Megacluster of blossoms - at least 25! - on Cherokee Purple in early June

Now we are on the home stretch toward the summer break, once I hit tomato #250. At that point, I will keep going with the weekly Off The Vine republish posts and have more frequent gardening updates. Once the garden for 2022 is largely done, I will reconvene with the tomato collection tour. I will pick a number at which I will stop doing it in an unabridged manner (including them all), and switch to the most interesting or significant ones beyond #500. For this set, below, there are a few biggies - and quite a few snoozers.

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Tomato #231 - Black Krim - It is fascinating to have requested this tomato from a Swedish SSE member in 1990. My 1990 garden had this, and also the unnamed tomato which became Cherokee Purple - having the first two “purple” tomatoes in the same garden was unique, and no one else could claim this amazing occurrence! I requested Black Krim simply because of the name - there was little to no description. The indeterminate plant produced smooth dusky pink rose (purple) tomatoes. It and Cherokee Purple looked very similar. But - the flavors were entirely different. Black Krim had a very flat, nearly salty flavor that Sue and I didn’t really like very much. Black Krim has become a very popular tomato, and I don’t think it is the same as when I first grew it. There is a lot of Black Krim out there that is not, just as with Cherokee Purple, where incorrect seed sources run fairly rampant.

Tomato #232 - Elberta Girl - Acquired from David Cavagnero of Iowa, this tomato is a Tom Wagner creation, the plant has a greyish dusty miller look to it due to the fuzzy leaves. The tomatoes are medium sized, round, scarlet with gold stripes. The flavor and texture are nothing to write home about - this is a novelty only, to my mind. It may also be interesting to use as a breeding partner.

Tomato #233 - Pearly Pink Cherry - also from David Cavagnero, there is little info on this tomato’s origin. The indeterminate plants produce oval, large pink cherry tomatoes. I never did grow it.

Tomato #234 - Campbell #146 - Also from David Cavagnero, this is a variety bred by Campbell (yes, the soup company) for their particular needs and released in 1956. It was considered the flavor standard of all of Campbell’s releases. I’ve not grown it. The tomatoes are supposedly scarlet red and medium sized, globe shaped, on a relatively compact plant (probably a determinate variety).

Tomato #235 - White Potato Leaf - Acquired from a Wisconsin SSE member in 1990, I did grow this variety in 1991. It apparently was introduced into the SSE in 1985 by Don Branscomb, but its history is a mystery. The indeterminate potato leaf vines.produced medium sized oblate ivory fruit of average flavor at best.

Tomato #236 - Zapotec - Sent to me by SSE member Mark Futterman of California in 1990, I never did grow this variety. An heirloom originating in Mexico, the tomatoes are reportedly pink, very ruffled/ribbed, and flat in shape. It is more of a novelty than a superb eating experience, according to reports.

Tomato #237 - Green Grape - Also from Mark Futterman, I grew this several times. The plants are very determinate and prolific, and the slightly oval, large cherry tomatoes have green flesh and yellow skin. It was bred by Tom Wagner, who released it in 1978 - Evergreen is in its parentage. I am not terribly fond of the flavor.

Tomato #238 - Hunt Family Favorite - Sent to me by Charles Estep of California, SSE member, in 1990, this is yet another attempt at obtaining the correct strain. One again it seemed crossed, producing medium to large red large oblate fruit of average flavor (not the hoped for pink).

Tomato #239 - Lutescent (Honor Bright?) - This bizarre tomato was sent to me by Bill Ellis, SSE member, in 1990, and I grew it in 1994. This is most likely Honor Bright, released by the Livingston Seed Company in 1897, and one of the oddest tomatoes ever released by a seed company. It is clearly a mutation - the foliage of the plant turns yellow (even though healthy), the flower anthers are nearly white, and the medium sized tomatoes pass through a pale green, to white, to orange, to scarlet red color shift. I’ve grown it several times and it makes interesting breeding partners for creating new varieties with yellow foliage.

Tomato #240 - Double Rich - Obtained in 1990 from a Wisconsin seed saver, this tomato was bred in North Dakota and released in 1953. The specific goal was to create a tomato that was higher in Vitamin C than other tomatoes. The determinate plants produce medium sized round scarlet red tomatoes with a markedly tart flavor. I’ve never grown it.

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Of the above, Black Krim, Elberta Girl, White Potato Leaf, Green Grape and Lutescent stand out for their relevance in my tomato education. Of these, none of them reach the pinnacle of tomato flavor for my palate.