The Wonderful World of Tomatoes

Tomatoes come in all shapes, sizes, and colors.

SMALL

The smallest are called 'currant' tomatoes, and are indeed tiny.

White Currant, Red Currant, Matt's Wild Cherry are a few popular varieties.

The standard cherry tomato is much larger than currant tomatoes. Cherry tomatoes range in size, but the average is about the size of a quarter.

A customer favorite at Gracie's is "Sun Gold Cherry".

Others in the 'cherry' family are grape tomatoes, such as Juliet or Sugary.

  Finally, there are plum tomatoes, such as this Black Plum, which are similar to 

a miniature Roma/paste tomato.

These small varieties come in a rainbow of colors, and the yellow and white fruits

actually have less acid, so are easier on the tummy.

MEDIUM

Next up, sizewise, is the 'saladette' tomato, which are usually 

about the size of a chicken egg.  Examples are Jaune Flamme, Tigerella, 

and Black and Brown Boar, a particular favorite as it sets fruit and ripens early 

and is a prolific producer (even in the north here)

of delicious, mahogany tomatoes with green stripes.

A real stunner.

LARGE

Slicing tomatoes are usually about the size of a baseball, and are more round than elongated.

This is the most common and typical type of tomato, and likely the image that is 

conjured up when someone says 'tomato'.

Slicing or table tomatoes can also be used for canning, but are very juicy and full

of seeds, so it's best to allow to simmer for long periods of time to evaporate 

the juice and concentrate the flavor.

Many "early" tomatoes are red, round, and determinate.

The several popular varieties of these hybrids are 

Early Girl, Super Fantastic, Better Boy, and Celebrity.

ROMA or PASTE

  Thick and fleshy with few seeds 

and low juice, Romas are your perfect canning tomatoes.

UNUSUAL

The list of unusual tomatoes is long.  There are hollow tomatoes, such as the Schimmieg's shown here, which are prolific producers in Ely and are delicious stuffed.

Wapsipinicon Peach is yellow and fuzzy just like its name suggests,

and the Green Zebra is green when ripe.

There is no right or wrong tomato, but all tomatoes, unlike men, are not created equal.

There may be a right or wrong tomato for YOU.  

Some are better than others, in performance or yield or flavor.  

They all serve a purpose or suit a particular set of taste buds.  

Happy Gardening,
Kathy and Patty