Thanks hudson----you are so kind to share your information.

Ridiculously nice photo as always, Hudson. I cast my vote for your tomato. Burpee should contact you for the rights to that picture.

Yeah, Hudson should make that his avatar...nice colors :-)

Here is my F10 entry...

Goodground----you mean that you saved seed for ten years? I just may try that for next year---still will have a lot more to save seeds from. Nice mater by the way.

No I did not...but yeah, it is F10 seed given to me by John A.

Lar, F10 means 10th generation of F1 hybrid..

Example: If I save seeds from my current F1 fruits and plant some next year it will be F2 plant . and then if I save seeds from F2 fruits and plant the following year , the plant will be F3. >>>> Keep doing ... I will have Fn version.

So by most expert opinions if the fruits produced by F9 or higher can be considered a stabilize Open Pollinated variety.

Sey

Thanks Sey and Goodground. I think I'll give it a go

Yes, I saved seed 10 times. Brandy Boy seems to be one of the hybrids that reproduces true. My 2nd F11 was bigger than my 1st at 14.8 oz. I should get my 1st F1 this week. I keep my spacing at 3'.

John A

We ate that ugly matter today. It's the first BB with plenty more to come. The flavor was wonderful. Now we have picked a few mortage lifters this year and want to compare it to BB. Mortage lifters do well for us and I believe it's our one to stay with but if I can get BB's to climatize here then just maybe. We are looking foward to Jersey Boy to try next year as better boys do well here.

This is Brandy Boy thread. So let us be nice to him. hehe

Sey

Well Sey--- I was talking aout BrandyBoy. Giving my opinion HEHEHE

I was away over the weekend, and when I returned, the first BB F1 was ready. Looking forward to a side by side taste test with the F11.

John, that is Nice n Big, over 18 oz. Wow !! My largest one has been under 14 oz.

Yeah . give are a comparison review, taste wise. I might beg you for some F11 or F12 seeds. hahaha.

So far I have picked just 4 Brandy Boys out of 3 plants but a lot more coming up soon. I love the taste of them.

Sey

Nice BB F1 John - please update us on the taste comparison BB F1 with BB F11. You have inspired me also to save some seeds this year!

Thanks rt !!

Wow, those are some impressive plants and fruit Hudson! I wish I had a greenhouse here to do the same thing with mine.

The pic of the BB on the green leaf would be a good commercial otint advertising, looks just perfect.

Thanks Jim - appreciate your comments! A Greenhouse is Awesome !!!

Here's a photo of yesterday's tomato sauce. That made 5 quarts. 1 for dinner & 4 in the freezer. The Brandy Boys are in there (far left in back).

John A

Just to let every one know, my plant is still alive. It is about 3 ft. tall. I may grow again, but after only getting one seed to sprout , I do not know. To every body who is growing BB, keep up the good work.

I'm starting to get a few more BB's and I do like the flavor. Still like Mortgage lifters. Running neck and neck.

The season is winding down for us in Wyoming :( I could use a few more months of Greenhousing before I am mentally ready to close down for the winter but the heating cost is just not worth it. I was in the GH today and captured this Brandy Boy plant still in the production mode. A fused and single blossom on the same truss - sad to see the season coming to an end - but it has been a great season for us. There are still over several hundred tomatoes to ripen - weather permitting - they will usually ripen up to and into November.

Hope everyone that is growing Brandy Boy in warm climates will continue to post their progress through December! For us in Wyoming - there is not much here left to report. I will post some Brandy Boy plant roots though when we dig some up - maybe that is another contest category - who has the longest roots - haha

This morning I picked about 30 pounds of BB's and sliced them for potluck. Everyone raved aout them. We have been getting a lot of rain from the monsoons and the maters are splitting but the flavor is still there. Lots of green ones left ---have to wait to see what mother nature is going to bring. Think we have a out three weeks till frost. Darn

'Brandy Boy' has been producing ripe fruit for some time. The largest and loveliest was the first fruit. Couldn't weigh it because the battery in the digital scale needs replacing. Had a BB with my lunch sandwich, yummy.

Thanks again John, for sharing your F10 seeds.

Hudson, Unfortunately, here is S. Calif, the Brandyboy turned out to be a bust for me. At the most 3 maters, not bad size, but I fought some kind of black leave disease, from the very start. It started on the BB, and few adjacent tomatoes got a few of the black leaves, but nothing like the BB.

At first I thought it might be our warmer climate, but I see posts here by other S. Californians where the BB did well, Oh well, go figure.

Was a very good year for me except for the BB and the BK, in fact my best year in the 10 years or so, I've grown tomatoes.

The plant came from Burpee, as did the BK and a cherry tomato, none of those did well and I had to pull the BK early, (Black Krim), so there's always the "possibility" it was a Burpee "Problem"?

Anyway, thanks for this thread, I did enjoy the success of others here with the BB.

