Mortgage Lifter
 

So I planted some Mortgage Lifter tomatoes this year. The plants grew
very well, were most prolific in flowering, setting and ripening of
fruit.

The only problem is that the tomatoes are not wonderful. They look
fabulous. They would make ideal magazine shots or state fair entries,
but they are, at least to me, underweight for their size and have no
depth of flavor whatsoever.

I have only two full size varieties growing this year (many cherry,
pear, patios, etc, as they bear and ripen earlier here), the MLs and
some identified only as "heirloom tomato" on the labeling, that latter
having been bought as a lark from a reduced rack at the local grocery
store.

I wish I knew what the "heirloom tomato" really was as it has produced
fruit that is everything that exemplifies a home grown tomato with
indescribably delicious complexity of taste.

It's fun gardening.

Boron

Mortgage Lifter
 

On Wed, 24 Aug 2011 13:31:39 -0500, Derald wrote:


Boron Elgar wrote:


It's fun gardening.
Yep. Where is "here"?


Northern NJ.

Mortgage Lifter
 

Boron Elgar wrote:

So I planted some Mortgage Lifter tomatoes this year. The plants grew
very well, were most prolific in flowering, setting and ripening of
fruit.

The only problem is that the tomatoes are not wonderful. They look
fabulous. They would make ideal magazine shots or state fair entries,
but they are, at least to me, underweight for their size and have no
depth of flavor whatsoever.

aw!

thanks for saying. we've always been happy
with the beefsteaks. the past few years we
added the sweet 100s cherry tomatoes and they
are very good. two plants take up about 60sq
ft and keep producing so many we have plenty
to give away. i'd rather give away a half a
pint of cherry tomatoes instead of a three
pound beefsteak.


I have only two full size varieties growing this year (many cherry,
pear, patios, etc, as they bear and ripen earlier here), the MLs and
some identified only as "heirloom tomato" on the labeling, that latter
having been bought as a lark from a reduced rack at the local grocery
store.

I wish I knew what the "heirloom tomato" really was as it has produced
fruit that is everything that exemplifies a home grown tomato with
indescribably delicious complexity of taste.

the seeds should be reusable.


It's fun gardening.

:) sure is, i have been working on thinning out
the strawberries and planting the runners in a spare
spot. five gallon bucket packed full. i have another
two sides to finish yet. they will go in another
place to fill in that garden. :)


songbird

Mortgage Lifter
 

Mortgage Lifter was bred to be pretty and not bruise easily anything else
was of no consequence. I grew some Rutgers this year because of a childhood
memory. They were comparable to your experience with the ML. If your
heirloom was really good save the seeds. I have several that I save each
year. Their flavor is far superior to "modern" tomatoes, unfortunately their
disease resistance is not.


"Boron Elgar" wrote in message
...
So I planted some Mortgage Lifter tomatoes this year. The plants grew
very well, were most prolific in flowering, setting and ripening of
fruit.

The only problem is that the tomatoes are not wonderful. They look
fabulous. They would make ideal magazine shots or state fair entries,
but they are, at least to me, underweight for their size and have no
depth of flavor whatsoever.

I have only two full size varieties growing this year (many cherry,
pear, patios, etc, as they bear and ripen earlier here), the MLs and
some identified only as "heirloom tomato" on the labeling, that latter
having been bought as a lark from a reduced rack at the local grocery
store.

I wish I knew what the "heirloom tomato" really was as it has produced
fruit that is everything that exemplifies a home grown tomato with
indescribably delicious complexity of taste.

It's fun gardening.

Boron

Mortgage Lifter
 

On Wed, 24 Aug 2011 13:28:35 -0400, Boron Elgar
wrote:

So I planted some Mortgage Lifter tomatoes this year. The plants grew
very well, were most prolific in flowering, setting and ripening of
fruit.

The only problem is that the tomatoes are not wonderful. They look
fabulous. They would make ideal magazine shots or state fair entries,
but they are, at least to me, underweight for their size and have no
depth of flavor whatsoever.

I have only two full size varieties growing this year (many cherry,
pear, patios, etc, as they bear and ripen earlier here), the MLs and
some identified only as "heirloom tomato" on the labeling, that latter
having been bought as a lark from a reduced rack at the local grocery
store.

I wish I knew what the "heirloom tomato" really was as it has produced
fruit that is everything that exemplifies a home grown tomato with
indescribably delicious complexity of taste.

It's fun gardening.

Boron

For the last several years I have been trying lots of different
tomatoes and I have decided that next year I am only going to plant
Viva Italia, Better Boy, Early Girl and Jelly Bean. I am also going
to plant a second crop of Viva Italia and Better Boy since I seem to
have so much trouble with various and sundry blights and bugs.

A couple of days ago I found out what was eating my cantaloupe -- a
turtle.
--
USA
North Carolina Foothills
USDA Zone 7a
To find your extension office
http://www.csrees.usda.gov/Extension/index.html

Mortgage Lifter
 

On Wed, 24 Aug 2011 14:49:43 -0400, The Cook
wrote:

On Wed, 24 Aug 2011 13:28:35 -0400, Boron Elgar
wrote:

So I planted some Mortgage Lifter tomatoes this year. The plants grew
very well, were most prolific in flowering, setting and ripening of
fruit.

The only problem is that the tomatoes are not wonderful. They look
fabulous. They would make ideal magazine shots or state fair entries,
but they are, at least to me, underweight for their size and have no
depth of flavor whatsoever.

I have only two full size varieties growing this year (many cherry,
pear, patios, etc, as they bear and ripen earlier here), the MLs and
some identified only as "heirloom tomato" on the labeling, that latter
having been bought as a lark from a reduced rack at the local grocery
store.

I wish I knew what the "heirloom tomato" really was as it has produced
fruit that is everything that exemplifies a home grown tomato with
indescribably delicious complexity of taste.

