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Podcast: Let's Argue About Plants

Episode 9: Which Tomato Varieties Are Tops?

In this podcast episode, find out which varieties our editors and their expert guest would grow above all others

Carol has never met a brandywine variety she doesn’t love, including Marriage™ Big Brandy. This odd-looking yet tasty tomato is a cross between two classic heirloom varieties, ‘Brandywine’ and ‘Big Dwarf’. 

Did you even wonder which tomato varieties are the must-haves of garden editors? Or maybe which tomato your farmer down the street would grow above all others? Well, you’re not alone. With summer in full swing, we’ve got ripening tomatoes on the brain. Sure, staples like ‘Big Beef’ and ‘Celebrity’ are well known to most vegetable gardeners, but what about ‘Jersey Devil’ or ‘Rose’? Steve and Danielle invite fellow editor (and tomato-grower extraordinaire) Carol Collins to join the conversation about the best tomato varieties they’ve ever grown. We’ve also invited farmer and nursery owner Teri Smith to tell us which tomatoes are voted the best by her customers. Each year she hosts a tomato-tasting contest for the local community, and you might be surprised by which types rose to the top.

Expert: Teri Smith, co-owner (with her husband, Joe) of Smith’s Acres, a 35-acre farm in Niantic, Connecticut

Carol has never met a Brandywine variety she doesn’t love, including Marriage™ Big Brandy. This odd-looking yet tasty tomato is a cross between two classic heirloom varieties, ‘Brandywine’ and ‘Big Dwarf’.
Blue tomatoes are the trendy new kids on the block, but Danielle had a bad experience with ‘Indigo Rose’. Although lovely to look at, the flavor (or lack thereof) left her disappointed.
There’s no argument to be had: ‘Sungold’ is tops on Steve’s—and many gardeners’—list of favorites. A warning, though: they are addictive like potato chips. You can never eat just one.
This week’s expert agrees that ‘Sungold’ is a must-have plant, but Teri Smith says the little-known ‘Jersey Devil’ (pointed, oblong variety at the front of the basket) is her absolute favorite. In this medley you’ll also see one of Danielle’s top picks, ‘Jaune Flamme’ (golf ball-sized orange variety at the back of the basket).

Previous: 6 Great Sauce Tomatoes Next: The Basics of Planting Tomatoes
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  1. a4mrtheist 08/16/2017

    I have used Amish Paste for several years now and have become my go to sauce tomato. Huge meaty fruit on the plants that just don't stop.

  2. casey377 08/17/2017

    Lemon Boy and hard to find Jet Star along with the beefsteaks are great tomatoes.

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