LOL - "perhaps forced to move because of presidential election".

Black Krim! That IS the only variety we grow, even though we just live in the high plains desert of Colorado and not on a deserted island ;)

What if we grow 20+ varieties (100 ;o) and admit to being risk-averse and going with the most popular choice in the US? It would generate less animosity and might save the Canadians the trouble of putting up with another Yankee ... oh wait, you said there's no one on this island! So, i'm free NOT to choose Early Girl?

What if it was an island with a longer growing season and I could finally try an original Pink Brandywine rather than suspecting that it will always remain forbidden fruit? No. You said favorite so how could an imagined taste have any bearing on the choice? Wait a minute! This isn't an island in the Bering Sea, right?

Shoot! Like back at my old home 500 feet higher, would I be stuck growing Sub-arctic Plenty, there in a subpolar oceanic climate? That certainly wouldn't be a favorite!

Okay. I'll calm down. Let's just say from my usual cast of varieties, nothing exotic that has turned up from unknown crosses, and leaving aside my grandmother's tomato she grew 70+ years ago. Sorry Grandma ...

How about Sungold? It comes very early and stays right through the season. It tastes like garden candy and both DW and I luv it.

Steve

It is TOTALLY on the Bering Sea! Where else? I'm growing sungolds for the first time this year, and they are good and prolific, but pretty hard to slice for a proper BLT. Black Krims are my favorite tasting tomato of all time, but Ive gotten a pretty low yield, so maybe the 100 plants is not extreme after all. Perhaps we should start a tomato growers commune on said deserted desert island. But only if Buddy the dog comes too. Never know when rebar skills will come in handy....

A BLT?

For some reason, my Thessaloniki tomatoes are unusually large this year. They always come through for me with about 10 seasons in my garden. They are usually described as "baseball size." This year, "softball size!"

They are meaty. You know how a juicy tomato can make a mess out of a BLT.

Thessaloniki seldom split. A big plus because that can be a real problem for some varieties with overhead sprinklers and an arid environment.

Steve

I have a Thessaloniki this year, also a first timer for me. I have had one ripen so far and it was definitely juicy and good. And none of my tomatoes are being very generous with the fruit this year, but I've spent a lot of time over Boulder way so haven't been here to cajole them. Slackers.

As to BLTs, I'm sure you know what they say. If it's not messy, you ain't doing it right

Stump of the World, hands down. Though I will say 1884 is giving it a run for its money this season with enormous fruits and an incredibly vigorous plant..

Stump of the World? That's a new one to me ...will definitely check it out. Thanks!

It's a large heirloom pink beefsteak, extremely meaty and low in seeds/gel. I've read on several sites that it does very well in many climates and under a variety of conditions, an important characteristic considering it's an heirloom. I haven't had any issues with disease in the couple years I've grown it and it definitely seems to tolerate the heat and cold weather a bit better than others. It was one of the last to give up last season and is looking strong this season, as well. I very highly recommend it.

Ninety days to maturity?!! Are you sure you're getting them to ripen on the vine there in Colorado?

It might shoot my theory all to heck about Pink Brandywine being the top tier and then there is a second tier with Prudens Purple, Brandywine OTV (which I have again this year, bless you David52 :o), and several others for gardeners who don't have adequate conditions for Brandywine.

It wasn't a properly developed theory. Yes of course, taste is subjective. But still! Are you sure you're getting Stump of the World to ripen on the vine there in Colorado?

Steve

who is eating slices of Bloody Butcher and Big Beef with cheese, crackers and a beer ... as I type. DW's idea!

Hey Steve -

Yes, absolutely. I get them earlier than many of the other tomatoes I grow. I believe I got them at about 75-78 DTM last season and even earlier this season. I don't know if it's the great (warm) weather we've had this season or what, but many of my beefsteaks gave ripe fruit before 75 DTM which is extremely unusual for me. I had a few paste determinates only recently ripen, but I attribute that to a hailstorm we had back in June that set a couple of plants back a few weeks. Not overly surprisingly, those few are now the most robust determinates in the garden.. I may experiment with some dramatic pruning next season on a few determinate plants - the ones that get hit hard by early hailstorms, but aren't killed outright, always seem to be the strongest and most productive plants later on.. :)

This has been an exceptionally good season for my tomatoes, though, so it may take a few more seasons to determine whether a particular variety does consistently well, but I'm super impressed with SOTW so far.

90 days is beyond my comfort zone for DTM. I'm the opposite of Nick in that everything I grow takes longer than advertised.

I have two late season varieties this year though. Aunt Ruby's German Green and Nebraska Wedding. Nebraska is the one that turned me on to orange tomatoes a couple years ago, and I still count it as one of the best tasting tomatoes i have ever grown, but its not a reliable performer. Neither it nor German Green have shown any sign of giving me a time tomato yet and already the other morning it was 44° and it's snowing on Pike's Peak as of yesterday. Last year would have been a good one for late season tomatoes, I remember days in the 80's into October. This year I don't think we'll be so lucky.

Anyways only one tomato to grow on a desert island? Black Sea Man and Orange Blossom are good producers but taste is nothing to write home about. Nebraska tastes great but miserable producer. Nineveh is a decent producer but the fruit size shrinks dramatically after each tomato that is picked I've started to notice. Probably one of the best balance between yield and taste I have yet run across is better boy so that would probably be the one I pick.

Sungold. Fantastic taste, easy to grow.

Big Rainbow is by far my favorite tomato. Last year I had decent success with one plant. This year I tried two plants. Neither made it.

Black Krim. Growing it for the first time this year and tastes amazing. Also productive - 10 to 15 LB so far with around 20 fruits of various sizes still on the plant. All from one plant.

Keen, I read your "Anasazi" as Azoychka, for some reason.

Azoychka is early and has a nice fruit but didn't grow that well in my garden. Everything except the ones in pots are in a sprawl. It went off in a straight line, trailing over the ground. I decided that I couldn't have several! It's hard enough for me to get around without something like that ... I suppose that I could have cut it back to encourage other buds to grow but that seemed an odd thing to do since I'm not supporting the plants.

There's more to appreciating a variety than what the inexperienced might expect. Perhaps, "Anasazi" can be a favorite, year after year.

Steve