It's fun gardening.

Boron

For the last several years I have been trying lots of different
tomatoes and I have decided that next year I am only going to plant
Viva Italia, Better Boy, Early Girl and Jelly Bean. I am also going
to plant a second crop of Viva Italia and Better Boy since I seem to
have so much trouble with various and sundry blights and bugs.

I cannot say that I have any consistency from year to year. The
weather seems to have such a great affect of what thrives and doesn't
- at least with the veggies, that I find some of it a crap shoot.

Oh, that doesn't stop me, of course, nothing will, but I would love to
find a tomato that gives me what I want year after year. I have a
chance at it with the volunteers that start growing in mid August in a
shady patch of impatiens each year. I just let'em do their thing -
which must be good as I have 7 plants growing there right now. I
should try to save some seed from them and put them in the sun next
year as they are like the Molly Brown of tomatoes (cherries).

A couple of days ago I found out what was eating my cantaloupe -- a
turtle.

Oh, now THAT is a great garden story.

Boron

Mortgage Lifter
 

In article ,
Boron Elgar wrote:

So I planted some Mortgage Lifter tomatoes this year. The plants grew
very well, were most prolific in flowering, setting and ripening of
fruit.

The only problem is that the tomatoes are not wonderful. They look
fabulous. They would make ideal magazine shots or state fair entries,
but they are, at least to me, underweight for their size and have no
depth of flavor whatsoever.

I have only two full size varieties growing this year (many cherry,
pear, patios, etc, as they bear and ripen earlier here), the MLs and
some identified only as "heirloom tomato" on the labeling, that latter
having been bought as a lark from a reduced rack at the local grocery
store.

I wish I knew what the "heirloom tomato" really was as it has produced
fruit that is everything that exemplifies a home grown tomato with
indescribably delicious complexity of taste.

It's fun gardening.

Boron

Did you reduce watering when the fruit started to set? Over watering can
reduce flavor.
--
- Billy
Both the House and Senate budget plan would have cut Social Security and Medicare, while cutting taxes on the wealthy.

Kucinich noted that none of the government programs targeted for
elimination or severe cutback in House Republican spending plans
"appeared on the GAO's list of government programs at high risk of
waste, fraud and abuse."
http://www.politifact.com/ohio/state...is-kucinich/re
p-dennis-kucinich-says-gop-budget-cuts-dont-targ/

[W]e have the situation with the deficit and the debt and spending and jobs. And it's not that difficult to get out of it. The first thing you do is you get rid of corporate welfare. That's hundreds of billions of dollars a year. The second is you tax corporations so that they don't get away with no taxation.
- Ralph Nader
http://www.democracynow.org/2011/7/19/ralph_naders_solution_to_debt_crisis

Mortgage Lifter
 

songbird wrote:
Boron Elgar wrote:

So I planted some Mortgage Lifter tomatoes this year. The plants grew
very well, were most prolific in flowering, setting and ripening of
fruit.

The only problem is that the tomatoes are not wonderful. They look
fabulous. They would make ideal magazine shots or state fair entries,
but they are, at least to me, underweight for their size and have no
depth of flavor whatsoever.

aw!

thanks for saying. we've always been happy
with the beefsteaks. the past few years we
added the sweet 100s cherry tomatoes and they
are very good. two plants take up about 60sq
ft and keep producing so many we have plenty
to give away. i'd rather give away a half a
pint of cherry tomatoes instead of a three
pound beefsteak.


I have only two full size varieties growing this year (many cherry,
pear, patios, etc, as they bear and ripen earlier here), the MLs and
some identified only as "heirloom tomato" on the labeling, that
latter having been bought as a lark from a reduced rack at the local
grocery store.

I wish I knew what the "heirloom tomato" really was as it has
produced fruit that is everything that exemplifies a home grown
tomato with indescribably delicious complexity of taste.

the seeds should be reusable.


Really? You must have that Harry Potter wand and magic word that turns
plants back into seeds .... "Reverso tomaticus!"

D

Mortgage Lifter
 

"Boron Elgar" wrote in message
...
So I planted some Mortgage Lifter tomatoes this year. The plants grew
very well, were most prolific in flowering, setting and ripening of
fruit.

The only problem is that the tomatoes are not wonderful. They look
fabulous. They would make ideal magazine shots or state fair entries,
but they are, at least to me, underweight for their size and have no
depth of flavor whatsoever.

I have only two full size varieties growing this year (many cherry,
pear, patios, etc, as they bear and ripen earlier here), the MLs and
some identified only as "heirloom tomato" on the labeling, that latter
having been bought as a lark from a reduced rack at the local grocery
store.

I wish I knew what the "heirloom tomato" really was as it has produced
fruit that is everything that exemplifies a home grown tomato with
indescribably delicious complexity of taste.

It's fun gardening.

Boron

I planted Burpee Early (Don’t think they are Early girls) anyway, they
finally ripened and they are very good.
A nice tomato punch to the taste.
I'm still waiting for the Better Boys to Ripen, some of those suffered
blossom end rot.


The cherry 100's are plenty as usual.

Cheers

Mortgage Lifter
 

In article ,
"David Hare-Scott" wrote:

songbird wrote:
Boron Elgar wrote:

I wish I knew what the "heirloom tomato" really was as it has
produced fruit that is everything that exemplifies a home grown
tomato with indescribably delicious complexity of taste.

the seeds should be reusable.


Really? You must have that Harry Potter wand and magic word that turns
plants back into seeds .... "Reverso tomaticus!"

D

I think maybe "resuable" wasn't quite the word. But if the plant really
is an heirloom tomato then the seeds can be planted and the fruit should
be true to the parent plant.

