless you richly. 🙏🏼
Thank you! You too!
Good Afternoon Jim - So glad to hear from you this morning and hope the healing is continuing to go well for you. I had to take notes from this video as I have not grown any of these varieties. LOL Appreciate the experience of your audience for all new gardeners and for your research in making this video. Wishing you a blessed weekend and stay cool..
Good afternoon! Thanks! I think the valuable thing about this video is that it's not just one person's opinion. Any of these are worth trying. Have a great weekend!
Welcome back, mate. I hope you’re enjoying the weekend 🙂
Thanks! You too!
Really enjoy your channel! I didn't grow Cherokee Purple this year, however it's by far my favorite and Brandywine Pink is definitely my runner up.
Awesome! Thank you! You can't go wrong with those two.
Black Krim is sooo good and adds an indescribable flavor to soups and stews. It's like this amazing rich and umami flavor that enhances the whole dish.
I totally agree.
I have several growing with fruit already large and probably no more than 2 weeks from ready. I can't wait to try it! ...never grew this variety before.
Love Black Krim tomatoes! Makes for an interesting salsa with the deep red-purple flesh
Happy to ear you again :-) I hope you're going well. Sewed several of those tomatoes the last ten years. This year is not our best season, according to the rainy summer, but among our 100 varieties grown each year, Paul Robeson was one of our best success ; as always, we always prefer dark tomatoes for their rich taste ; but this list is a good summary of tasty classic tomatoes. Thanks for sharing. Greetings from Belgium and have a nice weekend😊
Thanks! I'm slowly getting better, but it will still take some more time. We could have used some of that rain over here. That must be a lot of fun growing that many types of tomatoes. Hope things are going well in Belgium! Have a great weekend!
I regularly grow four of the tomatoes on your list: Sun Gold, Brandywine (my favorite), Kellogg's Breakfast, and Pineapple. They are all great. Next year I'll try some of the others that you listed.
That's a pretty good list! I hope you enjoy the others also.
@@MidwestGardener Try "Taxi" sometime. The bush never gets very tall (at least here in Portland Oregon) but it produces many, many bright yellow medium-small sized fruits. The flavor is mild, sweet and I think less acidic than most tomatoes. Because I'm an idiot sometimes, it was probably the third year that I grew them when I finally realized why they're called "Taxi". There I was picking a bunch of these BRIGHT YELLOW tomatoes wondering about their name and then....DUH.... forehead slap.
@@callmejeffbob Lol, I've had a few moments like that myself. Sounds like a good one though.
So great to hear from you, I've missed my Saturday morning Midwest Gardener video. I agree with you about the black krim and brandywine. They are delicious. I grew the yellow brandywine. Both struggled in the heat. The ones that I did get were delicious. I also really like the Hungarian heart. It too is very meaty. I'm hoping to grow more of these before we get any frost. I sure enjoyed the video, it made want a tomato sandwich. Take care and God bless.🍅🍅🍅🍅🍅
Thanks Shirley! Just finishing this video made my mouth water a few times :)
I grew a tie-dye tomato plant one year and the taste of it blew my mind and nothing has come close to that taste since but I’m growing black Krim this year and pineapple can’t wait to try them both.
Hope you enjoy Black Krim as much as we did.
Going through and tracking all of the viewers comments must have been a lot of work!
Thank you for making this!
It was! I thought it would be some useful information though. I might have missed a few, because some of the comments were very long, and some of the conversations also.
It was, thank you again. I wanted to mention awhile ago I got a sundew plant, thanks to one of your videos!
@@adriennel578 That's awesome! I hope you enjoy growing the sundew as much as I do. They are fascinating plants.
Black Krim is my very favorite. I was happy to see it made number 2. it's number 1, in my books. The best tomatoe sandwich
I agree. I think most of the ones who like Cherokee Purple better haven't even grown Black Krim.
This was a good year for tomatoes. I sowed then transplanted 23 varieties early, so most of the harvest was earlier than usual and before the terrible heat. Our favorite was Paul Robeson. Consoluto Genevese and Chef's Choice Orange #2 & #3. We tried a new cherry, Orange Roussolini. Loved it, and it's still going strong. Glad to see a video, Jim. Hope you're healing and doing well.
Thanks! I'm improving slowly but surely. Glad you had a good tomato year. We did here also.
Thank you, sir!
You're welcome!
Based on your recommendation from a previous video I watched, I got online and purchased 30 Black Krim seeds. Nearly all of them sprouted. They are now outside growing fast. I love the look of them from pics and videos, so I’m excited to try them. Thanks for the recommendations.
You're welcome! Glad I could help! I hope you like them as much as we do.
