To the Upper Mid-west Tomato Grower

[William L. Rose]

Finally, got my first Brandywine. I tasted it next to a German Stripe and an Early Girl. The Brandywine and the Early Girl certainly have more acid than the German Stripe. Tasting in the order from Brandywine to German Stripe yielded little difference. Tasting from German Stripe to Brandywine was more informative (at least to me). The German Stripe was more delicate in flavor. I wasn't that impressed with its' perfume this time but this was after dinner. There was a noticeable increase in the acidity and perhaps flavor in the Early Girl. There was a more noticeable increase in flavor in the Brandywine (vis--vis) the Early Girl but it wasn't a great difference. The German Stripe may have been a bit sweeter, which may have accounted for the less acidic taste.

This is the first time I have tried this and it may be that the constellations of flavors in each tomato will take me awhile to recognize. It was very interesting though. Anyone else care to share their impressions of comparison tasting of tomatoes or other fruits?

- Bill

"A girl's dress should be like a barbwire fence. It should do its' job but not obscure the view". - Sophia Loren

[Pat Kiewicz]

There is a lot to be said about texture in tomatoes, too. Some are meatier than others. And some that don't impress when eaten plain really SNAP! when used in a sandwich with a bit of mayo or Miracle Whip or served with a drizzle of salad dressing while others seem to fade.

For instance, two of the yellowish tomatoes I'm growing this year are completely different in texture, (initial) taste and how they are best served.

'Azoychka' looks like a small beefsteak but is light yellow and quite early. It has a juicy, delicate texture with a lot of pulp and tends to have a lovely pink blush through the center. It's flavor is pleasant, sweet, and delicate with an extra fruitiness. In my opinon, this one is best served without anything other than a dash of salt. It sags in salads and is just too delicate for sandwiches.

'German Orange Strawberry' is a large oxheart type, large, deep golden- yellow (not *quite* orange). It is extremely meaty, with very few seeds and I found it dissapointing when eaten sliced with salt and pepper. But chop it for a salad or slice it on a sandwhich or even drizzle it with a bit of ranch dressing and this variety suddenly becomes exceptional.

('Azoychka' is carried by Tomato Growers Supply and 'German Orange Strawberry' is available from Pinetree Garden Seeds.)

(Oxheart varieties start out looking like they are never going to make it, with whispy, weak foliage but don't let that fool you. I almost chucked my 'German Orange Strawberry' because it looked even weaker than my 'Anna Russian' oxheart. I'm very glad I didn't.)

[William L. Rose]

Pat , Like good wine, good food should have a look, a smell, a taste, a texture, and sometimes, an effect. (I'm thinking chiles but there are probably others.) How was the Anna Russian tomato? I'm asking you because retailers always praise their own merchandise.

To push the wine analogy (I hope not to far), I'm sure the soil and weather have much to do with the resulting appearance, flavor, smell, and texture.

Previously (don't laugh), I have mostly grown Early Girl and Juliet tomatoes. That has definitely changed. Compared to the Striped German and Brandywine, they can't compete, except with the cardboard tomatoes at the market.

- Bill

[Pat Kiewicz]

'Anna Russian' is excellent--very meaty, very flavorful. This is the red tomato I'd serve up to impress a guest. One fault is that it is *very* prone to serious splitting when nearly ripe if you get a big rain.