Gary

Thanks for the memories. I had a wonderful time being part of the event.

I did produce a couple of big ones but not enough to win a prize. That is ok I enjoyed them . They tasted great.

Now practically our tomato season coming to an end here in PNW. Hi's in 60s (53 to 71F ) and lows in low 50s ( 49 to 52F). Plus the rain and the clouds have returned And that is no surprise.

The next season I will try one of Hudson's best ; " Jersey Boy".

Sey

Lar - Nice Brandy Boy!! 1 lb 6 oz is a large BB in my GH !! I would say that is great success for a plant that produces on average - 14 oz tomatoes! Glad you liked the taste!

Gary - Thanks for reporting your experience even though it was bad! I had similar experience with plants I purchased from Burpee a couple of years ago - Cherokee Purple, Brandywine and SuperSauce. The plants all looked healthy when they arrived but never caught up with the tomato plants that I planted from seed! The never did well even though we got a few tomatoes. I planted Cherokee Purple and Brandywine from seed in following years with much better results?!

Sey - Don't forget New Big Dwarf - I think it may do well for you too. Jersey Boy was a success for us this year - I agree - I think it is worth trying in your garden!

mnwsgal - thanks for sharing the results of your F10 seeds!

Our Brandy Boys are still producing - I may have the latest ripe Brandy Boy of the year - if the weather doesn't go frigid on us here in Wyoming! Here is a photo of the Brandy Boys taken today.

Hudson----I still have alot of BB's out side and they are starting to blush-- if the weather holds and I say holds as we are getting a low in here on monday with a ton of cold rain expected-- then I will have a hard time giving them away which is what I have been doing for the last three weeks. I certainly will be growing these again and trying Jersey Boy. Got me a ez-flo and some 9-58-8 so watch out next year. Thanks for your help this year.

Lar - great to hear about your success! I think you will be impressed with 9-58-8 ! I give the recommended dose printed on the label weekly. I do not have any reason to believe they are getting too much P and every reason to believe they love the dose that I give them. You will get tons of blossoms per truss and I don't even pinch any of them out because the plant appears to take care of that problem itself and most of the blossoms that develop fruit - the fruit is greater than 10 oz - I am happy with that - especially with the quantity of tomatoes that we get per plant !

Thanks for the information Hudson ---I'll follow instructions and feed once a week

Lar

I ate my first BB on June 6, and am still eating them today. They are getting smaller, and I only have a few left, including two green ones on the plant. Blooms aren't setting tomatoes at the moment, probably our hot weather. I think I'm almost done for the year.

My season is ending but one of my BrBys has about 8 good size fruits ( ~ 6 -8 oz). I will give them another week to blush or else !!! . hehe

Sey

Found out something about BB's. If I leave them on the vine until they are completely pink(red) they get soft and very juicy--- if I pick them when they are really blushing and let them gofor a couple days then slice them, they stay firm and taste good and still juicy. Been doing that for a couple weeks now --- with so many its getting hard to get rid of them all --- what will I do next year when I will have twice this amount?

You can even pick them just before seeing any color, as long as they are mature and have reached a full size, turning almost white (very pale green). I have done this just recently with BrBy and KB. I sliced the KB just yesterday. Some of it is still in the frig. It is firm and juicy enough.

Getting soft is just being over ripe. That is the process withing the fruit.

Sey

Lar - Good to know - we usually pick them after they blush and let them ripen on the counter - we seem to have better luck preventing cracking that way too (especially late in the season as it is now) - beside the advantages you mentioned.

When we are overloaded with tomatoes - my wife quarters them in a container - labels the weight - freezes them and when she gets 17 lbs she makes a batch of Tomato Soup. Freezing actually is an advantage because when they thaw - some of the water separates - she pours off the excess water and the soup is more concentrated - awesome soup!!

I have found the same thing as Sey. You can get them before blushing and before the critters chew on them.

John A

Hudson, you have raved about your wife's tomato soup several times. I have a ton of frozen tomatoes that didn't get made up into sauce or salsa. Any chance she would share the recipe? More on topic, Brandy Boy didn't do so well for me. But I put it in late, and it had one of the worst spots in the garden. So it really wasn't fair to judge it against others. I already have a favorite pink beef steak, Dester, and with limited space I will probably stick with that.

Jennie

Jennie - Here you are......

Cream of Tomato Soup (makes 8-10 quarts)

This is basically just a plain tomato soup similar to Campbell’s but better because it is homemade.

8 quarts (16 lbs.) tomatoes---I core and quarter my tomatoes as they ripen--then freeze them--keeping a record of how much each addition container weighs until I have 16 lbs.

Then, when I want to make my batch of soup, I thaw out the tomatoes and

since the water in the tomatoes kind of separates away, I drain off about

4 cups of this water so that my soup is nice and concentrated.

Simmer the following in a 12 quart kettle until transparent:

6 coarsely diced onions (about 48-56 oz.)