Glad to see this video. I didn’t know what had happened but I was worried about you. Glad to hear you’re doing better. My favorite tomato of all time is the Burpee Big Boy. My dad saved seed and planted these every year. It’s a great memory from long ago. I love fresh sliced tomatoes and will be sad to see them go this fall but this video and comments will help me think about the ones I’ll grow next year. Prayers for your continued healing.
Thank you very much for the kind and thoughtful words and the prayers! It's great that you have gardening memories of your dad. My dad was also a gardener, and it's hard to think of him without thinking if him being in his garden or fishing. Yes, the comments in this video will be a treasure trove of tomato information in coming weeks and month.
Your dad saved hybrid Big Boy seeds? They wouldn’t have been true Big Boy then, but a parent of a cross. As long as it tasted good. I’m on a search for true tomato flavor and OP to save seeds, but think I will go back to hybrid as there seems to be too much distortion in the soil called heirlooms.
What a cool way to crowdsource a tomato growing list! I don't have any of these ten (though I've heard of them all) and tomatoes are probably my favorite vegetable to eat, so I've got seeds for more than 80 varieties. Super interesting!
Thanks! Let us know if you find any winners among those 80 varieties.
@@MidwestGardener I will! I can't grow all 80 in any given year but my favorite flavor standout last year was a grape tomato called Moonbeam. And last year was a challenging season with all of the Canadian wildfire smoke, too much rain and too cool summer. I'll report back with this year's winners!
The C.Purple is king. Lots of great types on there. Over here nostalgia can't save it forever so close behind the CP at least for now is the Pineapple for Angel and the Black Beauty for me. So many great types though can spend forever trying new ones. Great video. Thanks for the share!
Thanks! It's always fun to try a new one or two each year. That's how I found some of my favorites.
Cherokee Purple and Black Cherry are my favorites. I started growing them both around ten years ago. Had to start my own from seed because all you could ever find as far as seedlings were the usual hybrid suspects. About four-five years ago I noticed the Cherokees were suddenly available at nurseries everywhere, and even the big box stores. I guess the secret got out.
Yes, the secret got out. I hope they start selling some of the other great tasting heirlooms.
I hope you’re feeling better Mr. Jim.
I love pretty much all those tomatoes but I agree with the pole, Cherokee purple is everything you want in a tomato.
Thanks! I'm trying to figure out what my new normal is. Yep, you can't go wrong with Cherokee purple.
Cherokee Purple has always been my favorite!
You aren't alone. Lots of folks love it.
@@MidwestGardener and the difference between the Cherokee Purples at the grocery store and home grown is still huge.
If it didn’t split it’d be the perfect tomato.
@@clath2823 Exactly.
@@clath2823 Most of the delicious tomatoes tend to be prone to splitting easily- thin skins.
Black Krim is definitely my favorite. I use them in my spaghetti sauce, tomato jam and chili sauce. Delicious and versatile.
I agree. Delicious and versatile.
Great video,short and to the point❤👍
Thanks! Glad you liked it!
Agreed, no doubt top 3, Cherokee Purple, Black Krim and Pink Brandywine. Thanks for your videos :)
You're welcome! Thanks for watching!
Down here in the south, hot and humid, cherry tomatoes thrive the best. Of those Black Cherry and Sun Gold are fantastic. Larger tomatoes like Rutgers, Parks Whopper and good ole Romas produce well and are delicious.
Thanks for sharing which ones work for you down south!
Brandywine, Nepal, Cherokee Purple, Sicilian Saucer, Hutterite, Yellow Pear, all do well for me in our hot Canadian summers.
Thanks for sharing your favorites with us! Interesting list!
Hard to argue with Black Krim getting on the medal podium - we’ve been growing them since we started our garden and they’re reliable producers of beautiful, super flavorful tomatoes. The best tomato I’ve ever had in terms of flavor is Aunt Lou’s Underground Railroad - perfect balance of sweetness, acidity, and savory/umami. They’re likely not going to win an award for being the most productive plants, but the fruit they do bear are big and bursting with flavor.
Thanks for the tip on Aunt Lou’s Underground Railroad. That is one that I've never tried.
I not a big tomato fan, but I do like to grow them for family and friends. Last year I got a late start with my planting so I wanted to start with seedlings rather than from seeds. The particular plant store I went to was almost out of vegetable plants and there were only 3 tomato plants left. Two were roma types and the third I had never heard of before. It was the Cherokee Purple. I grabbed all three. I planted each in separate pots and watched them grow to harvest. I was curious of how that Cherokee Purple would taste. It was delicious. I absolutely fell in love. It was sweet and tomato yummy without that strong acidy twang most tomatoes have. This year I started them from seed and am so looking forward to harvest. Cherokee Purple is my favorite number 1!
Really glad you found it!
Me too- grew mine from seed this year…the tiniest of seed…have about 8 plants in pots outside. Gave away a few as well. They are - for me - the best tasting tomato ever. Also growing Rutgers.