That's the beauty of heirloom produce, you can save the seeds and plant
them instead of buying seeds.

marcella

Mortgage Lifter
 

On Wed, 24 Aug 2011 14:58:59 -0700, Billy
wrote:

In article ,
Boron Elgar wrote:

So I planted some Mortgage Lifter tomatoes this year. The plants grew
very well, were most prolific in flowering, setting and ripening of
fruit.

The only problem is that the tomatoes are not wonderful. They look
fabulous. They would make ideal magazine shots or state fair entries,
but they are, at least to me, underweight for their size and have no
depth of flavor whatsoever.

I have only two full size varieties growing this year (many cherry,
pear, patios, etc, as they bear and ripen earlier here), the MLs and
some identified only as "heirloom tomato" on the labeling, that latter
having been bought as a lark from a reduced rack at the local grocery
store.

I wish I knew what the "heirloom tomato" really was as it has produced
fruit that is everything that exemplifies a home grown tomato with
indescribably delicious complexity of taste.

It's fun gardening.

Boron

Did you reduce watering when the fruit started to set? Over watering can
reduce flavor.

I have been growing tomatoes for over a quarter of a century and have
the methodology down pat. On the contrary...these fruits were
underweight for their size. Were this reduction in flavor true to
form, of course, I'd notice a comparable reduction in all varieties
that I grew.

I surely cannot control the weather, but I've other tomatoes in the
same bed as the ML and they are fine. Last year all the tomatoes in
that bed were sweeter, but alas, they were all volunteers from the
compost. They were my clue indicating that particular flower bed
should be converted to a tomato patch.

Boron

Mortgage Lifter
 

On Wed, 24 Aug 2011 13:59:36 -0400, songbird
wrote:

Boron Elgar wrote:

So I planted some Mortgage Lifter tomatoes this year. The plants grew
very well, were most prolific in flowering, setting and ripening of
fruit.

The only problem is that the tomatoes are not wonderful. They look
fabulous. They would make ideal magazine shots or state fair entries,
but they are, at least to me, underweight for their size and have no
depth of flavor whatsoever.

aw!

thanks for saying. we've always been happy
with the beefsteaks. the past few years we
added the sweet 100s cherry tomatoes and they
are very good. two plants take up about 60sq
ft and keep producing so many we have plenty
to give away. i'd rather give away a half a
pint of cherry tomatoes instead of a three
pound beefsteak.

I like the sweet 100s. Their only flaw is a tendancy to split after a
heavy rain...much more so than any of the other cherries or small
tomatoes I have going this year.

Yes...the cherries get given away, but those perfect full size
tomatoes are guarded like treasure.


I have only two full size varieties growing this year (many cherry,
pear, patios, etc, as they bear and ripen earlier here), the MLs and
some identified only as "heirloom tomato" on the labeling, that latter
having been bought as a lark from a reduced rack at the local grocery
store.

I wish I knew what the "heirloom tomato" really was as it has produced
fruit that is everything that exemplifies a home grown tomato with
indescribably delicious complexity of taste.

the seeds should be reusable.

And some have been saved. They are drying on paper towel.


It's fun gardening.

:) sure is, i have been working on thinning out
the strawberries and planting the runners in a spare
spot. five gallon bucket packed full. i have another
two sides to finish yet. they will go in another
place to fill in that garden. :)


I grow strawberries for show, I swear...with what the critters leave
me, it is an exercise in futility.

Boron

Mortgage Lifter
 

On Thu, 25 Aug 2011 08:47:46 +1000, "David Hare-Scott"
wrote:

songbird wrote:
Boron Elgar wrote:

So I planted some Mortgage Lifter tomatoes this year. The plants grew
very well, were most prolific in flowering, setting and ripening of
fruit.

The only problem is that the tomatoes are not wonderful. They look
fabulous. They would make ideal magazine shots or state fair entries,
but they are, at least to me, underweight for their size and have no
depth of flavor whatsoever.

aw!

thanks for saying. we've always been happy
with the beefsteaks. the past few years we
added the sweet 100s cherry tomatoes and they
are very good. two plants take up about 60sq
ft and keep producing so many we have plenty
to give away. i'd rather give away a half a
pint of cherry tomatoes instead of a three
pound beefsteak.


I have only two full size varieties growing this year (many cherry,
pear, patios, etc, as they bear and ripen earlier here), the MLs and
some identified only as "heirloom tomato" on the labeling, that
latter having been bought as a lark from a reduced rack at the local
grocery store.

I wish I knew what the "heirloom tomato" really was as it has
produced fruit that is everything that exemplifies a home grown
tomato with indescribably delicious complexity of taste.

the seeds should be reusable.


Really? You must have that Harry Potter wand and magic word that turns
plants back into seeds .... "Reverso tomaticus!"

D

I like that. There is money to be made with that wand.

Boron

Mortgage Lifter
 

David Hare-Scott wrote:
....
Really? You must have that Harry Potter wand and magic word that turns
plants back into seeds .... "Reverso tomaticus!"

very funny, but you know what i
mean jellybean.


songbird

Mortgage Lifter
 

The Cook wrote:
....
For the last several years I have been trying lots of different
tomatoes and I have decided that next year I am only going to plant
Viva Italia, Better Boy, Early Girl and Jelly Bean. I am also going
to plant a second crop of Viva Italia and Better Boy since I seem to
have so much trouble with various and sundry blights and bugs.

a second crop in a different location or?


A couple of days ago I found out what was eating my cantaloupe -- a
turtle.

haha! the race goes to the turtle.
did you catch it in the act?


songbird

Mortgage Lifter
 

songbird wrote:
David Hare-Scott wrote:
...
Really? You must have that Harry Potter wand and magic word that
turns plants back into seeds .... "Reverso tomaticus!"

very funny, but you know what i
mean jellybean.


songbird

I do

D

Mortgage Lifter
 

"David Hare-Scott" wrote in message
...
songbird wrote:
Boron Elgar wrote:

So I planted some Mortgage Lifter tomatoes this year. The plants grew
very well, were most prolific in flowering, setting and ripening of
fruit.

