Favorite Black tomatoes?

Summer98 · 02-05-2012, 08:42 AM

What are your favorite "black" tomatoes? I especially like the black cherry. I have tried to grow Black Krim for several years here with no success. I am going to try some new ones this year. What are your favorites?

VA Gardener · 02-06-2012, 06:43 AM

Black Krim, Cherokee Purple, Black from Tula, Black Cherry and Paul Robeson. Black tomatoes are my favorite.

DeanRIowa · 02-06-2012, 07:32 AM

I really like Black Cherry and Paul Robeson myself.

Dean

vintageozarks · 02-12-2012, 12:40 PM

I am searching for Black Sea Man heirloom tomato seeds. Here's a picture of a Black Sea Man sliced (Found it on the Web). I am obsessed with finding these seeds and all help is appreciated.

VA Gardener · 02-12-2012, 01:38 PM

Originally posted by vintageozarks:

I am searching for Black Sea Man heirloom tomato seeds. Here's a picture of a Black Sea Man sliced (Found it on the Web). I am obsessed with finding these seeds and all help is appreciated.

Seed Savers Exchange, whose forum this is, has the seeds for this tomato.

ness · 02-16-2012, 06:42 PM

Cherokee Purple, Black Krim. I've got Black from Tula to try this year too.

Fusion_power · 02-17-2012, 01:02 AM

A lot of this gets down to knowing the variety and whether or not it is adapted to your climate. For example, the black tomatoes all reach best flavor and deepest color in a high temperature climate. Cool wet climates rarely work with the blacks.

Black Krim - grows well most areas of the country, can be finicky in the deep south, does not like high humidity.

Paul Robeson - Can have excellent flavor, is well adapted to a relatively dry climate, does NOT perform very well in hot humid climates.

J.D.'s Special C-Tex - Outstanding flavor, produces very well in the deep south, may be marginal in the upper mid-west. This is my personal favorite, but it is not as broadly adapted as I would wish.

Black From Tula - my choice for best all around black tomato. It is exceptionally productive in my climate and is a decent performer in most of the continental U.S. As above, it can be marginal in cool wet climates.

Black Sea Man - This tomato will never grow in my garden again. It is the most disease susceptible tomato I've ever grown. Well, maybe one exception, if I could find a use for it in a breeding project, I might grow it to capture the unusual colors. Seed are readily available, I don't see why anyone has trouble finding it. Sandhill Preservation carries it listed as:
Black Seaman: mid, Ind, PL, bronze-green in color, semi-flattened globe. Pkt. $2.00 OG

DarJones

ChristinaJoMD · 02-22-2012, 07:50 PM

Originally posted by vintageozarks:

I am searching for Black Sea Man heirloom tomato seeds. Here's a picture of a Black Sea Man sliced (Found it on the Web). I am obsessed with finding these seeds and all help is appreciated.

Sustainseeds
Reimerseeds
Totally Tomatoes

These have your seeds!

Laura-SSE · 02-17-2012, 08:59 AM

I remember hearing LOTS of comments at our tomato tasting 2 years ago about how much people loved the Black From Tula variety! People always seem so surprised by the black tomatoes and how great they taste... I think because they don't 'look' so good by whatever standards. We should do a blind taste test sometime, huh??

Organic Virginian · 02-23-2012, 05:53 PM

This year i am trying Black Cherry, Paul Robeson and Black Zebra hope they turn out well.

homesteph · 03-04-2012, 10:22 PM

This gardening newbie is trying Black Krim. I know what Laura means about the black tomato appearance. Last fall my DH was craving gazpacho, and I bought two huge heirloom tomatoes for it - one red and one darkish. He didnt' like the looks of the dark one. So, I gave him a blind taste test, and there was no comparison. We both loved the black tomato and I don't even like tomatoes at all, really!

That's not entirely true. A few years back I planted some kind of currant tomato in a friend's garden. It grew like crazy, about a zillion garbanzo-bean sized jewels of rich tomato sweetness. I'm trying Mexico Midget alongside the Black Krims, and also Punta Banda. I'm so glad to hear the black tomatoes like dry heat, I get plenty of that!