After watching one of your videos last year about the Boronia, I had decided to grow it this season, This is a very very good tomato, in my opinion it is up there with the Cherokee Purple.
Great to hear! Yes, I think Boronia is very underappreciated. If you haven't tried Rosella Purple, I like the taste of it better than Boronia. They both remind me of Cherokee Purple.
Every year I choose about 40 varieties of tomatoes to grow. I plant cherry, orange, green, striped, black, red, pink and paste varieties, each for proven flavor and yield. If I could grow only one, it would be the Hungarian Heart. It has exceptional flavor, is very meaty, a good slicer and makes for great cooking and canning.
Thanks a bunch for sharing your favorites with us!
Great video!
Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it!
You don't know what a tomato tastes like unless it's organic from your own garden. Tomatoes from the grocery are tasteless and toxic.
We don't really consider the ones in the grocery store to be tomatoes. They just don't seem anything like the ones we grow.
Yay! I'm growing Cherokee Purple for the 1st time this year, and it's the only variety I'm growing in this top 10! I'm also growing Beefsteak, Red Cherry, and Super Sweet 100! I hadn't even heard of half of theses! Thanks for sharing!
You're welcome! You're gonna love Cherokee Purple.
Cherokee purple is the best,you'll get hooked on them
Be warned on that there Super Sweet 100, it'll top out over 10'/>3 meters and spread out over anything near it.
Good to know, I just put three of them in the groud below an 8' trellis. @@paulschlecht5097
My first year growing cherokee purple as well. Remember them around as a kid then they sorta disappeared. So glad to find these again hope it is a good producer.
Cherokee Purple so far is my all-time favorite. It was not a great year for tomatoes in my garden. Next year will be better! I tried Paul Robeson this year, Juliet(a cherry), a White Tomato, And Dr. Wyches. I had heard people rave over Paul Robeson but Cherokee Purple kicked its fanny in taste. The Dr. Wyches was a yellow and tasted great. I will try the Black Krim next year along with Pork Chop, Pieapple, and Kealogges Breakfast, and 2 I can't remember the names but are from Strictly Medicinal seeds, and one was said to be as sweet as Sun Gold but is an heirloom so I can save seeds. I can say it has been a bumper year for peppers. Glad to see you feeling better!🙏💞
Thanks! Glad to hear you had a great pepper year. Hopefully next year will be good for tomatoes and peppers.
I’d have to agree. Cherokee Purple is the best I’ve ever had so far. I’m trying it’s prolific cousin Carbon this year and also Paul Robeson.
Carbon and Paul Robeson are good too. Paul Robeson didn't produce all that well for me. Carbon produced much better for me. Good luck!
Yes! In my mind, Cherokee Purple is my number one! We like to grow Mortgage Lifter and Brandywine as well.
Good choice! You can't go wrong with those 3.
Arkansas traveler is pretty good in zone 8b , its low acid if you got heartburn problems.
Welcome back! I was starting to worry about you!
I love many kinds of tomatoes but have been more focused on disease resistance and productivity in a shady environment. My current favorite is a beefsteak-like indeterminate variety I call "super bush", descended from what was supposed to be a pepper seed I started 5 years ago -- it is cold-tolerant, with a strong stem, somewhat early and still one of the latest-producing every fall. This year all of them survived unusually hot wet weather in July in which nearly all heirlooms, including Cherokee Purple, succumbed to Fusarium Blight (a few other hybrids and enhanced heirlooms also survived). Super Bush was also the most productive of a full-sun raised bed in a friend's allotment.
I hope I can move on from survival and productivity to a bigger focus on taste down the road -- thanks for the road map of varieties to try. I did succeed in growing Sungold this year, and it was incredibly sweet and productive early on. I also grew some tiny wild Mexican tomatoes that have a great intense flavor. But neither of these survived July.
Further note -- I've attempted Cherokee Purple, Pruden's Purple, and Brandywine but have never gotten to taste a ripe example of any of these.
Thanks! I understand why you focus on types that work well in your growing conditions. Our biggest challenge here is the heat that we have some years worse than others. We had an extremely hot August here with the two hottest days being 111 and 108 F., or somewhere around 42 and 43 C. Since I couldn't really do much during that time, some plants just didn't make it. There is always next season though :)
In my general area it got up around 100F a few times, but in the forest it rarely broke 90. A dry spring followed by a wet July/early August and then a dry 3 weeks (that just ended) wiped out perhaps half my tomato plants -- most of that was Fusarium while it was wet and hot at the same time for most of a 6 week period. Very distinctive symptoms -- leaves turn yellow starting all on one side, progressing up the plant, and a dry wilt on the top then kills the plant. Plants with resistance have a much slower progression and can hang on until weather improves, or even completely avoid symptoms.
