The “Main Season” tomato season is almost here, but we have been enjoying two excellent tomatoes that begin to ripen ahead of the other varieties.
The first of these tomatoes is an heirloom called BLACK KRIM. This tomato is not going to win prettiest in show, but it’s superior taste more than makes up for it’s rustic appearance. Originally grown on the Island of Krim in the Black Sea, seeds began to move all over Europe after the Crimean War in the Nineteenth century. In the 1990’s, seeds began to migrate to the United States.
We have been growing Black Krim tomatoes off and on for at least fifteen years. It is reliably two weeks ahead of the rest of the pack. If you are looking to have a longer tomato season, you may want to consider this old favorite.
The second tomato that we offer for your consideration is MOMOTARO, a hybrid from Japan. I know what you are thinking: “Japan? Hybrid?” Yes, the Japanese love their tomatoes and this variety was bred for taste, not how well it handles being shipped across country. Momotaro begins to ripen two or three days after Black Krim, so I put this in the main season early ripening bucket.
The taste is wonderful. Not quite as acidic as other varieties, Momotaro has a lovely sweet quality with nice depth of flavor. Most of the fruit is handsome in appearance as well as tasty. Again, I have been growing this variety periodically for many years and always look forward to adding it to the mix. I usually purchase seeds for this variety from Territorial Seeds.
One of the great advantages to gardening is that you get to choose what you grow. If you are looking for something new, give one or both of these varieties a try. Next week, I will follow up with a post highlighting the other varieties I am growing this year.
All the best,
Greg Garnache gcgarnache@gmail.com
