Tomatoes: 2 out of 3

Out of the three varieties of tomatoes I grew this season, two will make a return appearance next summer: Sungold and Odoriko.

I don't have to say much for those who have grown Sungolds before. After several years' resistance for not growing them--in general I avoid jumping on the bandwagon-- I caved last year and will never look back. Sungolds will always have a spot in my garden. They easily ripen and continue ripening even while temperatures drop as fall approaches.

Tasty Sungold!

I generally stick with varieties with 65 days to maturity. I was skeptical of the Odoriko since they were quite large and very green. But then they turned a slight red-orange color and quickly ripened with a pink tinge. They are super flavorful and great for slicing on burgers or tossing into pasta dishes. I just made a eggplant dip that called for diced tomatoes and used the Odorikos. Their sweet yet tangy flavor were a great balance to the garlic and eggplant's earthiness.

Odoriko: technically a "pink-fleshed tomato"

 

The one tomato that I was super excited to grow and was such a bust was the Indigo Blueberry. I had the regular Indigo Blue which are deep purple to almost black with a true red underside that carries over inside the fruit. First disappointment was they take forever to ripen. The Sungolds were in full swing as the Indigos were just starting to redden. Second disappointment, it lacked the concentrated flavor that cherry tomatoes should have. Overall the flavor was "meh." The third disappointment was their texture. The fruits were watery and combined with a watered-down flavor; leaving a lot to be desired. I removed a robust plant, full of fruit, from my backyard because it just wasn't worth the space it was taking.

 

 Bummer...those fruits should be red!

 

 

Next season, I'm going to stick with the "tried-and-true-two": Sungold and Odoriko. And I'll add one more variety to mix it up and try something new.

 



 

Wow! Tomato!

Just when I thought it wasn't going to happen, it did. I've managed a bumper crop of 10 cherry tomatoes this year. High fives all around!

Turns out the tomatoes I've been tracking, were never going to turn red. Duh! They were the Wow! (yes, that's how the cultivar is written, complete with exclamation point!) cherry tomatoes, a Sungold rival according to Fedco Seeds. I'll have to say I agree. There is a certain sweetness of the Wow! that is like candy compared to the Sungolds I've had at the farmers' market.

The ones I tasted early on were a bit thick skinned for my liking. But, as the later fruits have been able to hang out on the vine awhlie, the skins seem thinner.


Their sweetness mixed with the tangy saltiness of the tuna made for a blissful lunch today as summer winds down.

I was surprised to find more later this evening that were ripe enough for snacking straight from the vine. I'll save a few for tomorrow's lunch.

Summer...better late than never around here!