if you could grow only cherry tomatoes...

habitat_gardener · September 14, 2015

If the only tomatoes you could grow were cherry tomatoes, what 4-6 varieties would you grow, and how would you use them? These would be the tomatoes you eat in salads and salsa, for tomato sandwiches and roasted tomatoes, and for canning, as well as snacking in the garden. So presumably you'd want a full range of flavors, not just sweet.

rhines81 · September 14, 2015

so far --- only Supersweet 100s will grace my garden next year for cherry tomatoes. Extremely plentiful and so very very good! Yes, they are super sweet, but they make every dish I have them with so very good. A cherry is not for sandwiches or canning in my opinion. Salads and snacking. They make a sweet salsa, but I would use a sauce tomato in my salsa.
I have some San Mazanos (plum) for sauce, but still waiting for them to ripen.

k3vin · September 14, 2015

I mostly use cherries for fresh eating, and for my taste buds I prefer them super sweet. Some of my favorites are Sungold, Isis Candy, and Snow White. Favorite currants are Coyote, Tomatito de Jalapa and Champagne Cherry.

However, after reading your post again I think you are asking which cherris best approximate their larger cousins that are used for slicing and canning, etc. Now that's an interesting question. I would say Carbon Copy tastes like a large black slicer...

Lorri D · September 14, 2015

Can I ask why you are only wanting to do cherries?

Do you have a short days to maturity? They just grow better for you? You like the size and shape?

Dennyav · September 14, 2015

My friend buys a cherry tomato plant as he usually does every spring and sticks it in a large planter on his deck. They eat of it every year and really does not care what the name is. Matter of fact he tossed the tag...

We were there this weekend and he said the cherry tomatoes were the best tomatoes he's ever had for the several years he's been doing this. I got several of them and have them fermenting and will plant them this spring. I hope they are OP (open pollinated). The tomatoes are dark colored ones.

habitat_gardener · September 15, 2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lorri D

Can I ask why you are only wanting to do cherries?

Do you have a short days to maturity? They just grow better for you? You like the size and shape?

It's an interesting what-if, and a question that hasn't been asked before, as far as I can tell.

I was looking at my tableful of tomatoes the other day and noticing that most of the larger tomatoes have catfacing or BER this year, or else are much smaller than usual. But the cherry tomatoes are doing ok, though not as prolific as usual, so it hasn't been a chore to pick them.

I've always liked great-tasting cherry tomatoes in sandwiches, and i was also wondering what else i could use them for. This year i've discovered a few more garden shares, and cherries are a lot easier to share than larger varieties.

The squirrels have discovered the melons and sunflowers at my home garden, but not the tomatoes...yet. At least if they go after cherries, either i won't notice or the damage will be minimal.

Anyway, although i might actually grow only cherries at home next year, i can't imagine not having all the other varieties at my other gardens.

kygreg · September 14, 2015

SunGold, Champagne Cherry (same as Coyote?) and Black Cherry

AlittleSalt · September 14, 2015

Slicing/Canning: Porter - prolific, old fashion taste, and known as a canning tomato.

Sweet: Sungold and Red Ambrosia

Different: Oranje Van Goeijenbier

Fun to grow: Blue cherry sized tomatoes - Brings up garden conversations. Edit: Helsing ★★★★★★★★ Blue produced really well for us - good taste.

walt456 · September 14, 2015

Currents for fresh eating and salads, and a large cherry tomato a neighbor has been raising since the 40's. I don't know it's name but it's the absolute sweetest tomato I've ever had. I grew Sungold this year since it's supposed to be the sweetest tomato out there. In my garden the unknown variety was way sweeter than Sungold.

joseph · September 15, 2015

If I had to start my tomato breeding project all over again using only cherry tomatoes, and I was limited to 6 cultivars, I would choose:

Sungold F1. Because it has a lot of potential buried inside, including genes for larger sized fruits.

Yellow Pear. Because it grows really well here.

Solanum pimpinellifolium. Because while it's a poor fit for my climate, it might have a lot of potential as a parent for making crosses.

Large Red Cherry. Because if I have to grow cherry tomatoes, then I might as well get the most return for my labor.

A determinate cherry tomato. Because the determinate growth habit is very valuable in my climate. But not a dwarf tomato. Something along the lines Hy Brix Tomato F1 or Mountain Belle F1. I'd choose a hybrid so that I could select among the offspring for traits that please me.

Jagodka: If you'd let me get away with calling it a cherry tomato... Because it is the current flywheel variety in my garden.