I'm a big fan of cherry tomatoes 🍅😋😍
Thank you for sharing.
You're welcome! Glad I could help!
Love what we call the German Johnson, and the Mister Stripey, have some of the Cherokee Purple planted like those also, heck it's hard to pick, there all great.
I agree. There are a lot of good ones out there.
Mouthwatering!
Indeed.
I’m glad you mentioned flavor is different from year to year. I think it is different depending on area it’s grown also.
I grew 25 varieties of heirloom tomatoes last year and can’t say I liked any of them.
Sure the Sun Gold seemed to be many’s favorite, but I had a late season taste and I couldn’t tell if it was a grape or a tomato.
I think we are losing the true tomato flavor and seems most vegetables are described more often then not as sweet.
I tried the black tomatoes-Krim, Cherokee and black cherry and the cherry was fine, but the others just didn’t have it. Many of the heirlooms had a lot of waste due to scarring and not a fan of green shoulders or cores.
To tell the truth we just opened a 2022 can of tomatoes and the aroma was terrific! I searched back and all but two were hybrids. I do like the Brandywine and still looking to find the right OP one to save seed, but I think I will gravitate back to hybrids I grew in 2022.
The other thing is I don’t believe there can be so many varieties of true heirlooms. I think many are surfacing from backyard crosses. The acidity is being bred out and they don’t keep long. I thinks we are losing the true tomato flavor and that is why I’m looking to save seed before they go the way of the grape.
That is a lot of tomatoes to grow and not like any of them. I hope you find some that work in your area.
My favorite is Alice's Dream. Love that tomato. Followed closely by Fuego Rosa. Both great sandwich slicing tomatoes.
I've never tried either of them, but they sound good. Thanks for sharing them with us.
I’m always looking forward to your recommendations, great list!
I have a few great ones on my list: Girl Girls Weird Thing(funny name,fabulous tomato), Captain Lucky, Nina’s Heirloom, Gary O’Sena, sweet cream, Marmande, Terhune, Silvery fir Tree( grown as novelty turned out great), Santa María, Marzano Fire, Curtis Cheek, sungold( I have tried sunpeach and sunchocola but prefer the sungold.) Mortage Lifter VFN, Benevento, and of course Cherokee purple and German Johnson as they are beloved here in NC.
Thanks for sharing you list with us! There are a few in there that I haven't heard of. I might have to look some of those up.
Girl Girls Weird Thing and Curtis Cheek are another two I would grow again as well. 😋 I love Sun Sugar, which is a hybrid, but I am trying to stabilize it. Been saving the seeds the last 3 years and growing them and hand polinating them. So far they are 2 years and I have the 3rd year seeds from this grow season and will test them next year.
Hmm.... Black from Tula made the list? Interesting. Never tried it. Good list. I might've changed the order a bit but these are a great lineup for those choosing seeds next year and newbies wanting direction. Thank you
True. It would be a great place to start for newbies....and even us not so newbies.
Great list! I've never tried black krim. I may have to do that next year. I love the taste of Cherokee purple, but I've always had issues with growing them in South Carolina and just don't get very many. I've had similar issues with big rainbow which also has excellent flavor, but low production for me. I get great results with pink brandywine though. For cherry tomatoes I've had great results year after year with Blush cherry. It has excellent flavor, especially if you make sure to let it reach full ripeness.
Thanks for sharing your favorites with us. I never got good production from Cherokee Purple either. We get very hot very early here some years, and I think that might have something to do with it.
For whatever reason I had no luck on tomatoes this year. I might try the Cherokee Purple next year. I was a month late getting seeds started. Best to you, Sir. May you continue to heal and be well.
Thank you very much! Yep, it was probably the late start. Starting late can make a huge difference here.
@@MidwestGardener I'm in eastern Ky 😊Brightest blessings. Nice to see the latest video. You take care
Thanks!
my grandfather always grew Big Boy and it was always my favorite. But last year I tried a Domingo. It was not only the biggest tomato I've ever grown, but also the best tasting. I'm going to see if I can find some Black Krim and Cherokee Purple.
That sounds like a good one. I hope you do try Black Krim and Cherokee Purple. They are both really good.
Currently growing Cherokee Purple, Sun gold and San Marzano. Cant wait for the fruit!!
Nice list! Hope you have a great tomato summer!
Black krim, Paul R, Cherokee purple, Kellogg's b, Gold Medal are my favorites no order just love. In fact I am running in place trying to decide what to start. This year.
Sounds like a pretty good list to me! Thanks for sharing it with us. Which ones to grow is one of the hardest parts of the season. Good luck!