The only problem is that the tomatoes are not wonderful. They look
fabulous. They would make ideal magazine shots or state fair entries,
but they are, at least to me, underweight for their size and have no
depth of flavor whatsoever.

aw!

thanks for saying. we've always been happy
with the beefsteaks. the past few years we
added the sweet 100s cherry tomatoes and they
are very good. two plants take up about 60sq
ft and keep producing so many we have plenty
to give away. i'd rather give away a half a
pint of cherry tomatoes instead of a three
pound beefsteak.


I have only two full size varieties growing this year (many cherry,
pear, patios, etc, as they bear and ripen earlier here), the MLs and
some identified only as "heirloom tomato" on the labeling, that
latter having been bought as a lark from a reduced rack at the local
grocery store.

I wish I knew what the "heirloom tomato" really was as it has
produced fruit that is everything that exemplifies a home grown
tomato with indescribably delicious complexity of taste.

the seeds should be reusable.


Really? You must have that Harry Potter wand and magic word that turns
plants back into seeds .... "Reverso tomaticus!"

LOL. I was thinking simialr thoughts at the use of 'reusable'.

Have you planted any toms yet or do you need to wait a while longer?

Mortgage Lifter
 

"David Hare-Scott" wrote in message
...
songbird wrote:
David Hare-Scott wrote:
...
Really? You must have that Harry Potter wand and magic word that
turns plants back into seeds .... "Reverso tomaticus!"

very funny, but you know what i
mean jellybean.


songbird

I do

Couse we know, but it still didn't stop me thinking of the stories from my
youth of teens who reused condoms after carefully washing them out......

Mortgage Lifter
 

FarmI wrote:
"David Hare-Scott" wrote in message
...
songbird wrote:
David Hare-Scott wrote:
...
Really? You must have that Harry Potter wand and magic word that
turns plants back into seeds .... "Reverso tomaticus!"

very funny, but you know what i
mean jellybean.


songbird

I do

Couse we know, but it still didn't stop me thinking of the stories
from my youth of teens who reused condoms after carefully washing
them out......

Nah gladwrap, you can get a big roll for a few dollars .....


D

Mortgage Lifter
 

FarmI wrote:
"David Hare-Scott" wrote in message
...
songbird wrote:
Boron Elgar wrote:

So I planted some Mortgage Lifter tomatoes this year. The plants
grew very well, were most prolific in flowering, setting and
ripening of fruit.

The only problem is that the tomatoes are not wonderful. They look
fabulous. They would make ideal magazine shots or state fair
entries, but they are, at least to me, underweight for their size
and have no depth of flavor whatsoever.

aw!

thanks for saying. we've always been happy
with the beefsteaks. the past few years we
added the sweet 100s cherry tomatoes and they
are very good. two plants take up about 60sq
ft and keep producing so many we have plenty
to give away. i'd rather give away a half a
pint of cherry tomatoes instead of a three
pound beefsteak.


I have only two full size varieties growing this year (many cherry,
pear, patios, etc, as they bear and ripen earlier here), the MLs
and some identified only as "heirloom tomato" on the labeling, that
latter having been bought as a lark from a reduced rack at the
local grocery store.

I wish I knew what the "heirloom tomato" really was as it has
produced fruit that is everything that exemplifies a home grown
tomato with indescribably delicious complexity of taste.

the seeds should be reusable.


Really? You must have that Harry Potter wand and magic word that
turns plants back into seeds .... "Reverso tomaticus!"

LOL. I was thinking simialr thoughts at the use of 'reusable'.

Have you planted any toms yet or do you need to wait a while longer?

My summer stuff is still in trays. The volunteers are coming up already but
there is still time for a frost before summer despite having budburst on the
stone fruits. So I will wait another 3 weeks to be safe.

D

Mortgage Lifter
 

"David Hare-Scott" wrote:
FarmI wrote:

Have you planted any toms yet or do you need to wait a while longer?

My summer stuff is still in trays. The volunteers are coming up already
but there is still time for a frost before summer despite having budburst
on the stone fruits. So I will wait another 3 weeks to be safe.

How we differ, you are thinking of planting and I am thinking of harvest :)
I have been canning and freezing my summer bounty planning for the winter
while on the other side of the planet the summer is upon them.

In a way it does seem like, I am in the Muggle's world and the other side
is just past the 9 and 3/4 magical world.

--
Nad

Mortgage Lifter
 

On Wed, 24 Aug 2011 21:25:30 -0400, songbird
wrote:

The Cook wrote:
...
For the last several years I have been trying lots of different
tomatoes and I have decided that next year I am only going to plant
Viva Italia, Better Boy, Early Girl and Jelly Bean. I am also going
to plant a second crop of Viva Italia and Better Boy since I seem to
have so much trouble with various and sundry blights and bugs.

a second crop in a different location or?

That is my plant for next year. I have also picked out the spot for
next year's tomatoes -- where the corn is growing this year. It
hasn't had tomatoes in it. In fact, this year's plot was fleshly
plowed for this year. Only grass on it for years.


A couple of days ago I found out what was eating my cantaloupe -- a
turtle.

haha! the race goes to the turtle.
did you catch it in the act?

Yes. He had his head in what was left of the cantaloupe.


songbird
--
USA
North Carolina Foothills
USDA Zone 7a
To find your extension office
http://www.csrees.usda.gov/Extension/index.html

Mortgage Lifter
 

On Wed, 24 Aug 2011 21:07:10 -0400, Boron Elgar
wrote:

On Wed, 24 Aug 2011 13:59:36 -0400, songbird
wrote:

Boron Elgar wrote:

So I planted some Mortgage Lifter tomatoes this year. The plants grew
very well, were most prolific in flowering, setting and ripening of
fruit.

