They are gorgeous. I have a black krim planted and can't wait to try it but it isn't gonna happen any time soon. I only just got fruitset on it.

When I first joined SSE in 1989 I think there were maybe less than 5 so called black tomatoes listed.

And now there are well over 100.

Are they all different?

How did the black varieties proliferate so quickly and become a fad in the early 90's which has continued to this day?

I think I know why.

Mind you that there's nothing at all wrong with a fad. Actually Craig LeHoullier, he of Cherokee Purple fame, and I had predicted that the next fad would be the green when ripes, and that too has come to pass. ( smile)

Carolyn, who is somewhat underwhelmed with all but a few blacks, but loves the green when ripes. LOL

I did not know of the fad thing. I'll tell you why I love them...As a massive tomato lover, of course, I am allergic to them! They make my mouth swell up to where I can't talk for about 15 minutes. The black tomatoes are great on sandwiches and this is one way I can eat them without a massive mouth swell.

Carolyn -
What are your favorite blacks?

I don't have much experience with them, I've tried Cherokee Purple, Black Krim and Paul Robeson, and the only one that stood out for me was Paul Robeson. The others didn't live up to the raves (for me anyway), but I'm trying a few more variaties this year (Sara Black and Carbon).

So anyway, what are your "few favorites"?

Thanks!
Bart

I'm growing alot of different cultivars for their unusual characteristics. I really fell in love w/ orange and yellows last year, this is my first growing green,black, and chocolate.

So anyway, what are your "few favorites"?

****

Indian Stripe
Cherokee Purple
Black from Tula
Black Cherry
Noire de Crimee
Brad's Black Heart

...... from the many that I've grown.

Sara Black is not an heirloom, it was bred by Joe Bratka and the background info given he gave it is not correct. Black Cherry is not an heirloom and was bred by Vince Sapp, the recently deceased husband of Linda Sapp, owner of TGS. Noire de Crimee is basically Black Krim that I got from a Frenchman in 1992 and I think is much better than traditional Black Krim. Indian Stripe is a version of Cherokee Purple which I like better than CP. Brad's Black Heart was found in a patch of Black Krims by Brad Gates in CA.

Carolyn

wow, they look great, this is my first year and it is unbelievable how many different tomatoes that there are, I am beginning to feel like I am buying batteries during a Hurricane I cannot get enough!

Here is a link that might be useful: my container garden

So here are the Black Sea Man. I also have Japanese Black in a few days. Off the black topic, you can see Julia Child top left corner. Lovely tomato

I'm curious if the different color variations of tomato's, especially black; have any effect on their attractiveness to critters like squirrels or birds. I've noticed that birds only eat my tomatoes when they are bright red. Any other observations?

more pics....tedln...I am a bit neurotic with the tomatoes. I posted on the Texas forum...but we have stink bugs so bad, I have to bag them...so I never have the bird issue...bugs are the issue in Texas

Yummykaz,

I don't want to hijack the thread, but I am also in Texas (sixty miles north of Dallas) and I don't have the stink bug problem. It may be due to the fact that I encourage good bugs to eat the bad bugs. I also do a few unusual things like go out at night with a flashlight and round up the toads that come out eating bugs. I put them into my raised beds and they seem to like it pretty well and consume a lot of bugs. At least they seem to grow a lot during the tomato growing season.

Ted

Thanks for the update Carolyn.

I think I'll try Noire de Crimee next year, as Black Krim has not lived up to the hype for me. But then again I only grew it once (last year) so I'm trying it again this year hoping for better results. To clairify, there was nothing wrong with Black Krim. It was a fine tomato, but I just expected more from it from all the raves I've read.

Thanks again,
Bart

May be a stupid question, but: How does the taste differ from red tomato? I was going to try Cher Purple or Black Krim for fall and was wondering what taste characteristics make them so appealing. Or is it mainly their good/unique looks.

>

It's hard to describe how it's different, but it is. There's a subtle sort of flavor that some people call "smoky." I think it's kind of like a roasted flavor, and I think it would taste especially good in a salsa, or as yummykaz says, in a sandwich.

I picked up a couple of them along with other heirlooms at a local farmer's market last year and had a little "tomato tasting" with my family to compare. That was a fun way to find out the difference.

Enjoy!
Dawn

Hi,
I'm also from the Tx. forum and have never seriously grown tomatoes until this year. Someone gave me a Black Prince seedling at a swap this spring which is growing strong and I just wonder if anyone has tried it?

I love the idea of a family tomato tasting!

May be a stupid question, but: How does the taste differ from red tomato? I was going to try Cher Purple or Black Krim for fall and was wondering what taste characteristics make them so appealing. Or is it mainly their good/unique looks.

*****

As I see it there's no one taste to a red tomato, rather, a huge range of tastes with those that are reds, those that are pinks, oranges, whites, so called blacks, etc.

So for me it's impossible to describe the taste of "reds" as a group against any other group.

If you name a red I've grown and want me to compare it with CP or anything else that I've grown then I can do that.

But it would only be MY opinion of taste and since taste is personal and subjective and so many factors are involved with taste such as weather, how a plant is grown, amendments used, etc., the only way you'll know how it tastes is to grow it. (smile)

Carolyn, who has grown about 2500 different varieties and is still growing and tasting different varieties. ( smile)

Well put. I don't have much to compare it to yet. I'm a newbie and while I've tried different kinds before, I don't remember what they were.
Hadn't thought about all the different factors involved. I've started with 2 kinds this year (Brandywine and Better Boy). I've got a long way to go until I hit 2500 varieties. I'm not sure I'll have the patience to come remotely close. Thanks for the replies.