I once grew nothing but tomatoes in my huge backyard garden (plus Basil , walla walla onions and Anaheim peppers.) I had 45 varieties of tomatoes and made the best homemade salsa ever. I had friends who admitted to actually just eating it out of the jar like it was a chunky tomato soup. Also, I doubt any of my neighbors had to go out and buy tomatoes that summer because the tomato fairy kept leaving bags of them on their doorstep before they’d wake up. I earned the nickname of Tomato Lady from a friend who, when he saw my garden stood there with his mouth open gobsmacked. He was 6 ft 5 and my garden was a literal forest of tomato plants two feet taller than he was. I had made a smart decision when I planted that garden and put a drip irrigation system in so that watering would be easy. My biggest tomato was a pink Brandywine that was 4 1/2 inches tall, 18 3/4 inches in circumference and I can’t remember the weight. When I brought it to a family dinner and sliced it took up the whole plate. I babied that tomato protecting it from animals and making sure the stem wasn’t going to break. I took all other blossoms and fruit off of that stem. I didn’t crack and was perfectly shaped. Biggest tomato I had ever grown and never have since.
Well done! I can picture those tomato plants in my mind. Hearing about that big Pink Brandywine sure makes me want a homegrown tomato :)
Did you not have a problem with cross pollination?
@@eventhisidistaken I don’t know. But I was so attentive to those plants I went around and sprayed each blossom with this stuff I can’t remember the name of but it was supposed to help with pollination and fruit set if I remember correctly. At the time I was working as a visiting nurse 3 days a week and the rest of the days were spent in my yard and garden.
Jim, I'm enjoying one of the best tomato-growing years that I've had in quite a while. Of the four new (to me) varieties that I'm growing, one was a real standout. Unfortunately, I don't know which one it is, because the day I planted them my young great-grandson insisted on helping me plant "Matoes". The unfortunate part was... I didn't realize that my precious little one had pulled all of my plant tags out of the ground and had taken them home in his pocket. His mommy found them while doing laundry and threw the tags away. I didn't grow them from seed this year but purchased the tomato plants at a local nursery. I would definitely grow them again if I can figure out what variety they are. I hope you and your sweetheart have a wonderful weekend. ~Margie🤣😂🤣
Thanks Margie! Lol, yep, those little ones can really surprise you sometimes. Hope you can figure out which one of the Matoes it was :) It sounds like a good one. We had a really good tomato year too, but I didn't get to enjoy them except for early and recently. Have a great weekend. It's going to be cooling down here soon.
Great video, Jim!!! I don't love tomatoes, but I love to grow them for everyone else & I eat salsa, of course. We discovered F1 Clementine cherry tomatoes a couple years ago when Johnny's had a sale on seeds & I think they're the larger, better big brother to Sun Gold. Very meaty and sweeter than Sun Gold. They're over 1" in diameter usually, and they keep going when all the other varieties have quit. Ananas Noire (Black Pineapple) is my second favorite, but it seems to be determinate and not indeterminate because they produce for a short time, and are the first to die back.
Thank you! And thanks for the tip on Clementine. That sounds like an interesting tomato. There are soooo many that I would like to try.
@@MidwestGardener I’ll send you some! We bought a pack of 250 because that’s all they had on sale. They really take over and get huge like cherry tomatoes do. They’re coming back from the extreme heat here in central Oklahoma this past week. I’m gonna nurse them as long as they’ll bloom. 😇
@@lmullens75 Thanks for the offer. I have like I mentioned, there are so many I want to try. I have enough in mind already that it would probably be several years before I got around to it. We have plenty of heat up here too. Our two hottest days this year were 111 and 108.
I've grew many different varieties in the East Tennessee mountains... I got to put two tomatoes in number 1# spot- The Black Sea Man and Gary O"sena (The Gary O'sena is a stabilized hybrid between Cherokee Purple and Pink Brandywine....
That Gary O'sena sounds like an interesting one.
Gary O'sena is like a Brandywine that produces great, with a touch of black tomato mixed in... Really a great tomato...
Thanks for sharing. I have grown all but german pink, black from tula and cherokee purple. However, I already have plans of growing cherokee purple next year so do not worry. I will give you two favorites. My fav cherry tomato is barrys crazy cherry and my fav large tomato is a new one I grew this year called orange crush. It's quite productive, tastes great and has virtually no seeds which makes it difficult for seed saving and also difficult to find seeds for but great on burgers and sandwiches.
Orange crush sounds interesting. Productive and great taste are two qualities that I value. I might have to check that out. Hope you enjoy cherokee purple. It seems like everyone on the planet does :)
@@MidwestGardenerI must be the odd one as I didn’t like C. purple.
@@dustyflats3832 Well, we don't all have to like the same thing. Hopefully you can find a few that light up your taste buds.
@@MidwestGardener 😂 just saying because you said everyone on the planet. My tastebuds are ok, but finding too many tomatoes inferior. I think they are losing real tomato flavor and aroma in place of sweetness and less acid.