The only problem is that the tomatoes are not wonderful. They look
fabulous. They would make ideal magazine shots or state fair entries,
but they are, at least to me, underweight for their size and have no
depth of flavor whatsoever.

aw!

thanks for saying. we've always been happy
with the beefsteaks. the past few years we
added the sweet 100s cherry tomatoes and they
are very good. two plants take up about 60sq
ft and keep producing so many we have plenty
to give away. i'd rather give away a half a
pint of cherry tomatoes instead of a three
pound beefsteak.

I like the sweet 100s. Their only flaw is a tendancy to split after a
heavy rain...much more so than any of the other cherries or small
tomatoes I have going this year.

Yes...the cherries get given away, but those perfect full size
tomatoes are guarded like treasure.

I just made 3.5 pints of sauce from my grape tomatoes. Couldn't think
of anything else to do with them. About tomorrow I guess I will be
canning another7 quarts of tomatoes. I'm thinking about
gazpacho, hummus and tzatziki today. Bought some pita since I doubt I
will feel like making them today. Maybe I will search the freezer and
see if I still have some there.


I have only two full size varieties growing this year (many cherry,
pear, patios, etc, as they bear and ripen earlier here), the MLs and
some identified only as "heirloom tomato" on the labeling, that latter
having been bought as a lark from a reduced rack at the local grocery
store.

I wish I knew what the "heirloom tomato" really was as it has produced
fruit that is everything that exemplifies a home grown tomato with
indescribably delicious complexity of taste.

the seeds should be reusable.

And some have been saved. They are drying on paper towel.


It's fun gardening.

:) sure is, i have been working on thinning out
the strawberries and planting the runners in a spare
spot. five gallon bucket packed full. i have another
two sides to finish yet. they will go in another
place to fill in that garden. :)


I grow strawberries for show, I swear...with what the critters leave
me, it is an exercise in futility.

Boron
--
USA
North Carolina Foothills
USDA Zone 7a
To find your extension office
http://www.csrees.usda.gov/Extension/index.html

Mortgage Lifter
 

On Thu, 25 Aug 2011 07:57:50 -0400, The Cook
wrote:

On Wed, 24 Aug 2011 21:07:10 -0400, Boron Elgar

Yes...the cherries get given away, but those perfect full size
tomatoes are guarded like treasure.

I just made 3.5 pints of sauce from my grape tomatoes. Couldn't think
of anything else to do with them. About tomorrow I guess I will be
canning another7 quarts of tomatoes. I'm thinking about
gazpacho, hummus and tzatziki today. Bought some pita since I doubt I
will feel like making them today. Maybe I will search the freezer and
see if I still have some there.


The NY Times has a great way of using cherries in a caramelized tarte.
....and 25 other ways to use tomatoes, too.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/17/dining/171arex.html

Last week we had gazpacho and I take a little salad of the cherries,
cukes and cottage cheese every day for lunch now. If I want to fancy
that up, I add a dollop of sour cream and a bit of onion. By the time
I get tired of it, the season is over.

Boron

Mortgage Lifter
 

I wish I knew what the "heirloom tomato" really was as it has produced
fruit that is everything that exemplifies a home grown tomato with
indescribably delicious complexity of taste.

I don't believe heirloom tomatoes are supposed to satisfy that
criteria, you can saved the seeds for next year, that is about it.

There seems to be some misconception that modern hybrids were bred
solely for looks and shelf life, this is of course true for some
hybrids, used by commercial growers. But the other side of the coin is
that another group of hybrids have been bred solely for taste for the
home gardener, that are far superior in taste to any heirlooms. The
hybrids took over pretty quickly when introduced was no accident, they
are better in every way, but you have to pay for the seeds every year.

Mortgage Lifter
 

"fsadfa" wrote in message
...


I wish I knew what the "heirloom tomato" really was as it has produced
fruit that is everything that exemplifies a home grown tomato with
indescribably delicious complexity of taste.

I don't believe heirloom tomatoes are supposed to satisfy that
criteria, you can saved the seeds for next year, that is about it.

There seems to be some misconception that modern hybrids were bred
solely for looks and shelf life, this is of course true for some
hybrids, used by commercial growers. But the other side of the coin is
that another group of hybrids have been bred solely for taste for the
home gardener, that are far superior in taste to any heirlooms.

Names please, I know of none that are superior in flavor to my heirlooms.

Mortgage Lifter
 

fsadfa wrote:

I don't believe heirloom tomatoes are supposed to satisfy that
criteria, you can saved the seeds for next year, that is about it.

May be, but when taste tests are done, "Brandywine" almost always wins.
At the risk of starting another battle, "heirloom" implies "open
pollinated," but the reverse depends on your definition of "heirloom."


--
Gary Woods AKA K2AHC- PGP key on request, or at home.earthlink.net/~garygarlic
Zone 5/4 in upstate New York, 1420' elevation. NY WO G

Mortgage Lifter
 

On Thu, 25 Aug 2011 12:04:10 -0700 (PDT), fsadfa
wrote:



I wish I knew what the "heirloom tomato" really was as it has produced
fruit that is everything that exemplifies a home grown tomato with
indescribably delicious complexity of taste.

I don't believe heirloom tomatoes are supposed to satisfy that
criteria, you can saved the seeds for next year, that is about it.

There seems to be some misconception that modern hybrids were bred
solely for looks and shelf life, this is of course true for some
hybrids, used by commercial growers. But the other side of the coin is
that another group of hybrids have been bred solely for taste for the
home gardener, that are far superior in taste to any heirlooms. The
hybrids took over pretty quickly when introduced was no accident, they
are better in every way, but you have to pay for the seeds every year.