02-05-2012, 08:42 AM	#1
Summer98 Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: USDA Zone 4a Posts: 46	Favorite Black tomatoes? What are your favorite "black" tomatoes? I especially like the black cherry. I have tried to grow Black Krim for several years here with no success. I am going to try some new ones this year. What are your favorites?

02-06-2012, 06:43 AM	#2
VA Gardener Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Central VA - zone 7b Posts: 200	Black Krim, Cherokee Purple, Black from Tula, Black Cherry and Paul Robeson. Black tomatoes are my favorite. __________________ I am not getting older - I am going to seed

02-12-2012, 12:40 PM	#4
vintageozarks Junior Member Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Galmey Missouri Posts: 14	I am searching for Black Sea Man heirloom tomato seeds. Here's a picture of a Black Sea Man sliced (Found it on the Web). I am obsessed with finding these seeds and all help is appreciated. Attached Thumbnails

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02-06-2012, 07:32 AM	#3
DeanRIowa Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Eastern Iowa, 4b/5a Posts: 412	I really like Black Cherry and Paul Robeson myself. Dean

02-16-2012, 06:42 PM	#6
ness Junior Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Shawnee, KS Posts: 10	Cherokee Purple, Black Krim. I've got Black from Tula to try this year too.

02-17-2012, 01:02 AM	#7
Fusion_power Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Posts: 46	A lot of this gets down to knowing the variety and whether or not it is adapted to your climate. For example, the black tomatoes all reach best flavor and deepest color in a high temperature climate. Cool wet climates rarely work with the blacks. Black Krim - grows well most areas of the country, can be finicky in the deep south, does not like high humidity. Paul Robeson - Can have excellent flavor, is well adapted to a relatively dry climate, does NOT perform very well in hot humid climates. J.D.'s Special C-Tex - Outstanding flavor, produces very well in the deep south, may be marginal in the upper mid-west. This is my personal favorite, but it is not as broadly adapted as I would wish. Black From Tula - my choice for best all around black tomato. It is exceptionally productive in my climate and is a decent performer in most of the continental U.S. As above, it can be marginal in cool wet climates. Black Sea Man - This tomato will never grow in my garden again. It is the most disease susceptible tomato I've ever grown. Well, maybe one exception, if I could find a use for it in a breeding project, I might grow it to capture the unusual colors. Seed are readily available, I don't see why anyone has trouble finding it. Sandhill Preservation carries it listed as: Black Seaman: mid, Ind, PL, bronze-green in color, semi-flattened globe. Pkt. $2.00 OG DarJones

02-17-2012, 08:59 AM	#9
Laura-SSE SSE Staff Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Northeast Iowa Posts: 124	I remember hearing LOTS of comments at our tomato tasting 2 years ago about how much people loved the Black From Tula variety! People always seem so surprised by the black tomatoes and how great they taste... I think because they don't 'look' so good by whatever standards. We should do a blind taste test sometime, huh??

02-23-2012, 05:53 PM	#10
Organic Virginian Junior Member Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Roanoke, Virginia Posts: 6	This year i am trying Black Cherry, Paul Robeson and Black Zebra hope they turn out well.

03-04-2012, 10:22 PM	#11
homesteph Junior Member Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Calif. toehills, zone 9 Posts: 17	This gardening newbie is trying Black Krim. I know what Laura means about the black tomato appearance. Last fall my DH was craving gazpacho, and I bought two huge heirloom tomatoes for it - one red and one darkish. He didnt' like the looks of the dark one. So, I gave him a blind taste test, and there was no comparison. We both loved the black tomato and I don't even like tomatoes at all, really! That's not entirely true. A few years back I planted some kind of currant tomato in a friend's garden. It grew like crazy, about a zillion garbanzo-bean sized jewels of rich tomato sweetness. I'm trying Mexico Midget alongside the Black Krims, and also Punta Banda. I'm so glad to hear the black tomatoes like dry heat, I get plenty of that!