Funny as I was watching this I kept saying it has to be Cherokee purple and black Krim near the top , and it was! I like Brandywine, but I grew Aunt Ruby German Green last year and imo it deserves a spot in the top 5 too.
I agree. Aunt Ruby's German Green is underappreciated.
I grew Sun Gold this year and another Cherry variety that was tied with or perhaps a slight winner over Sun Gold in some blind taste tests with friends. Italian Ice.
Thanks for the tip on Italian Ice! It's gotta be a good one if it's up there with Sun Gold.
100% agree with your viewers top ten, although there are some newer varieties right up there with them, like Chocolate Stripes.
Thanks for you tip on Chocolate Stripes. I'm sure others will appreciate it too.
Sooo many😂 It seems like the one on my BLT is always my Fav whatever it might be at that moment😆
I totally understand :)
I planted Cherokee Purple for the first time this spring and the plants are full of green fruit. I've been wondering what to expect, being totally unfamiliar with them. Thanks for the video!
That's great that you have lots of them that have set on already. They were always a little stingy for me. I think you will really like them....most people do.
Man, I’ve got a Cherokee Purple going that is just blowing me away. I’ve got over 25 tomatoes on it and one is at least over a pound already. I tried red mulch for the first time and I can confirm I’ve noticed a difference in yield. The red mulch studies are correct in my anecdotal experience.
I'm just going through my seeds now, deciding what to grow this year. I'm going to grow 2 dwarf tomato varieties, Geranium Kiss and Wherokowhai. Haven't made my mind up about what other varieties, but I have lots of time. I DO have to decide on which peppers to sow soon though as I start them earlier.
Yes, it's hard to believe that it will be time to plant things soon. Hope the season goes well for you!
I love Marvel Stripe tomatoes. Golden with deep pink stripes. Yum!
Sounds like a good one. I haven't tried that one.
Dry farmed, or dry finished tomatos makes the most flavorful tomatoes I ever grew.
Thanks for the tip.
German stripe and sun gold are my 2 favorites
Thanks for sharing your favorites with us!
Last year I planted Thessoliniki and San Marzano for the first time and I doubt I'll ever plant another variety again. Sun Gold are my favorite cherry tomatoes and I planted Mr. Stripey one year and I remember it being fairly tasty.
Thanks for sharing you favorites! It's always great to find some that you are perfectly happy with.
My #1 is Ananas Noir.
I grow most of these. I am trying Sun Gold this year.
Thanks for sharing your #1 with us. We are still eating Sun Gold tomatoes that we picked before our first freeze.
Terroir. Familiar with that term -- usually applied to wine: the climate, soil and weather. For that reason I appreciate knowing the location of the video producer. In the Pacific Northwest I grew Cherokee Purple, once. While it was very prolific, it won my bland award. An interesting experiment would be for many gardeners across the country to grow the exact, same source variety in their particular location and report results, even measuring acid and sugar with instruments.
Yes, that would make a good experiment. These are the top 10 best tasting tomatoes according to 360,000 of my viewers. Those viewers are from all over the country, and all over the world.
My favorite tasting tomato is currently green zebra. At first, the color put me off though.
My thoughts are with you on your recovery.
Thank you very much! I really appreciate that! Green Zebra is one I haven't tried yet. I'm getting stronger and am trying to figure out what my new normal is going to be.
Really difficult to narrow down to 1 favorite. I grew Cherokee Carbon, Rosella Purple, Mortgage Lifter, Pineapple, Sun Sugar Boronia and Uluru Ochre. I am a fan of all of them look forward to eating each one. No red headed step children on my list. Enjoy them all.
That is an impressive list! You can't go wrong with those.
Uluru Ochre is great. It grew well in central NC in the heat of the summer.
I grew up on the farm in NJ in the 70’s and 80’s. Jersey was famous for tomatoes for decades. The best tomatoes I’ve ever had, and I’ve had some of the top few on this list, but the best I ever had was Jersey tomatoes. They were Ramapo, Morton, and Rutgers. Those were the varieties we were growing on the farm back then. I’d say that they were far better then, Black Krim and Cherokee Purple, which are good tasting tomatoes too, I grow them myself.
Sounds like the place to be for growing tomatoes.
@@MidwestGardener I live on the west coast now. Tried growing them and the taste was not as good, I think it’s the soil in South Jersey.
I don't have a top ten, but last year (and again this year) I am growing one called Hungarian Heart, which I recon is the best tomato I have ever tasted, it is heart shaped the biggest one was over 500 g in weight and easily 6 inches in diameter, very few seeds and solid flesh. Second favourite is Brandywine.
Thanks for the tip on Hungarian Heart. Sounds like a good one.
The past few years the best tasting tomatoes in my garden (according to friends and family vote) were Amish paste and Mexico Midget. I grow them each year to compare to new varieties but so far they win.
