I love a nice tomato.

[Ricard with an H]

Unfortunately I haven't had a decent tomato since during summer when I found my taste for tomato which is slightly on sharp side. Plenty of small types have been OK but all the slicing types have been a complete let down.

Anyone else feel the same way and am I missing out on a secret ? Every packet of toms I have bought during the last three months have ended up in an Italian style soup.

Roll on the tomato season, best this year was grow by a Cardiff grower and though I don't know the name I'm going to phone the Co-op helpline to find out.

[oldherbaceous]

Afternoon Richard, i must admit we buy very few tomatoes this time of the year. Cook bought the dearest tomatoes that were in the shop, for Christmas, and they were totally bland.

[Ricard with an H]

Thanks for joining-in OH, I often wonder if I expect far to much from life. We had visitors, I apologised for the tomatoes but they were 'fine'.

I don't suppose I would accuse my guests of serving shiiiiiiiiiiiiiite tomatoes at a time of year it seems impossible to buy any tasty ones. I can now understand why Monty went all OCD about tomatoes.

During the week I usually enjoy a quality sandwich, all the ingredients for my quality sandwiches are available other than a decent tomato and before we moved to Wales the biggest problem was bread. Artisan bakeries are now everywhere, we're lucky to be within a 30 round trip mile of a bakery that makes such fabulous bread that the simple-sandwich becomes a treat.

But I need good toms.

[alan refail]

As a rule of thumb, do not buy large tomatoes in winter. It is not so many years ago that we suffered poor tomatoes all winter and lived in expectation of the first Canary tomatoes. Now we have very tasty smaller tomatoes from Tesco, Waitrose, Morrisons. No complaints.

[Ricard with an H]

You're right Alan, and i've given up on large tomatoes.


Small tomatoes available to us have to be the answer during winter months though for someone who buys both during the peak season rather than one-or-the-other they do have quite different tastes.

During todays shopping trip I noticed that the tomatoes being sold as, "Vine tomatoes" were twice the price yet the same variety and the only difference was a bit of vine attached.

What sort of con is this ? Presumably left on the vine a little longer though hardly ripe.

[PLUMPUDDING]

Most tomatoes are horribly tasteless at this time of year as they are ripened without the sun. As far as varieties go, the Italian ones usually have a bit more flavour than the rest at this time of year but I wouldn't say they were very good just a bit better.

I grow mainly heritage varieties (not f1s) and save my own seed so if you try a few and find some you really like save the seeds and you won't be at the mercy of the shops.

I rarely buy shop tomatoes in winter as they are so inferior so I just use the sieved ones from the freezer in soups and cooking until my own are ready.
That reminds me I partly dried some cherry ones in the summer and put them in a bit of olive oil then put them in the freezer. I'll have to look for them.

[Arnie]

Hi,

I to love tomatoes but I had decided not to have anything other than I have grown myself, no tinned either not even buying the supermarket shite for a full english breakfast, I was ok until Richard posted this now I want some toms

Regards

Arnie

[Motherwoman]

Cheese and tomato sarnies are my favourite but I give a big sigh when the last of my own go in a sandwich. The small ones are OK'ish in winter but never a patch on the heritage varieties. Richard, have a look at the Organic Garden catalogue for a good choice of varieties or join Garden Organic including the Heritage seed library where you can choose 6 varieties of a wide range of seeds, most of which are easy to save yourself. And grow the toms in manured ground for the best flavour! A lot of what's in the shops will be grown hydroponically in or in a non-soil medium.

MW

[Ricard with an H]

Richard, have a look at the Organic Garden catalogue for a good choice of varieties

Always encouraging me, Eh. I had given up on the idea of growing tomatoes because I don't have the right facilities. Creating those facilities means investing money for just my tomato love because my lovely lady doesn't eat tomato unless it's within a sauce.

Last year I spent a lot of time and effort growing some nasty tomatoes that gave me a glut and a lot of unripened fruit because even though it was a good summer we just didn't get enough sunshine. The only way forward for me is to support those who grow nice tomatoes by buying from them, half a dozen sometimes lasts me two weeks so I won't be making vast differences to anyones market.

If I ever manage to raise the cash to install a greenhouse with heating i'll need to sell my motorhome because I won't dare leave my home for even a day and it's the reason I don't have chickens. I have considered it.

Last night I was eating cherries from Chile after sandwiches with spring-onion from Egypt, for me this isn't an issue for politics. Why can't they grow some decent tomatoes and send them over I wonder.

To the politician who started this nonsense of us boycotting imported foods I say, "Look at the bigger picture", and, find something useful to do rather than just talk.

[oldherbaceous]

Morning Richard, your last comments are rather daring, as this is quite a passionate subject for some people.

[Ricard with an H]

It wasn't written with a great deal of thought to those who feel we should be eating from what the land we live on gives us so I apologise for that, rather it was a peck at a politician making noises about a passionate subject he hasn't researched well.

It's all a matter of taste and preference of the individual, will that politician next suggest closing all those multi-national coffee houses that have never served a decent cup of coffee to me yet the tables are always full.

If we stop importing out of season foods, where will it end. South America gives us coffee beans and good wines as well as fruits during winter.

Whilst that politician pontificates his subject I bet he's hobby-eating and drinking on some fairly special stuff.

Do as I say, not as I do. Eh ?

I was raised from veg my brother grew in our garden, it's those memories and your help that encouraged me to grow some of my own but I also buy green coffee beans indirectly from coffee farmers who rely on that trade for survival. I roast my own and grind it rather than buy from fat-cat owned import-massives who grind these poor people into the ground.

Oh-hell, I had better get my coat. Sorry, and I'll dig a cabbage up for tonights.

[oldherbaceous]

Aternoon Richard, you have made some very thoughtful points in your last reply, so no need to get your coat.

Maybe i was thinking a little too far ahead, just incase you got a nasty reply.

[alan refail]

I forgot to mention: never keep tomatoes in the fridge. They taste far better at room temperature. Though most of you will know that already.

[Westi]

The other secret is to just buy 1 or 2 that feel a bit soft not squishy but just giving & like Alan says keep them out of the fridge! I bought some really nice ones from Lidl recently - didn't note where they were from but doubt it was UK. There was the sweet tomato flavour with that little zing in the after taste that took the sweetness away. (Your sharp knives will be handy with these)!

I'm quite close 2 a store so can pop down when required but I try to limit my fresh intake so really enjoy it more, however tomatoes are full of anti-carcinogenic agents & the recommendation is to have some daily if possible which I try to do whether tinned, fresh or tasteless from the salad bar at work!

Westi

[Primrose]

I agree that the larger tomatoes at this time OD year are absolutely tasteless and wherever possible I try to use alternatives to them in sandwiches like grated carrot or crunchy shredded white or red cabbages which have a more satisfying texture.
I still have several bags of small sun ripened tumbling yellow tomatoes in the freezer which I fry in a,little olive oil and have with some really nice smoked bacon when I fancy a light tasty meal. I don't even think the vine tomatoes at this time of year are worth buying either. You pa y a premium price for them but they're still tasteless in my opinion. You can't beat a summer tomato salad made with warm freshly picked sun ripened tomatoes. It's one of the best reasons for growing your own if you can.