I do not think you understood at all what I posted.

I don't care what variety the tomato I grew was - whether heirloom or
hybrid - I just want it identified.

I have not praised hybrids or heirlooms over each other, and place my
interest in flavor above all. It does me no good if a tomato
withstands all blights and predation only to produce cardboard fruit.
Similarly, I get no benefit from a potentially delicious fruit that
never gets to ripen on the vine.

Although I am an inveterate seed saver and known to toss any sort of
kitchen seed or pit into the dirt in an attempt to coax germination, I
am also savvy enough to buy cheap seeds when the opportunity presents
itself. Really, it isn't that large a part of my gardening budget that
it concerns me in the least.

I have a date palm growing...the pit came from a piece of fruit was
on a breakfast plate at a hotel in Las Vegas last spring. That's my
kind of fun.

Boron

Mortgage Lifter
 

In article ,
Boron Elgar wrote:

On Thu, 25 Aug 2011 12:04:10 -0700 (PDT), fsadfa
wrote:



I wish I knew what the "heirloom tomato" really was as it has produced
fruit that is everything that exemplifies a home grown tomato with
indescribably delicious complexity of taste.

I don't believe heirloom tomatoes are supposed to satisfy that
criteria, you can saved the seeds for next year, that is about it.

There seems to be some misconception that modern hybrids were bred
solely for looks and shelf life, this is of course true for some
hybrids, used by commercial growers. But the other side of the coin is
that another group of hybrids have been bred solely for taste for the
home gardener, that are far superior in taste to any heirlooms. The
hybrids took over pretty quickly when introduced was no accident, they
are better in every way, but you have to pay for the seeds every year.


I do not think you understood at all what I posted.

I don't care what variety the tomato I grew was - whether heirloom or
hybrid - I just want it identified.

I have not praised hybrids or heirlooms over each other, and place my
interest in flavor above all. It does me no good if a tomato
withstands all blights and predation only to produce cardboard fruit.
Similarly, I get no benefit from a potentially delicious fruit that
never gets to ripen on the vine.

Although I am an inveterate seed saver and known to toss any sort of
kitchen seed or pit into the dirt in an attempt to coax germination, I
am also savvy enough to buy cheap seeds when the opportunity presents
itself. Really, it isn't that large a part of my gardening budget that
it concerns me in the least.

I have a date palm growing...the pit came from a piece of fruit was
on a breakfast plate at a hotel in Las Vegas last spring. That's my
kind of fun.

Boron

How nice for you.

I presume that your unidentified "heirloom" tomato is still in
production, it being only the 25th of Aug., and still full summer here
in the northern hemisphere. I realize that a person of your experience
doesn't require assistance, so just let me answer this question for
others who may encounter this problem, but who don't have your wealth of
knowledge. I have suggestions as to what you can do with your tomatoes.
The most productive one would be to take a tomato and a leaf to a local
nursery to try and match it, or as Susan "The Cook" would suggest, your
local ag. extension office.
http://www.csrees.usda.gov/Extension/index.html

No anecdotes required.

OK, at ease. If you got 'em, plant 'em.
--
- Billy
Both the House and Senate budget plan would have cut Social Security and Medicare, while cutting taxes on the wealthy.

Kucinich noted that none of the government programs targeted for
elimination or severe cutback in House Republican spending plans
"appeared on the GAO's list of government programs at high risk of
waste, fraud and abuse."
http://www.politifact.com/ohio/state...is-kucinich/re
p-dennis-kucinich-says-gop-budget-cuts-dont-targ/

[W]e have the situation with the deficit and the debt and spending and jobs. And it's not that difficult to get out of it. The first thing you do is you get rid of corporate welfare. That's hundreds of billions of dollars a year. The second is you tax corporations so that they don't get away with no taxation.
- Ralph Nader
http://www.democracynow.org/2011/7/19/ralph_naders_solution_to_debt_crisis

Mortgage Lifter
 

On Thu, 25 Aug 2011 18:26:05 -0700, Billy
wrote:

In article ,
Boron Elgar wrote:

On Thu, 25 Aug 2011 12:04:10 -0700 (PDT), fsadfa


I don't care what variety the tomato I grew was - whether heirloom or
hybrid - I just want it identified.



How nice for you.

Likewise, I am sure.

I presume that your unidentified "heirloom" tomato is still in
production, it being only the 25th of Aug., and still full summer here
in the northern hemisphere.

The heirloom is spent and has been for almost 2 weeks. Late blight got
to it early, actually, and it spread from that to other plants near
by, taking out several others, but I have another patch of different
varieties far from it.

Northern NJ here. Great summer for tomatoes.. Never had so many
tomatoes so early in the season. Most grown from seed sewn directly in
the soil. I have great luck with that. The "heirloom" and Mortgage
Lifter were purchased as plants, though.

Go on with your exposition, I am sure someone is listening.

Boron

Mortgage Lifter
 

In article ,
Boron Elgar wrote:

On Thu, 25 Aug 2011 18:26:05 -0700, Billy
wrote:

In article ,
Boron Elgar wrote:

On Thu, 25 Aug 2011 12:04:10 -0700 (PDT), fsadfa


I don't care what variety the tomato I grew was - whether heirloom or
hybrid - I just want it identified.



How nice for you.

Likewise, I am sure.

I presume that your unidentified "heirloom" tomato is still in
production, it being only the 25th of Aug., and still full summer here
in the northern hemisphere.

The heirloom is spent and has been for almost 2 weeks. Late blight got
to it early, actually, and it spread from that to other plants near
by, taking out several others, but I have another patch of different
varieties far from it.

Northern NJ here. Great summer for tomatoes.. Never had so many
tomatoes so early in the season. Most grown from seed sewn directly in
the soil. I have great luck with that. The "heirloom" and Mortgage
Lifter were purchased as plants, though.

