I have growed them both. The Mortgage Lifter is pure ole timey full tomato flavor. The pink color is pleasant. A red tomato lover will not be put upon to accept a non red ML. They are not sweet, just nice smooth and mellow, very balanced. They plants seem to look a bit stressed, but seems to be normal. The plants are stingy and the fruit late in my experience.

The Cherokee Purple looks different. It grows beautifully, a medium canopy, but for me much much earlier than the ML, and more productive. In my garden, the Cherokees arrive before the MLs and are perfect compliments to the ML. The color will be a barrier for some. But the flavor is more complex than the ML. It somehow tastes sweeter and more acid at the same time. Every bodies taste buds and expectations are different. The taste of the CP is not an acquired taste, in my opinion, but the idea is, because of the color.

Brandywine and Cherokee Purple are two very different tasting tomatoes IMO. Both are fantastic in their own ways. I have had great success with ML in that they are very productive and the taste has classic tomatoey depth. I don't grow Brandywines anymore as they tend to have lots of problems for me and they aren't very productive. I've replaced Cherokee Purple with Indian Stripe as I find IS more productive than CP and the taste is very comparable. But ML are great as they are reliable and great flavor. The only issue with them is that they are a bit late in the season, so depending on where you live and how long your season is you might want to stick with a CP or IS which are much earlier varieties.

We do not share that experience. Brandywines (we like Sudduth's, Cowlick's, OTV) and CP produce small to moderate quantities (depending on the year) of fabulous tasting fruit (IMHO) in our 6A location. We have given up on ML. It's been nothing but viruses for us. Much better choices as far as we're concerned.

Shell

Thank goodness there are so many varieties that conform to our different regions! :) I won't dispute the taste of Brandywines... I just can't seem to get them to produce more than a few each year. Glad you're having better success Shell...Lucky you!!

I tried growing a Brandywine last year. I will try again next year. Was just not up to it this year. It was the latest plant in my garden, so late the stink bugs really defaced them.

I grew ML last fall it was semi productive for me, but had lots of deformed fruits. I'm going to try it again this time aroumd. CP is definitely a great tomato, but like folks said it just isn't productive. I'm trying Brandywine ( just the regular leaf one from FM, so not sure of the strain) I'm excited to see how it's does for me. I'm also do Brandy Boy for the first time, since I've heard good things about it.

I see that Burpee also sells them. i always thought of them as a reputable seed seller since they've been around for ages, similar to Ferry Morse. however check out their description:

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"This huge heirloom beefsteak (up to 4 lb.; average 2 1/2 lb.)
consistently wins taste-tests. Developed in the 1930s by a gardener who
planted the four biggest varieties he knew and crossed one with pollen
from the other three. He did this for six seasons and created a variety
that produced immense, tasty fruit. He sold the plants for $1 a piece
and paid off his $6000 mortgage in 6 years."
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2 1/2 lb average..
Dave, looks like you're doing something wrong..
kidding ;)

going to give them a shot.. i don't have a lot of space, so only room for 2 of them. along with my Branywine Pink, Red and Black krim.. i am skipping CP this year. production for me was really low. i hear Brandywine Red are more productive than the Pink/Sudduth and still have good flavor.

I think the biggest ML I had was just under a pound, but it was in a 15gal container. Also the ML I had in a raised bed were even smaller, but I think that was due to crowding or late planting. I would of loved to have gotten a 2lb fruit. The biggest tomato I've ever grown was just over a pound and it was a Pruden's Purple, which is probably my favorite tomato currently

ML did not do well in my PNW garden in 2014, neither did Brandywine (generic). But I am giving them a try in my NC garden. This time around I am growing BW Sudduth strain which get rave reviews.

I gave Cherokee purple a year off. I am growing IS PL, and an unknown dark variety that are much more productive with comparable taste.

I recommend Brandy Boy (F1). Its no less than Brandywine in taste plus it is early and more productive. This year I will have a chance to compare them.

sey

so sey, do you miss the PNW? ya ought to be loving' the carolina weather ...

my guess is no.. cool and damp all yr with 1000 inches of rain every season. not the greatest weather for Brandy. ;)

I love some Brandywines but most don't produce well for me here in inland SoCal. I have two Cowlicks planted out (and protected) right now. They tasted divine last year but only got a few. Mortgage Lifter usually does well for me and is very productive. Seems a bit on the sweet side to my taste buds.

Nothing is an anything "killer" when it comes to tomatoes. People get very different results according to where they're growing, even from garden to garden. And everyone has different tastes.

I find ML to be very good but not mind-blowing in flavor, and I haven't tried growing it in my garden, but it's not high on my list of priorities. I think if I were a size queen, I'd be more into ML, but I'm not one of those gardeners who goes all googly eyed for a big tomato. As long one or two of my varieties can produce slices big enough for burgers and sandwiches, I'm good.

CP and BW are amazing tomatoes, IMO. CP tasted excellent in my garden this past year, and I'll be growing BW next year. My memories of BW from growing up in southern NJ are really my Platonic ideal of home grown tomato flavor. I just hope my garden here can produce a decent BW.

bragu_DSM 5 so sey, do you miss the PNW? ya ought to be loving' the carolina weathe

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I think and hope that the Carolinas is a much better place for growing tomatoes. But then have to deal with high temperatures, humidity and maybe insects. To me it is like an uncharted territory but I am trying to learn about it.Come July I can tell you more about it. hehe

Sey... Here in Los Angeles it feels like the PNW this winter. We've had so much rain. It'll be interesting to see what happens if the weather continues into spring. I might need to be consulting you on best practices for wet weather! LOL.

Don