Monday, March 10, 2014

What kind of tomatoes should I grow?


We were ambitious (nothing new here) and purchased 4 tomato starts last year at the Annie Ross Plant Sale. All proceeds benefited the homeless family shelter of Clackamas County.
 We had two cherry tomato starts, hot house tomato, and the pretty yellow pear tomatoes. We didn't know what to expect - how well these would grow, and which we would enjoy more. They all sounded lovely so we decided to go big. Well the tomatoes did grow big and plenty. We had more tomatoes than we knew what to do with. Here is how these three varieties faired for us:



Hot house tomatoes - these took the longest to ripen, but when they did they were huge! They had a lot of flavor and worked perfectly roasted, sprinkled with salt or sugar or as soup. Also could have worked well for salsa. 


Cherry tomatoes - these grow quickly and are very easy to eat. We liked these best roasted and added to pasta or in a caprese salad. These were also great as a snack by themselves, nothing else added. 


Yellow pear tomatoes - these were fun for the variety. They didn't produce as fruitful as the cherry tomatoes but they were definitely flavorful and worth the novelty. These were so cute we preferred them plain as a snack, and often thy didn't even make it to the house. 


Going forward, I think we will have one cherry tomato plant, one hot house and one heirloom. This produces a variety and will give us many options for preserving. This year my goal is to can some, make salsa, and donate the extras to the local food bank. 

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