Give us some help here. Do you like Beefsteaks, Hearts, Cherries? Red, black, pink, orange, yellow? Do you care about the taste? {LOL}

Linda

Yeah hard to make specific suggestions when there are literally thousands of varieties to choose from. Do you grow your own from seed or buy transplants? If you buy your plants your choices will be limited to whatever is available locally.

Why not read through some of the many 'favorite' and 'best' lists already here?

Dave

Yeah, like Linda said, give us some time. For some of us too early to tell the winners from the losers. Like right now I am trying several red and dark beefsteak types side by side.

It is true there are thousands of variety but I pick based on the peer recommendations.

The other way for you for pick varieties is read the post of the member who are harvesting right now. See the fruits, plants' pictures, as question from those who are growing them. This is the best interactive search than going into internet data bases.

Sey

I have an orange Brandywine that's delicious. My first tomato was almost 1 pound.

I have been doing exactly what you guys are suggesting for the last 3-months. I want the acidic type heirloom. After much deliberation, I have come up with the following list.

Rutgers

Marglobe

Sioux

Paul Robeson

Carbon

Old Italian

I also plan on putting out some San Marzanos, Amish Paste and Sweet 100's

This year we grew Black Krim (nursery had them labeled as Brandywines) and Martino's Plum tomatoes (nursery had them labeled as Better Boys). This is why I am growing my own from seeds next year. At least that is what I think they are. I am 100% positive of the Black Krim. Not so positive about the Martino.

I live in Zone 6a (east of Cincinnati). What do you think of my choices? Will the tomatoes I picked remind me of the tomatoes from my youth?

I would love your opinions...

"Will the tomatoes I picked remind me of the tomatoes from my youth?"

Well Paul Robeson and Carbon won't. Black's flavor is quite unique. Never grown Old Italian but always like the other two.

Dave

I thought as much. I was reading reviews on Baker Seed website and Paul Robeson & Carbon were getting good reviews. I have seen other people on this forum talk about them as well.

You are correct about the blacks. I harvested some Black Krims yesterday. They do have a different taste...good...but definitely not Grandpa's tomato.

Taste is so different in everyone. What is sweet to one person is acidic to another. What taste old timey to one is sweet or flavorless to the next person. I guess you just pick 3 - 4 every year and find out for yourself what suits you...???

Azoychka, Berkley tie die pink, are quite acidic. I don't think they will remind you of your youth though, since they are not red (Rutgers should probably be closest here).

Try Brandywine! It's a monster of a plant for me, but I'm in z5.

Black Krim is our favorite around here hands down. If you're looking for a large yellow/orange beefsteak, Kellogg's Breakfast is really yummy.

On the topic of subjective taste, I HATED those "old fashioned" tomatoes from my youth, I thought I hated tomatoes period because I didn't know there were tomatoes that didn't taste like that. I still don't really grow any red tomatoes other than paste tomatoes, they must have traumatized me more than I realized ;)

A few of my favorites that I have to grow every year. These are all heirloom and can be grown from the seeds of the previous year:

Czech's Excellent Yellow - Sweet yellow. Smaller (about 2-3 inches), but early, so I get some ripe ones in July (z5 here).

Arkansas Traveler - Smaller pink. But it has a great flavor with an acidic "zing" when you bit into them.

Italian Heirloom - Red oxheart. Juicy and sweet. Grows like a weed here (Wisconsin-z5).

Kellogg's Breakfast - A bit tougher to grow and not so productive. But makes the tastiest yellow beafsteak. Worth the trouble!

If you don't mind growing a hybrid, try Sun Gold!!! it's another monster plant and it pumps out tons of fantastic sweet orange cherries.

"Tell me your favourite heirloom tomatoes!"

Top 5 favorite heirlooms list

Keep in mind that all 'heirlooms' are open-pollinated but not all open-pollinated varieties are 'heirlooms'. The label 'heirloom' has specific requirements.

Dave

Yeah. The thread that Dave put up is a very good start.

There are quite a few top favorite varieties that have been discussed.

Sey

Thank you!, I love this forum!.

I'll try Kellogg's!, Never heard of any of these so this should be fun.

Bau...I'm growing Mr. Stripey. The jury is still out. Ill let you know w when I get a ripe one.

Cool thanks!

Okay . I think that I have some candidates to come back next year. The best ones are the dark varieties.

== Black from Tula

== Indian Strip

== Cherokee Purple

== An unknown variety

REDS:

== Big Beef

== Silvery Fir Tree

== Oregon Spring

== Willamette

== Better Boy

YELLOW / GOLD / BLUE

== Azoychka

== Sakharnyi Zheltyi

== Indigo Apple

Despite a late/cool year, all of the above ( from over 30 varieties) have been going real well. I have already pulled 5 and another 6+ will be zapped. and another 8 or so are on the fence.

Not bad : 12 winners, 12 losers and about 8 on the fence. That is what I expected.

Sey

" i like big plants, with lots of foliage indeterminate"

Ramapo, Brandy Boy, Big Zac

Best Boy is a determinate that grows as large as some indeterminates.

Personally I will be growing a lot of "Delicious".

Max, Delicious is also in my grow list .

== Delicious

== Brandywine Suddth

== Limmony

== Stupice

== Coeure de Boeuf (ox heart )

I might also re try Black Krim.

Sey

This was our first year growing heirlooms (last year was all hybrids). We are not (yet) seed savers and got our seed this year from Baker Creek.

Mortgage Lifter has been a big hit. My mom said it reminded her of tomatoes from the garden when she was young.

Berkely Tie Dye- these guys are so cool looking but so far we have not been crazy about the taste. They are a little watery and flavorless. We also have a ton of deeply cracked ones.

Amish Paste - this plant is bigger than the rest for us and pumping out tons of beautiful paste tomatoes.

Purple Bumblebee - cherry tomato that we will probably not grow again. Not our favorite cherry tomato flavor but really pretty fruits.

Black Krim - to be determined. There are quite a few fruits on the vine but most aren't ripe yet.

We also grew Big Beef which are not an heirloom but have been large, delicious, and plentiful.