1 large bunch celery chopped

About 1 cup of the separated water from the thawed tomatoes

Add the 16 lbs. of tomatoes and cook until soft. Cool a bit.

Run this through a Victorio strainer (or similar appliance that separates the skins and seeds from the juice/pulp). Return soup to kettle.

Add and stir until dissolved: 1 cup sugar and 1/4 cup salt.

Ladle into canning jars and process. I pressure cook mine because of all the onions and celery in there. 20 minutes for pints, 30 minutes for quarts at our elevation.

To Serve: Cook 1 Tablespoon butter and 1 Tablespoon flour in saucepan until bubbly and golden brown.

Add one pint of soup and heat until hot.

Stir in 1/8 teaspoon baking soda (to neutralize the acid in the tomatoes so the milk doesn’t curdle)

Add about 1 cup of milk to soup and heat up but DO NOT BOIL.

Thank you so much Hudson! The recipe looks really good.

Jennie

You are welcome - I am not a big soup person - normally - but I always enjoy a cup of this soup with a slice or two of home made bread - toasted with/without melted cheese! It seems to taste even better as the snow gets deeper and the temperature gets colder - through the winter!

Brandy Boys ripening October 4th - We still have plants that are developing blossoms with no chance of producing fruit - but the plants are still healthy and growing. The weather will decide how much longer we will have ripe Brandy Boys - for now - the season continues!!

Nice ones, Hudson.

I have 3 plants. One is done. It never produces well.

The other two together have about 8 good size tomatoes. I am going to let them to hang on til they get a blush unless the weather gets nasty. Then I will bring them inside.

Sey

I think that BB are especially sensitive to temperature. They did not set fruits when it was cool in the beginning of summer and they did not set fruit when it was too hot in July. But when the conditions are right, they can be very productive. In the nice warm August weather they grew and set a lot of tomatoes which began to ripen about two weeks ago. Overall it is very pretty tomato, taste is OK, but not something special. I do not know what's wrong with them but I prefer to eat the other varieties. Production is erratic due to temperature fluctuations in our climate, but overall it is good.

PC - I found another tomato motivational song - this one by Guy Clark - that may help the Brandy Boys and other varieties !! I'll have to let the tomato plants listen to this tune next year - it already has me motivated to get going on another season - haha

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VAJq6sHNktc

Lyrics

Well, there ain't nothin' in the world that I like better
Than bacon and lettuce and homegrown tomatoes
Up in the mornin', out in the garden
Get you a ripe one, hey, don't get a hard one

Plant 'em in the spring, eat 'em in the summer
All winter with out 'em's a culinary bummer
I forget all about the sweatin' and diggin'
Everytime I go out and pick me a big one

Homegrown tomatoes, homegrown tomatoes
What'd life be without homegrown tomatoes
Only two things that money can't buy
And that's true love and homegrown tomatoes

Now you can go out to eat and that's for sure
But it's nothin' a homegrown tomato won't cure
Put 'em in a salad, put 'em in a stew
You make your very own tomato juice

You can eat 'em with eggs, eat 'em with gravy
Eat 'em with beans, pinto or navy
Put 'em on the side, put 'em in the middle
Put a homegrown tomato on a hotcake griddle

Homegrown tomatoes, homegrown tomatoes
What'd life be without homegrown tomatoes
Only two things that money can't buy
And that's true love and homegrown tomatoes

If I's to change this life I lead
I'd be Johnny Tomato Seed
'Cause I know what this country needs
Homegrown tomatoes in every yard you see, yeah

When I die, don't bury me
In a box in a cemetary
Out in the garden would be much better
And I could be pushin' up homegrown tomatoes

Homegrown tomatoes, homegrown tomatoes
What'd life be without homegrown tomatoes
Only two things that money can't buy
And that's true love and homegrown tomatoes

Homegrown tomatoes, homegrown tomatoes
What'd life be without homegrown tomatoes
Only two things that money can't buy
And that's true love and homegrown tomatoes, alright

Songwriters
Clark, Guy

Yep---I likes that there one -----nothing like home grown matters --- my brandy boys do a jig to that

Hi R Peterson

You will have to stop in the next time you are in Star Valley and I will show you around. Thanks for your complements! Center bed is 12"H x 36"W and side beds are 24"H x 30"W. The entire volume is growing medium - I did not dig out top soil when we built the beds - our soil drains very well as we are next to a creek with lots of rocks under the top soil. I do add manure compost every year and take out some of the medium if necessary to add the compost.

Nice huge Brandy Boys Hoosier! Maybe a little late for a contest but never to late to enjoy the production and taste!

Nice tomatoes, hoosier.

I still have some seeds and might grow Brandy Boy next year.

Sey

We grew Brandy Boy this year, and I am loving it. Got huge tasty tomatoes. Biggest one is 1 lb, 10 oz! Seems to also be holding up to leaf diseases (so far) better than many of my other plants.