I am delighted to announce the results of our tomato tasting during our Tomato Celebration from this past Saturday, June 12.  This is a public program supported by Brazoria County Master Gardeners Association and Brazoria County AgriLife Extension, and is an Open Garden Day program held at the Brazoria County Environmental Education Station (BEES garden center) in Angleton. The event was a way to show off the gardens while celebrating a popular fruit with our community. Master Gardener Ruth Aimone toured visitors through our vegetable gardens and explained best practices for successfully growing tomatoes (Aggie Horticulture Fact Sheets), members Mickey Dufilho was joined by Kathy Albert and Andra Halnon and offering a canning demonstration, and we also hosted a tomato tasting that included 10 different varieties of tomatoes.

Judging the tasting was simple: we invited folks to rank each variety that they valued the most based on taste, texture, and best representative in 4 categories: Beefsteak, Mid-size Slicer, Paste and Cherry tomato. Check out more information about each variety below, and take a gander at an article I wrote in April 2021 online: Extending the Tomato Harvest.

1. Beefsteak – Grand Marshall – determinate, large weighing at 10-14 ounces, deep red and extra-large high quality beefsteak fruits, grows in clusters of 2 or 3. Firm with a deep-oblate shape, good performance under hot conditions, disease resistance and pruning is beneficial. Runner-up – Cherokee Chocolate
2. Mid-slicer – Defiant – determinate, moderate size weighing at 6-8 ounces, globe-shaped fruit are smooth and medium-firm with good texture. Bred to inherit the Ph-2 and Ph-3 major genes for late blight (Phytophthora) resistance. Runner-up – Paul Robeson and Lemon Boy
3. Paste – Super San Marzano – indeterminate, improved variety, very productive, 1 x 5-inch, red paste tomato. Tapered end. Great addition to tomato sauces and salsas because of its exceptional flavors. A well-deserved reputation as a tomato of choice for sauce, paste, and drying, meaty with few seeds. Mid-season. Runner-up – Paisano
4. Cherry – Salisaw Cafe – indeterminate, delicious, early producing cherry tomato rivals Sun Gold in flavor. Tall, productive vines produce huge yields of 3/4-inch, bright-red cherry tomatoes, super sweet but slightly tart flavor. Runner-up – Red Plum

I close this article by thanking you, dear reader, for your continued support. For more information about horticulture, agriculture or home life improvement programs, browse online: brazoria.agrilife.org or call our office: 979-864-1558. I also invite you to share your ideas and tomato successes in your garden by browsing online to my Facebook webpage: www.facebook.com/stephenbhorticulturist. See you in the garden!