Tomatoes are the fireworks of the summer garden. Each July they explode with vibrant colors of red and yellow, purple and green. The flavors to be found in tomatoes can vary from fruity sweet to old fashioned tangy, delightful in fresh salads, shish kebabs, or sauces. With over 350 varieties of tomatoes to choose from, the home gardener can satisfy individual tastes and specialty uses.
Here is a primer of tomato varieties for
those in search of the perfect tomato:
Cherry tomatoes are the most prolific of all the tomato plants. Growing in clusters on the plant, cherry tomatoes are small, bite sized tomatoes that are perfect for eating fresh, in salads or as shish kebabs on the grill. For fresh eating and super sweet flavor, try 'Sweet 100', or 'Super Sweet 100', a vigorous, heavy producer of delicious red tomatoes. Or, for a color change, 'Sungold' is an outstanding deep gold variety that provides a fruity sweetness that is best eaten fresh. Grilling enthusiasts will get great success from the grape-shaped Juliet or the peachy shaped 'Jolly' tomato. Both are meaty with good sugars that hold up well to grilling on skewers.
Salad lovers should look for early to mid season varieties. Producing fruit from July to frost, the salad types offer excellent fruit and good disease resistance. Usually the salad varieties are small to medium in size and can be found in a wide panoply of colors and flavor. 'Tigerella' is a red fruit streaked with yellow stripes and has a tangy tomato taste, while 'Lemon Boy' is a vibrant yellow with mild flavor. For earliest tomatoes, 'Early Girl' is a good choice with abundant red fruit for salads all summer long. 'Celebrity' is an old favorite that is very disease resistant. Home canners will delight in 'Rutgers Improved' tomato with its large, globe shaped fruit and terrific taste.
The true kings of tomatoes are the beefsteak varieties, those that grow large enough to cover a hamburger or sandwich in one slice. Beefsteak tomatoes take slightly longer to grow but many varieties will be ready by mid-August. 'Big Beef' is an outstanding choice for disease resistance and excellent old-fashioned flavor. 'Goliath' is slightly earlier with both red and yellow varieties available, the yellow having a milder, sweeter flavor. 'Better Boy' also has a classic, tangy taste ideal on sandwiches or halved and grilled.
Gardeners interested in growing tomatoes for sauces or who prefer a meatier tomato with less water will find success with the paste-type tomatoes. Paste, or plum, tomatoes are long ovals of thick flesh with little seed cavity. 'Roma', the classic paste type, is a tangy tomato that sets a large amount of fruit. 'San Marzano' has excellent taste and good production. 'La Rossa' is touted as the best tasting of all the paste type and has moderate disease resistance.
Heirloom tomatoes are gaining in popularity and are well worth the extra care they may require. Heirlooms are tomatoes that are handed down from generation to generation and typically do not have the disease resistance that the hybrids have had bred into them. Because heirloom tomatoes have not been bred out of their original form, they often have superior flavor and unique qualities that hybrids lack. 'Brandywine', a beefsteak variety, is virtually legendary for its excellent flavor and ease of growing. 'Amish Paste' and 'Cherokee Purple' are well known heirlooms that give outstanding flavor and performance. 'Yellow Pear' is a gourmet addition to salads with a small pear shape and mild flavor.
For more information on tomato varieties contact the Colorado Master Gardeners of Colorado State University Extension in Boulder County at 303-776-4865. The Master Gardener information desk is open Mondays through Fridays from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
For more information on Gardening, contact your
local Colorado State University Extension office. |