Thanks for sharing that! I'm sure others will appreciate it too.
We get alot of sun out here in desert SW. Better Boys always do well, super fantastic s most beef stakes, get some shade. Heirlooms seem to need sandier soils with humidity
A lot of heirlooms can be kind of picky about climate. Glad you've found some that work for you in your area.
The most delicious tomato I ever ate was a Dr. Wyche's. The second most delicious tomato I ever had was a Black Prince, but I have never tried several on your list. I do have Black Krim and Kellogg's Breakfast tomatoes planted. I will test them this summer.
Thanks for sharing your favorites! I hope you enjoy the Black Krim as much as we did.
After decades of growing tomatoes, I always have Cherokee Purple, Brandywine (pink) and Pineapple in the garden. In the last couple of years I’ve also had great tasting tomatoes from the Missouri Pink, which is very similar to Brandywine. Cherokee Purple wins on taste. Pineapple is such a beautiful and good tasting tomato, although sometimes it can have a very heavy core. There’s just nothing more beautiful or delicious as a plate of sliced tomatoes with those three varieties and a little onion and basil. Thanks for this rundown. I had forgotten about the Black Krim and will have to grow that one next year. It is excellent, although I remember it producing smaller fruit than the Cherokee purple.
You can't go wrong with the ones you are already growing. I still like to try a new type or two each year.
I intend to try a couple of your recommendations for the dwarf varieties next year.
My favorite so far is Cherokee Purple. I have tried growing Black Krim but I think it was too hot for them to produce fruit these past two years. I have tasted Sun Gold and I really like them. I will be growing those next year. We can our produce, so most of my plants are for productive fruit bearing and sacrificing some taste.
Yep, Cherokee Purple is a very popular tomato. A few for taste, and the rest for production sounds like a good balance to me.
I love Cherokee purple. Black krim I'll never grow again. Skin was like plastic.
Great list for once I agree with. Cherokee purple are the best tasting. The best harvested when the shoulders are still green. By letting the shoulders ripen the bottom becomes mealy.
I wonder if the same is true of black krim, I'll have to experiment. I do have mine growing vertically, so no fruit is touching soil.
@winstonsizemore2385 Thanks for the tips!
I really like Black Krim too. Haven't had any problem with them getting over ripe or mealy. It'd be great if someone crossed both of these!! I've also found two stand out tomatoes sold by adaptive seeds. Those two are flamin burst, the Dehybridized sun sugar. And Sungella .
@@winstonsizemore2385 Thanks for the tip on the other two.
Have Brandywine and ALWAYS have sun cherries (
Thanks for sharing your favorites. Hope you have a great tomato year!
My favourite is black beauty, midnight snack and ponderosa pink
Thanks for sharing your favorites with us!
Berkley tie-dye was probably my new favorite this year but I also agree with many on this list.
You're already the second Berkley tie-dye fan today.
Which colour?
I thought it was pink but now I see there is a red variety as well. I saved the seed from a fruit I got at the farmer's market last year but I don't think it was crossed with anything as all 4 plants I grew produced identical fruit. @@BravingTheOutDoors
@@Mozafamily There is green as well
My favorite is the Washington Boro. Tomatoes 🍅 ❤😊
This is in Lancaster Pennsylvania
Thanks for sharing your favorite with us!
Although Black Krim is far & away the favorite of my family and friends, Lemon Boy is solid in second place, and prolific. Got over 80 tomatoes off of two plants last year. I've cross pollinated a Black Krim with a Mortgage Lifter last summer (open pollinated). Looks like ML, but colored similar to BK. My seed fruit was 18 oz. So I'm anxious to see how the fruit turns out this year.
Lemon Boy is one I haven't tried. I've heard good things from other folks about it though. I love the idea of a BK x ML cross. Hope you find a couple of good projects from that cross!
My favorites are Pink Brandywine and Cherokee Purple. This year I am growing Caspian Pink that supposedly beat Brandywine in some taste tests. We shall see
Thanks for sharing your favorites. I don't think you can go too wrong with those.
Uncle Jim, this is a cool video!!!! ❤
My favorite this year that I grew was Aunt Ruby's German Green 💚 I will grow this every year now. I need to try Black Krim again. It just stinks that covid has officially changed my taste buds and tomatoes don't taste like they used to for me. It's horrible. But I just have to get used to the "new" taste and go off that.
Thanks Andrea! Aunt Ruby's German Green is a good one. It's hard to describe the flavor, but it is delicious. Yes, that is terrible that covid changed how things taste for you. I could tell by your last video that some of them still taste pretty good though.
@@MidwestGardener Haha, yeah. It's like my taste buds have to get used to tomatoes again every growing season now. It's weird. Anyway, I refuse to give up! 😤 😆
I don’t think it’s tastebud problem. I think we are losing true tomato flavor. Too many of the varieties are Not True heirlooms, just backyard crosses.
