doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Mildly OT: homegrown foods

Please forgive my sidebar here but my first truly successful heirloom tomato harvest was yesterday (after 2-years of trying). I thought it paired nicely with some elk steak done to a turn and some blue cheese polenta (& all washed down of course with a Super Tuscan).

This Cherokee Purple tomato came from a plant that was devastated in a late hailstorm here (June 8th) and we had almost given up on it. In this case it was well worth the wait because unlike store-bought tomatoes (which are bred to have less liquor and thicker, flavorless walls) this one was really a treat.

The other remaining heirlooms are a bit behind this one (all are survivors of the hail event) but should be producing soon (a Brandywine and a Black Krim).



June 8th



Last week

When it comes to raising tomatoes, a garden hose in my hands is like death ray to what it touches. I recall an article I read about why "store boughts" are tasteless pulp. The author was in north Florida driving behind what looked like a dump truck full of green balls. Once fell out and bounced unharmed down the highway. Upon examination by the author, it was determined to be a rock hard green tomato. He later learned that it was on its way to the ripening chamber where ethylene gas is pumped in to ripen the "fruit." Gil

Lloyd,
I gardened many, many years and can't do it now. What I miss most of all is having home grown tomatoes (I usually planted 2 dozen big tomatoes plus a "sweet 100" to "munch" on while gardening). I wouldn't be satisfied until I could eat enough to upset my stomach. When I lived close to Ft. Benning, they would usually produce until Christmas. Boy oh boy, I miss my tomatoes. That photo of your wonderful one makes me jealous. Good on you.
Mike

Nothing better than a red, ripe tomato sprinkled with a little salt. We grew Red Packs for the market and let a large amount ripen on the vine for our own consumption and would pick the ripest to eat as well harvested the not yet ripe for sale. Nothing speaks summer better than a ripe “mater.”

Brandy Wine Pink tomatoes are one of the old heirlooms and sliced with a little sugar on them, my gosh they were good.

Been a couple years since I enjoyed them.

Out here in the Southwest tomatoes can be a challenge to grow, with summer temperatures reaching over 100 degrees F over 100 days each year. This year I gave it another attempt. I hauled in 4 truckloads of garden soil and mulch.
I stuck with growing just small and cherry size tomatoes. I have never had good luck with large varieties.

One plant in particular grows cherry size orange colored tomatoes. This is not even something I planted. It sprang up in the compost I had brought in. It is not a vine but more like a bush. It sits almost all day in the direct heat. The leaves are a thick smaller size leaf. It Withstood the heat and produces like crazy. along with producing some wonderful flavored fruit.
Anyway here on some pictures.

Gostrider,
Save some for seed.
Mike

We've been gardening since we were kids, 65+ years ago. Didn't have any choice back then, the last 50 years it's been BY choice. We're still at it it. When we had our farm we had 3 acres of pick-ur-own veggies. Momma canned some more home made V-8 juice yesterday. It's been a great year or gardens, for a change. Abit hot the last couple weeks but it's cooled a bit now.

We're knee deep in tomatoes, cantaloupe and soon watermelons. Planting some fall beets, turnips and cauliflower today.

Ghostrider: those look like Sun Sugars.

Our Brandywine plant was hit the hardest in that June hailstorm and has yet to produce. There are still some flowers and even some small green fruits so we havent given up just yet.

The first of the Black Krims were picked yesterday here...close but not as good as the Cherokee Purples quite yet.

After that hail event, I went back to the greenhouse and picked up several varieties (whatever they had left that looked healthy) to compensate for the loss of several heirloom plants, so we have quite the variety now. The Early Girls are producing like crazy and are very good but...not quite like the heirlooms.

Out of curiosity, I queried AI as to what was the acknowledged "best eating" heirloom tomato.

This technology is simply shocking to me. It stated unequivocally that the Brandywine and the Cherokee Purple seem to split that distinction, going on to describe the subtile differences in their separate tastes. Both very good but different (& I have to agree).

I already use AI as my own personal sommelier, helping me pair foods with wine....makes me glad I'm retired.