Break O'Day tomatoes

16 years ago

Has anyone grown Break O'Day? It's my first time growing them, and I won't grow them for eating tomatoes if I grow them again. Even when red-ripe, they're tart and sour, not very complex. Has that been your experience, too?

I'm hoping they'll blend in with the other tomatoes to make sauce, along with Opalkas and any Brandywine-types we can't eat before they're too ripe, some Sun Leaper determinates, and SunGold Select IIs that we don't eat.

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anney
Original Author

16 years ago

Carolyn

I've found that the Goose Creeks I'm growing are MUCH more productive and are disease-free so far. But my disappointment is about the Break O'Day taste, not its other qualities. I had really looked forward to growing them and adding them to my must-grow list.

Have you used them for sauce? That's one of the suggestions for this variety at one site I've seen. I think if they're combined with other "sweeter" tomatoes with a more complex taste, they won't be a waste!

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Comments (9)

carolyn137
16 years ago
Yes, I've grown Break O Day. It's a terrific older commercial variety, pre 1940 I'd have to check the exact date, with round red blemish free fruits that are great fresh or doing whatever you want to with them.

When folks complain about OP's not yielding as well as some hybrids or are asking for a good canning tomato Break O Day is always on the list that I suggest.

Carolyn
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carolyn137
16 years ago
NO Anney, I haven't used them for sauce; I haven't made sauce in a long long time but when I did I'd use just the best tsting most dense great tasting varieties I had at the time, and taste is NOT a feature of most paste tomato varieties IMO. The taste for me has been excellent and I use them as fresh eating tomatoes and when I was selling to chefs and at a farmstand they were one of the many varieties that were used.

Carolyn
anney
Original Author
16 years ago
Carolyn

I guess taste is just extremely personal, as most of us have learned. BOD is one of the few red tomatoes I haven't liked much for straight eating. I also don't like the taste of Aunt Gertie's Gold either. But we can be glad we don't all prefer the same ones!
tdscpa
16 years ago
I'm growing it for the first time this year. I thought it was supposed to be an early variety, but it is way behind five or six other varieties I am growing this year.

No sign yet of blushing.
carolyn137
16 years ago
No, not an early variety.

My definition of rough days to maturity is:

Early, 55-65 days
midseason, 65 to 80 days
Late, over 80 days

I see it as an early midseason variety in my zone 5 area and most who list it on the SSE YEarbook from various places in the US say around 70 days and days to maturity is influenced by weather, amendments used, and other variables.

Carolyn
jtcm05
16 years ago
I do not recall them being tart and sour. I recall them being very good when I grew them in 07.
chalstonsc
16 years ago
I grew BOD for the first time this year and they were very tasty...not at all as described by Anney...maybe try them again in a different place?
C.V. Overfield
7 years ago
C.V.

My family has been browning these tomatoes since I was a kid in the late 40's. The only tomato my dad would grow! I have continued the tradition and love this tomato. I use them sliced and canned for soup and sauce. Great flavor in my opinion. To me they resemble Celebrity in size and shape.