2015 may have been our best tomato tasting yet. Roger’s Gardens has been producing this popular summer event for the last 15 years. We were thrilled to see nearly 300 attendees this year.
By 9 AM tomato enthusiasts were lined up at both entrances, anxious to taste over 1,700 tomatoes and 70 varieties that graced the tasting tables this year. Like fine wine, each guest carefully tasted the tomatoes, then cast their votes of their favorites. Steve Goto, as he has since our first event, supplied the majority of the fruit, but staff and a few customers added tomatoes to the tables as well. Another tradition at this event is April Goto’s famous homemade tomato salsa.
For the third year, well-known Roger’s Gardens edible expert David Rizzo, tasting with peppers from his own garden, plus a few extras. Almost twenty varieties, including some real hotties, like two different Habaneros, Scotch Bonnets and Ghost Peppers. Luckily, nobody needed the paramedics.
Every year we encourage customers to bring in their tomato harvest for tasting and in return they receive a 20% discount of nursery products and get to be first in line for the tomato tasting. A big”thank you” to our customers who brought in tomatoes and/or peppers for the tasting this year. We greatly appreciate your support and participation.
Start planning now for your 2016 tomato season. And be sure to visit us again in March 2016 during ToMaToMania!, our largest gardening event of the year.
We have tabulated the results from the ballots that were cast at this year’s Tomato Tasting. Scroll to the bottom of this article to see the results.
Based on the ballot results, the top three tasting tomatoes were Snow White Cherry, Sungold Cherry and Red Zebra.
Below are the full results:
TASTING BALLOT RESULTS
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To view the results for 2014 click here.
To view the reuslts for 2013 click here.
We are looking for sweet salad med. to large thin skinned tomatoes.
What would you suggest ?
Thank you
Well Ed, I suspect if you asked ten tomato experts that same question you might get as many answers – and the answers might even change from year to year. Nonetheless, here is one person’s thoughts, at this moment in time, in no particular order:
‘Momotaro’ – A Japanese, smallish red tomato that has consistently won tasting contests, but also is a strong grower and heavy producer.
‘Stupice’ – One of the most reliable and consistent tomatoes I have ever grown. It produces early, produces late and tolerates a lot of different conditions. Another smallish red tomato and with good flavor too.
‘Cherokee Purple’ – This one is a large beefstake type, so expect fewer and more irregular fruit, and a later crop, but with excellent flavor.
Ed, the best way to decide what the best tomato is for you is to grow them, in your soil, with your climate, your nutrition and then to taste them with your own likes and dislikes. You will soon develop your own favorites list. But be warned, just like us, your “favorites” will likely change from time to time.
Ron
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