Since we have now moved into prime tomato season, I think its time to open a discussion about all things tomato, and especially Jersey Tomatoes.
Did anybody have particular success in the garden this year? Do you have a favorite tomato dish? Farm markets?
I’ll start this off with my garden. I usually plant a couple of heirloom varieties, and then some high yield hybrids.
This year I planted Heinz & Rutgers heirlooms, a hybrid half size roma, and 3 cherry tomato plants. The real winner this year has been the hybrid roma, lots of fruit and tasty. The Heinz was also good, a little firmer than anticipated. Pics to follow.
The Rutgers, not unlike their football team, was a disappointment. In past years it has been a faithful producer, this year not so much.
Last year I planted a German Johnson, which I have to say was one of the best varieties I have ever planted. Really great taste, pinkish fruit, large size, a real winner.
I’ve heard a lot of people say that their garden tomatoes didn’t do so well this year. I have a friend who’s a farmer & I get mine from him. He grows a Rutgers variety & a few different heirlooms. They have been outstanding this year.
He’s got a stand also so I’ll make a shameless pitch for Indyk’s Farm on Spotswood-Englishtown Rd. in Monroe.
My plants did very well. Been getting tomatoes for over a month with a lot still on the plants.
Squirrels have been getting the big ones but all my cherry tomatoes are fine.
Also had lots of luck with my lemon cucumber plant
“Fair to Mydland” as the guys selling “kind” in the parking lots used to say. The Paul Robesons did OK, but not much overall. I did, however, plant fewer seedlings than usual.
I’ve tried to make up the difference at farmer’s markets, but they’ve been hit or miss to date.
I am not from Jersey, but I was in rural Ontario yesterday (1000 islands area) and I picked up a basket at a roadside farmstand for $5. Like 12-14 tomatoes of assorted sizes. We had BLTs last night and I don’t know WHY I bother with tomatoes the rest of of the year. Not sure if it’s been our dry, hot, sunny summer, but these were the juiciest, sweet yet acidic babies I’ve had since I was a kid. They had the odd mark or little bruise like they should! I don’t think I can go through them fast enough, but I learned from an old Italian lady that I can blanch, peel, and freeze safely for a few months.
I’m not in New Jersey but on Lake Erie. We got a couple of weeks of really, really heavy rains which caused a lot of split skins and some BER. The tomatoes did seem to come in early this year–probably because of the really intense heat. We planted all heirlooms and the perennial favorites of Nyagous and Paul Robeson have been the best. In all, 133 pounds to date.
It’s been pretty dry and hot, hot, hot since the first of July in Jersey this year, so I have found that daily watering and a once a week application of Miracle Gro have been key to getting production this year.
On the other hand, the basil has really been going to town. We have two varieties this year, a purple curly leaf and the usual Italian. I will try to get some lush basil shots.
Re: Organic. No problem with your garden, but if you want to be disappointed in your Congress sometime you should check out what ADM, Cargill, and ConAgra did to the organic legislation. There are holes in those labeling regs that you can drive an 18 wheeler through.
Buying organic produce in your market or prepared foods means pretty much no difference, except price is 25 % more.
We were late in getting the garden started, so I purchased some mature-ish plants instead of seedlings like we normally do. (went to a different place for them as well) So far I’m very disappointing in the results. Very late bloomers and not growing very large. Although I don’t even recall what exact varieties I purchased. The cherry tomatoes are “ok”.