Go on with your exposition, I am sure someone is listening.

Boron

Will that please you?
--
- Billy
Both the House and Senate budget plan would have cut Social Security and Medicare, while cutting taxes on the wealthy.

Kucinich noted that none of the government programs targeted for
elimination or severe cutback in House Republican spending plans
"appeared on the GAO's list of government programs at high risk of
waste, fraud and abuse."
http://www.politifact.com/ohio/state...is-kucinich/re
p-dennis-kucinich-says-gop-budget-cuts-dont-targ/

[W]e have the situation with the deficit and the debt and spending and jobs. And it's not that difficult to get out of it. The first thing you do is you get rid of corporate welfare. That's hundreds of billions of dollars a year. The second is you tax corporations so that they don't get away with no taxation.
- Ralph Nader
http://www.democracynow.org/2011/7/19/ralph_naders_solution_to_debt_crisis

Mortgage Lifter
 

Boron Elgar wrote:
songbird wrote:
Boron Elgar wrote:

So I planted some Mortgage Lifter tomatoes this year. The plants grew
very well, were most prolific in flowering, setting and ripening of
fruit.

The only problem is that the tomatoes are not wonderful. They look
fabulous. They would make ideal magazine shots or state fair entries,
but they are, at least to me, underweight for their size and have no
depth of flavor whatsoever.

aw!

thanks for saying. we've always been happy
with the beefsteaks. the past few years we
added the sweet 100s cherry tomatoes and they
are very good. two plants take up about 60sq
ft and keep producing so many we have plenty
to give away. i'd rather give away a half a
pint of cherry tomatoes instead of a three
pound beefsteak.

I like the sweet 100s. Their only flaw is a tendancy to split after a
heavy rain...much more so than any of the other cherries or small
tomatoes I have going this year.

hm, we had that problem last year, but not
this year as much. the watering lately has
been more even and we are picking more often
(when they are orange they taste as good to
me as a regular tomato) orange or red.

i'm splitting more by accidentally stepping
on them. the plants get rather large and
sprawl all over the place. still loaded with
fruit.


Yes...the cherries get given away, but those perfect full size
tomatoes are guarded like treasure.

past years we had more variety in sizes of
tomatoes so we had small ones i wouldn't mind
giving some away. this year they are not
perfect in shape (they are often having strange
holes in the ends, i suspect that being from
how hot it was when the fruit first set), but
they are mostly huge. we'll be picking again
tomorrow.


....
It's fun gardening.

:) sure is, i have been working on thinning out
the strawberries and planting the runners in a spare
spot. five gallon bucket packed full. i have another
two sides to finish yet. they will go in another
place to fill in that garden. :)

I grow strawberries for show, I swear...with what the critters leave
me, it is an exercise in futility.

oh, well, yeah, we have fences and defenses
in layers. without the 7ft fence for keeping
the deer out the rest of the gardening in
there would be pointless. one neighbor has
lost her complete pepper and tomato crop this
year to the deer.

in addition to the fence i put out snap
traps to reduce the chipmunk/mice/vole
populations and we have large rocks in
piles to encourage the snakes.

everbearing have more than one chance at
getting some kind of crop even if it is a
smaller one than the initial burst. i'm
just finishing the third round of flowering/
fruiting and might get another in before the
temperatures get too cold.


songbird

Mortgage Lifter
 

"David Hare-Scott" wrote in message
FarmI wrote:
"David Hare-Scott" wrote in message
...
songbird wrote:
Boron Elgar wrote:

So I planted some Mortgage Lifter tomatoes this year. The plants
grew very well, were most prolific in flowering, setting and
ripening of fruit.

The only problem is that the tomatoes are not wonderful. They look
fabulous. They would make ideal magazine shots or state fair
entries, but they are, at least to me, underweight for their size
and have no depth of flavor whatsoever.

aw!

thanks for saying. we've always been happy
with the beefsteaks. the past few years we
added the sweet 100s cherry tomatoes and they
are very good. two plants take up about 60sq
ft and keep producing so many we have plenty
to give away. i'd rather give away a half a
pint of cherry tomatoes instead of a three
pound beefsteak.


I have only two full size varieties growing this year (many cherry,
pear, patios, etc, as they bear and ripen earlier here), the MLs
and some identified only as "heirloom tomato" on the labeling, that
latter having been bought as a lark from a reduced rack at the
local grocery store.

I wish I knew what the "heirloom tomato" really was as it has
produced fruit that is everything that exemplifies a home grown
tomato with indescribably delicious complexity of taste.

the seeds should be reusable.


Really? You must have that Harry Potter wand and magic word that
turns plants back into seeds .... "Reverso tomaticus!"

LOL. I was thinking simialr thoughts at the use of 'reusable'.

Have you planted any toms yet or do you need to wait a while longer?

My summer stuff is still in trays.

You are organised. I havent' done a thing except for garlic and spuds in
situ.

The volunteers are coming up already but
there is still time for a frost before summer despite having budburst on
the stone fruits. So I will wait another 3 weeks to be safe.

I have some volunteer lettuce aroudn my rhubarb, and going gangbusters, but
that's it. Must get orf me date and do something.......

Mortgage Lifter
 

"Nad" wrote in message
...
"David Hare-Scott" wrote:
FarmI wrote:

Have you planted any toms yet or do you need to wait a while longer?

My summer stuff is still in trays. The volunteers are coming up already
but there is still time for a frost before summer despite having budburst
on the stone fruits. So I will wait another 3 weeks to be safe.

How we differ, you are thinking of planting and I am thinking of harvest
:)
I have been canning and freezing my summer bounty planning for the winter
while on the other side of the planet the summer is upon them.

In a way it does seem like, I am in the Muggle's world and the other side
is just past the 9 and 3/4 magical world.