KarenO · September 15, 2015

My 6 favourites are

Brandywine cherry
Super snow white
Dr. Caroline pink
Ambrosia gold
Reisentraube
Helsing ★★★★★★★★ blues

I do not like cherries for anything other than fresh eating or the occasional toss with pasta. Too much seed to flesh ratio for me and cooked seeds can make a sauce taste bitter imo.
KarenO

drew51 · October 6, 2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by KarenO

My 6 favourites are

Brandywine cherry
Super snow white
Dr. Caroline pink
Ambrosia gold
Reisentraube
Helsing ★★★★★★★★ blues

I do not like cherries for anything other than fresh eating or the occasional toss with pasta. Too much seed to flesh ratio for me and cooked seeds can make a sauce taste bitter imo.
KarenO

This year I grew Pachino. I really didn't find it that sweet, and seed count was low for a cherry. It probably would make a good sauce.
I keep descriptions for all my seed and this is what I dug up for Pachino
Pachino - Famous Italian heirloom yields intensely flavorful, shiny red fruits slightly larger than a cherry
tomato. A sought-after gourmet treat, fresh or dried. Indeterminate. 68-75 days from transplant. OP
If you’re looking for some of the sweetest, firmest, shiniest tomatoes with a long shelf life to boot, you need
the small, red, juicy cherry tomato from Pachino, Sicily. Plants are very hardy and will overwinter in mild
winter areas. It is also one of the hardest varieties to find as farming conglomerates in Sicily tenaciously
guard the distribution of the seeds.The Pachino was first cultivated in 1925 but didn’t become popular until the
1970s. Now it is so treasured that a few years ago, Italy granted IGP status—a designation similar to the D.O.C.
designation for wines, which certifies that at least part of the production of a product is from a specific region.
Since the 1970's, it has been the tomato of choice for fresh use in salads, or used in pastas, pizzas or
vegetable soups. In Sicily, tomatoes are dried in the sun or conserved in oil. The dried tomatoes make great
bruschette and tartines. They can be used in pastas, with boiled meats or to flavor sauces. Indeterminate. 70 days.

remy · November 11, 2015

Sungold
Black Cherry
Lemon Drop
Remy Rouge
Lucky Tiger
Sweet Aperitif

Lindalana · September 15, 2015

I would be crying if I only could grow cherries...
my garden they only good for give aways and presents- lots of work to collect and not much in return.
Anyway, from recent years grow- Sungold, Helsing ★★★★★★★★ Blue, Blue P20, Kiss the sky, Risentraube, Medovaya Kaplya, HHHS/ see baker creek seeds for Hssiao His .../, Isis Candy.
I will be growing a dozen of varieties for next year plant swap as many people do want to grow only cherries...

Fusion_power · September 15, 2015

For a red, I would grow LA0417, a single plant selection I made a couple of years ago. It is very disease tolerant, very good production, and has that S. Pimpinellifolium sweet but rich tomato flavor I like.

For an orange, I would grow the high brix Orange Pear that I grew this year. It is super sweet with a unique texture that makes it an excellent salad tomato.

Black Cherry wins hands down for robust tomato flavor.

Galina's Yellow Cherry would be my favorite yellow.

Dr. Carolyn Pink hits all the major trait requirements in my garden.

I don't really have a favorite green when ripe, there are half a dozen I've grown that I like, but none of them are standout winners. Green Grape, Green Gage, Green Doctors, Green Doctors Frosted, and Green Zebra cherry come to mind.

September 14, 2015	#1
habitat_gardener Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: California Central Valley Posts: 2,540	if you could grow only cherry tomatoes... If the only tomatoes you could grow were cherry tomatoes, what 4-6 varieties would you grow, and how would you use them? These would be the tomatoes you eat in salads and salsa, for tomato sandwiches and roasted tomatoes, and for canning, as well as snacking in the garden. So presumably you'd want a full range of flavors, not just sweet.

September 14, 2015	#3
k3vin Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Nebraska Posts: 139	I mostly use cherries for fresh eating, and for my taste buds I prefer them super sweet. Some of my favorites are Sungold, Isis Candy, and Snow White. Favorite currants are Coyote, Tomatito de Jalapa and Champagne Cherry. However, after reading your post again I think you are asking which cherris best approximate their larger cousins that are used for slicing and canning, etc. Now that's an interesting question. I would say Carbon Copy tastes like a large black slicer... Last edited by k3vin; September 14, 2015 at 10:16 PM.

September 14, 2015	#8
AlittleSalt BANNED FOR LIFE Join Date: May 2014 Posts: 13,333	Slicing/Canning: Porter - prolific, old fashion taste, and known as a canning tomato. Sweet: Sungold and Red Ambrosia Different: Oranje Van Goeijenbier Fun to grow: Blue cherry sized tomatoes - Brings up garden conversations. Edit: Helsing ★★★★★★★★ Blue produced really well for us - good taste. Last edited by AlittleSalt; September 15, 2015 at 12:14 PM.