I grew 25 varieties of heirlooms in 23 and didn’t like any of them. Many that have been listed in these comments. Location has a lot to do with flavor, but out of 25 I should have had at least one I liked. Too much crossing and losing acidity and the tomatoes don’t keep well.
@dustyflats3832 yeah, I can totally understand that! I definitely think location and growing conditions can really effect taste. But unfortunately covid really has effected my taste. There was a dramatic change in how tomatoes taste to me after I lost my sense of taste because of covid. I've had to get used to the new taste of things. It's definitely a cross in my opinion. I also can't smell things like I used to.
I grew Cherokee Purple next to Cherokee Chocolate in my garden last year and the clear winner was Cherokee Chocolate. Same look and flavor but larger more vigorous plants.
Thanks for sharing that! I'm sure others will appreciate it too.
Kellogg’s breakfast is a yellow tomato. Cherokee purple is my fav, and burgess triple crop comes in second. Am trying The Abe Lincoln this year, can hardly wait…
You've grown some good ones.
Thank you for your effort! So interesting!
The best tomato I ever tasted was also a Black Krim... I will never forget how unbelievable it was. And all the tomatoes from that plant tasted like that. But I've never been able to get seeds like those again - I've bought Black Krim seeds wherever I've seen them, but every year they weren't the real deal... So I'm still searching for that real Black Krim I tasted 12 years ago.
But I'm starting to think you can't find those seeds anymore, because every time I see someone on UA-cam taste a "Black Krim" it also doesn't look like the real thing. So somebody will have to find and save the real Black Krim seeds, before we lose it completely.
You're welcome! I had a similar experience with Black Krim. Sometimes growing conditions can effect how tomatoes taste, so maybe things were just perfect that year. Good luck with your search!
You are SO correct! I don’t know about Black Krim changing, but I know I didn’t like them. I also know what I’m concerned about is true from what you are saying. I’m concerned we are losing the true tomato flavor. When I see all these names continually pop up there is no way these are all heirlooms, more like backyard crosses.
The whole thing I think started when people wanted less acidic vegetables and now they don’t taste right or keep well.
Grew 25 varieties in 23 and didn’t care for any of them. This year I will bring back some hybrids that canned up with the best aroma and taste.
@@dustyflats3832 Before you go back to hybrids, try a few true heirlooms from trustworthy seed suppliers, like TomatoFest. If true heirlooms like Brandywine Sudduth's Strain, Aunt Ruby's German Green Giant, Cherokee Purple and Green Zebra do not have great flavour when you grow them, then you will know the problem is not the seeds.
Other factors can affect flavour. Too much water dilutes flavour (and can even change the texture). Too little quality sunlight can also reduce the flavour of larger tomatoes. Very high temperatures can also negatively affect the flavour and texture of some tomatoes. Etc.
Go to Tomato fest fdr seeds. They are absolutely fantastic.
For flavor, Mr Stripey and Cherokee Purple, for the best, consistant growing is Celebrity. No scars or blight. zone 5. Would love to hear about Roma types. I stopped growing those due to blight.
Thanks for sharing some of your favorites with us. It's always a plus when you find something resistant to blight.
In the Pacific NW and I agree with the top 5 and number 6 would be Pinapple
Thanks! That makes a pretty good top 6!
Paul Robeson is my husbands fav but your right it doesn’t have high yield. That’s ok for us because there’s only the two of us. Last year I grew 2 and this year I’m growing 5 so that should be enough.
Yes, 5 should do it. It's great to find a favorite.
Yes to Cherokee Purple, Paul Robeson and Brandywine. Trouble w/ Brandywine is low yield and disease. Starts out strong, then we only ever get maybe 2 or 3 fruits. We've tried different types, organic and regular, etc. Also, a small oblong yellow tomato with red striping called "Blush" is one of our faves, and I prefer slicers but this is deeelish! 🌻
Thanks for sharing your favorites and how they work for you! And for the tip on Blush too.
Same it was my first plant to get obliterated by disease in 2022.
Don’t give up on the Brandywine. When the first sign of spots show up on leaves spray a mixture of hydrogen peroxide 3 tablespoons to 32oz of water every 2 days for about a week. And spray again after rainy periods. Also during heat use shade cloth. Then towards end of summer you will also get new flowers and fruit that will be ready for harvest in November. This is for zone 8b
@@cindyinpcoladoes that really work well? I’ve tried baking soda and water and it helps a little bit.
Yes! So it isn't just me. I planted red Brandywine and pink Brandywine. I got one large fruit and maybe one or two smaller ones per plant. They were so delicious but I thought what a waste of my time and effort. I wouldn't ever do it again.