The tomato season is in full effect. Just yesterday I harvested 200 pounds off of 6 rows of heirloom tomatoes. It is hard to believe that at the start of the month I was searching and searching to find just a handful of ripe tomatoes.
This year I am growing 20 different heirloom tomatoes. Over the last decade plus of operating Quarter Acre Farm I have grown many different tomato varieties. The varieties that are delicious and perform well in the field continue to get planted and the ones that don’t eventually get dropped. Every year I add a few new varieties to try, because there are just thousands of tomato varieties out there and I’m always looking for a really tasty tomato to add to my mix. I love growing a range of tomatoes in different colors, shapes, and sizes. I aim to have a tomato to meet everyone’s taste and culinary needs.
I’m often asked what my favorite tomato is and from year to year the variety varies, but for me it always tends to be a pink (in color) tomato. But that is because my favorite summertime way to eat tomatoes is a simple tomato sandwich = toast+mayo+salt+tomato thickly sliced. Tomatoes that are pink tend to have a perfect balance of sweetness/acidity that you crave in a sandwich. You may notice I grow a few sandwich size pink tomato varieties.
The hot dry weather we have been having is great tomato growing weather so the plants are getting big and wild. Most of the rows need to be tied up again but I just don’t have the time because the plants need to be harvested at least every other day. So as I go through the field picking ripe tomatoes I just have to gently push the tomato plants out of my way.
The days may be long and humid but I love spending time in my tomato jungle, especially when I’m picking beautiful heirlooms.