November 11, 2015	#13
remy Buffalo-Niagara Tomato TasteFest™ Coordinator Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Z6 WNY Posts: 2,354	Sungold Black Cherry Lemon Drop Remy Rouge Lucky Tiger Sweet Aperitif __________________ "I wake to sleep and take my waking slow" -Theodore Roethke Yes, we have a great party for WNY/Ontario tomato growers every year on Grand Island! Owner of The Sample Seed Shop

September 14, 2015	#2
rhines81 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2015 Location: Zone 5A, Poconos Posts: 959	so far --- only Supersweet 100s will grace my garden next year for cherry tomatoes. Extremely plentiful and so very very good! Yes, they are super sweet, but they make every dish I have them with so very good. A cherry is not for sandwiches or canning in my opinion. Salads and snacking. They make a sweet salsa, but I would use a sauce tomato in my salsa. I have some San Mazanos (plum) for sauce, but still waiting for them to ripen.

September 14, 2015	#4
Lorri D Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: NorthWest Posts: 267	Can I ask why you are only wanting to do cherries? Do you have a short days to maturity? They just grow better for you? You like the size and shape?

September 14, 2015	#5
Dennyav Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2015 Location: Lynnwood Washington Posts: 21	My friend buys a cherry tomato plant as he usually does every spring and sticks it in a large planter on his deck. They eat of it every year and really does not care what the name is. Matter of fact he tossed the tag... We were there this weekend and he said the cherry tomatoes were the best tomatoes he's ever had for the several years he's been doing this. I got several of them and have them fermenting and will plant them this spring. I hope they are OP (open pollinated). The tomatoes are dark colored ones.

September 14, 2015	#7
kygreg Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: kentucky Posts: 1,019	SunGold, Champagne Cherry (same as Coyote?) and Black Cherry

September 14, 2015	#9
walt456 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2014 Location: VA Posts: 235	Currents for fresh eating and salads, and a large cherry tomato a neighbor has been raising since the 40's. I don't know it's name but it's the absolute sweetest tomato I've ever had. I grew Sungold this year since it's supposed to be the sweetest tomato out there. In my garden the unknown variety was way sweeter than Sungold.

September 15, 2015	#10
joseph Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2013 Location: Cache Valley, N/E of The Great Salt Lake Posts: 1,244	If I had to start my tomato breeding project all over again using only cherry tomatoes, and I was limited to 6 cultivars, I would choose: Sungold F1. Because it has a lot of potential buried inside, including genes for larger sized fruits. Yellow Pear. Because it grows really well here. Solanum pimpinellifolium. Because while it's a poor fit for my climate, it might have a lot of potential as a parent for making crosses. Large Red Cherry. Because if I have to grow cherry tomatoes, then I might as well get the most return for my labor. A determinate cherry tomato. Because the determinate growth habit is very valuable in my climate. But not a dwarf tomato. Something along the lines Hy Brix Tomato F1 or Mountain Belle F1. I'd choose a hybrid so that I could select among the offspring for traits that please me. Jagodka: If you'd let me get away with calling it a cherry tomato... Because it is the current flywheel variety in my garden.

September 15, 2015	#11
KarenO Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Vancouver Island Posts: 5,928	My 6 favourites are Brandywine cherry Super snow white Dr. Caroline pink Ambrosia gold Reisentraube Helsing ★★★★★★★★ blues I do not like cherries for anything other than fresh eating or the occasional toss with pasta. Too much seed to flesh ratio for me and cooked seeds can make a sauce taste bitter imo. KarenO

September 15, 2015	#14
Lindalana Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Oct 2013 Location: Chicago IL Posts: 857	I would be crying if I only could grow cherries... my garden they only good for give aways and presents- lots of work to collect and not much in return. Anyway, from recent years grow- Sungold, Helsing ★★★★★★★★ Blue, Blue P20, Kiss the sky, Risentraube, Medovaya Kaplya, HHHS/ see baker creek seeds for Hssiao His .../, Isis Candy. I will be growing a dozen of varieties for next year plant swap as many people do want to grow only cherries...

September 15, 2015	#15
Fusion_power Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Alabama Posts: 2,250	For a red, I would grow LA0417, a single plant selection I made a couple of years ago. It is very disease tolerant, very good production, and has that S. Pimpinellifolium sweet but rich tomato flavor I like. For an orange, I would grow the high brix Orange Pear that I grew this year. It is super sweet with a unique texture that makes it an excellent salad tomato. Black Cherry wins hands down for robust tomato flavor. Galina's Yellow Cherry would be my favorite yellow. Dr. Carolyn Pink hits all the major trait requirements in my garden. I don't really have a favorite green when ripe, there are half a dozen I've grown that I like, but none of them are standout winners. Green Grape, Green Gage, Green Doctors, Green Doctors Frosted, and Green Zebra cherry come to mind.