Well, reading all those posts of fecundity from you notthern hemisphereans
has been rather hard on poor David and I for the past 3
months............... Now it's our turn :-))

Mortgage Lifter
 

On Thu, 25 Aug 2011 22:01:26 -0700, Billy
wrote:


Go on with your exposition, I am sure someone is listening.

Boron

Will that please you?


There is enough BS here to keep a large farm well-fertilized.
If you want to preach, go for it. I am not particularly tolerant of
lectures or finger wagging about the One True Path.

Boron

Mortgage Lifter
 

Boron Elgar wrote:
....
There is enough BS here to keep a large farm well-fertilized.
If you want to preach, go for it. I am not particularly tolerant of
lectures or finger wagging about the One True Path.

all gardens are well done in BS.
as soon as the poop stops and nobody is
about to care for them then they'll
revert to the local flora in time.

at the moment, most of usenet is like
this with the few odd holdouts marking
the space, like the odd apple tree at the
margins of a lot that has long since grown
over and shows no signs of the previous
homestead.


songbird

Mortgage Lifter
 

In article ,
Boron Elgar wrote:

On Thu, 25 Aug 2011 22:01:26 -0700, Billy
wrote:


Go on with your exposition, I am sure someone is listening.

Boron

Will that please you?


There is enough BS here to keep a large farm well-fertilized.
If you want to preach, go for it. I am not particularly tolerant of
lectures or finger wagging about the One True Path.

Boron

Please indicate where you find the bull shit in my posts to you, so that
I may avoid similar gaffs in the future. It must be irritating to have
new gardeners making suggestions to you, but that is the price you pay
for posting to a mixed group of UseNet posters.

It does seem odd though, that someone who has "been growing tomatoes for
over a quarter of a century and have the methodology down pat", wouldn't
have tried to identify a tomato in their garden that "has produced fruit
that is everything that exemplifies a home grown tomato with
indescribably delicious complexity of taste", while they still had fruit.
Ate all of them, did ya?

But as you know with your quarter of a century of experience, because it
is an heirloom tomato, it will reproduce to type when you plant the
seeds next year. It doesn't really matter what it's called, does it,
because you have the seeds to re-grow it and enjoy it, again, and again,
because it is an self-pollinating (heirloom) tomato. Then, if you wish
to identify your mystery tomato, you can take it to someone who can
identify it (nursery, ag. extention, ect). Thank heavens that a person
like you with a quarter of a century of growing tomatoes behind them
knew to save the seeds for this tomato with "indescribably delicious
complexity of taste".

You did save the seeds , didn't you?

That's my kind of fun ;O)
--
- Billy
Both the House and Senate budget plan would have cut Social Security and Medicare, while cutting taxes on the wealthy.

Kucinich noted that none of the government programs targeted for
elimination or severe cutback in House Republican spending plans
"appeared on the GAO's list of government programs at high risk of
waste, fraud and abuse."
http://www.politifact.com/ohio/state...is-kucinich/re
p-dennis-kucinich-says-gop-budget-cuts-dont-targ/

[W]e have the situation with the deficit and the debt and spending and jobs. And it's not that difficult to get out of it. The first thing you do is you get rid of corporate welfare. That's hundreds of billions of dollars a year. The second is you tax corporations so that they don't get away with no taxation.
- Ralph Nader
http://www.democracynow.org/2011/7/19/ralph_naders_solution_to_debt_crisis

Mortgage Lifter
 

Marcella Peek wrote:

That's the beauty of heirloom produce, you can save the seeds and
plant them instead of buying seeds.

We plant Romas and a variety called Scotia, allegedly one especially
suited to Nova Scotia's climate. Every year numerous Scotia plants
come up in the compost heap from the discarded rotters and (possibly)
from the pomace left from making last year's tomato sauce.

I really should try saving some of the seeds and starting them in the
micro-greenhouse [1] in March as the volunteers in the compost heap
are too late to bear heavily.


[1] Bigger than a phone booth but not by much.

--
Mike Spencer Nova Scotia, Canada

Mortgage Lifter
 

On Aug 25, 4:57 am, The Cook wrote:

I just made 3.5 pints of sauce from my grape tomatoes. *Couldn't think
of anything else to do with them. *About tomorrow I guess I will be
canning another7 quarts of tomatoes. *I'm thinking about
gazpacho, hummus and tzatziki today. *Bought some pita since I doubt I
will feel like making them today. *Maybe I will search the freezer and
see if I still have some there.


Did the same thing with an abundance of yellow pear tomatoes a couple
of years back.
Was VERY good.

I used to grow several different varieties each year and still try a
couple of new ones each year, but seem to have settled on Cosmonaut
Volkov and Super Marzano as my main crop varieties.

Cheers!
-Paul

Mortgage Lifter
 

What you describe doesn't sound like a mortgage lifter to me.

By "pretty", do you mean round, uniform and really red, like a
grocery store tomato?

My ML are huge, non-uniform in both shape and color, prone to
cracking, and generally just ugly. Definitely not pretty, but very
meaty and tasty, with few seeds and not very much juice.

We've been eating on a red one for the past couple of days. I put a
slice on a turkey sandwich and the slice overlapped a normal slice of
white bread by a couple of inches on every side. Not even enough
juice to make the bread soggy. If I were guessing, it likely weighed
at least a pound and a half.

Are you sure they are true ML?

tom


On Wed, 24 Aug 2011 13:28:35 -0400, Boron Elgar
wrote:

So I planted some Mortgage Lifter tomatoes this year. The plants grew
very well, were most prolific in flowering, setting and ripening of
fruit.

The only problem is that the tomatoes are not wonderful. They look
fabulous. They would make ideal magazine shots or state fair entries,
but they are, at least to me, underweight for their size and have no
depth of flavor whatsoever.