Tuesday, August 10, 2010

In a Word: Yuck!

Our cherry tomato plants are finally producing lots of red, ripe good-sized tomatoes.

How's the flavor? Terrible. Basically because there is none.

How's the texture? Mushy and cottony.

Why do I try? 'Cause I'm a gardener down to my bones and someday the conditions will be juuust right for me to grow wonderfully flavorful, juicy, firm textured tomatoes like my dear old grandpa raised back in Illinois farm country.

Hahahahaha! Heeheehee! Hohohohoho!

15 comments:

Melissa said...

I've just come from that that good Illinois farm country - after a week of visiting with my mom. She had the biggest, most beautiful tomatoes in her garden. I brought some seeds home to Central Florida to try my hand at growing them. I'm not overly optimistic. Your garden is beautiful.

Erin said...

Oh no! Stop it, you're scaring me! LOL

Mama Pea said...

Melissa - Aw shucks, thanks for the nice words about the garden. Can I send you any tasteless, cottony tomatoes?? I gotta admit, they do know how to grow tomatoes in Illinois.

Erin - What? You could hear me tearing my hair all the way down by you?

Leigh said...

That's a disappointment!

LindaCO said...

Rats. I was going to see if you had a good diced tomato canning recipe. Ah, well.

Sparkless said...

And they look so good! Our tomatoes, all three plants, didn't produce well at all but the few tomatoes they did produce at least tasted good.

Sue said...

Oh dear-and they LOOK so good!
All looks and nothing else.
I've tried the Matt's Wild Cherry and they are delicious, but small.
And Annie's Granny recommended Stupice, and they're pretty good too! Don't give up-never ever!
If worse comes to worse, road trip to get some.............
:)

Mama Pea said...

Leigh - Yeah, I have to wonder if they didn't get enough water in our dry, hot summer. I suppose that could affect the flavor.

Linda - The recipe I've always used for canned stewed tomatoes is from the old Ball Blue Book. Tomatoes, celery and onions. Can't beat 'em.

Sparkless - Good for your good tasty tomatoes! Nuthin' in summer time like home grown (good flavored!) tomatoes!

Sue - I know! They're just perfect in appearance. I've grown Matt's Wild Cherry toms for years and years . . . until this year. (Never get off a winning horse?) Lesson learned!

Cheryl said...

I did the Sweet 100s this year and once they're fully ripe they're really good. Something to think about for next year.

Mama Pea said...

Cheryl - Duly noted. I've heard a lot of good things about that variety. Thanks! :o)

Hullabaloo Homestead said...

Our tomatoes kinda turned out wierd this year too. Some of our plants that we bought from a local organic farmer aren't even growing tomatoes! Your garden in your header pic looks fantastic!

:)Lisa

Karen Sue said...

I have some Gartenpurls that were ready first and they taste tomato-ey but not sweet like my other cherry tomatoes, the Tommy Toes. They will DEFINATELY be back in my garden next year! Grew those babies from scratch too!

Anonymous said...

Next year you should try Sun Sugar cherry tomatoes. Sweeter than Sweet 100's. They are delicious. You can get hundreds of tomatoes off of one plant and they are very hardy.

I Just Live Here said...

I am growing Black Krim cherry sized this year .. want me to send you some seeds .. they taste like green grapes to me .. let me know

Mama Pea said...

Thanks, everybody, for all the suggestions of varieties of cherry tomatoes to try. This year the weather has been so strange all over the country and I think that's affected all of our tomatoes . . .yields and flavor. Next year I'm hoping we'll all get a more moderate summer with just enough heat and adequate moisture . . . but not too much rain, of course!