I have been visiting some friends in Blackpool.

We talked about tomatoes.

I said that this year I was growing : SUNGOLD, MARMANDE, ALICANTE,
GARDENERS DELIGHT , TIGERELLA and POMODORO

They said they preferred Blackpool or Jersey tomatoes.


I said that I did not know of them - they assured me that they always
bought them every year.

Can anyone explain please?

(I's also be interested in comments in what I am growing - apart from
Sungold - they were a mixed bag (separate packets) from Aldi)

On 18/3/09 00:31, in article ,
"Judith Smith" wrote:



I have been visiting some friends in Blackpool.

We talked about tomatoes.

I said that this year I was growing : SUNGOLD, MARMANDE, ALICANTE,
GARDENERS DELIGHT , TIGERELLA and POMODORO

They said they preferred Blackpool or Jersey tomatoes.

I don't know if they mean tomatoes grown in Jersey and shipped to UK
supermarkets but the true Jersey tomato is Jersey Sunrise. That's the old
variety that was grown in the fields when I was a child. The HDRA has
supplies, I believe. They have had them some for some time and I sent them
some from our JS toms two years ago.
snip
--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon
Exotic plants, shrubs & perennials online

On Wed, 18 Mar 2009 10:33:41 +0100, Martin wrote:

Do JS really taste as good, as I remember them tasting when I was a
child?

Sacha was kind enough to repatriate some seeds to me. I'll let you know!

On 18/3/09 09:33, in article ,
"Martin" wrote:

On Wed, 18 Mar 2009 09:25:22 +0000, Sacha wrote:

On 18/3/09 00:31, in article ,
"Judith Smith" wrote:



I have been visiting some friends in Blackpool.

We talked about tomatoes.

I said that this year I was growing : SUNGOLD, MARMANDE, ALICANTE,
GARDENERS DELIGHT , TIGERELLA and POMODORO

They said they preferred Blackpool or Jersey tomatoes.

I don't know if they mean tomatoes grown in Jersey and shipped to UK
supermarkets but the true Jersey tomato is Jersey Sunrise. That's the old
variety that was grown in the fields when I was a child. The HDRA has
supplies, I believe. They have had them some for some time and I sent them
some from our JS toms two years ago.
snip

Do JS really taste as good, as I remember them tasting when I was a child?

Definitely, especially if we've had the luck to have some sun! I'm probably
biased but I think they're the tops. In UK when buying tomatoes, btw, it's
always worth looking for ones from the Isle of Wight. There's a large
salads growing place there, Wight Salads (used to be known to Ray's family
when they were all in Essex) and they grow wonderful toms. I remember
hearing them praised on a foodie radio programme many years ago and
deservedly so.
--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon
Exotic plants, shrubs & perennials online

On 18/3/09 09:37, in article , "Derek
Turner" wrote:

On Wed, 18 Mar 2009 10:33:41 +0100, Martin wrote:

Do JS really taste as good, as I remember them tasting when I was a
child?

Sacha was kind enough to repatriate some seeds to me. I'll let you know!

Hi, Derek! Hope they grow well for you. Wrong side of the island, of
course. ;-)) Is it as foggy there as it is here - if so no papers for you
today!
--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon
Exotic plants, shrubs & perennials online

On Wed, 18 Mar 2009 10:33:41 +0100, Martin wrote:

On Wed, 18 Mar 2009 09:25:22 +0000, Sacha wrote:

On 18/3/09 00:31, in article ,
"Judith Smith" wrote:



I have been visiting some friends in Blackpool.

We talked about tomatoes.

I said that this year I was growing : SUNGOLD, MARMANDE, ALICANTE,
GARDENERS DELIGHT , TIGERELLA and POMODORO

They said they preferred Blackpool or Jersey tomatoes.

I don't know if they mean tomatoes grown in Jersey and shipped to UK
supermarkets but the true Jersey tomato is Jersey Sunrise. That's the old
variety that was grown in the fields when I was a child. The HDRA has
supplies, I believe. They have had them some for some time and I sent them
some from our JS toms two years ago.
snip

Do JS really taste as good, as I remember them tasting when I was a child?


This was all part of the discussion!!!

There is nothing like Blackpool (or Fylde Coast) or Jersey toms was
what was said.

On 18/3/09 09:57, in article ,
"Martin" wrote:

On Wed, 18 Mar 2009 09:54:13 +0000, Sacha wrote:

On 18/3/09 09:37, in article , "Derek
Turner" wrote:

On Wed, 18 Mar 2009 10:33:41 +0100, Martin wrote:

Do JS really taste as good, as I remember them tasting when I was a
child?

Sacha was kind enough to repatriate some seeds to me. I'll let you know!

Hi, Derek! Hope they grow well for you. Wrong side of the island, of
course. ;-)) Is it as foggy there as it is here - if so no papers for you
today!

You said you wouldn't go Dutch with our weather and now you have.

;-( Dull, isn't it? But it's a sign of things warming up, I suppose!
--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon
Exotic plants, shrubs & perennials online

On 18/3/09 10:11, in article ,
"Judith Smith" wrote:

On Wed, 18 Mar 2009 10:33:41 +0100, Martin wrote:
snip

Do JS really taste as good, as I remember them tasting when I was a child?


This was all part of the discussion!!!

There is nothing like Blackpool (or Fylde Coast) or Jersey toms was
what was said.

Sounds like you have friends of taste and discernment. ;-)

--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon
Exotic plants, shrubs & perennials online

I can't find any evidence of a Blackpool Tomato variety. But there is tomato farming in Blackpool, notably at Blackpool Tomatoes. So Blackpool Tomato seems to be a brand rather than a variety. Locally one could buy one, collect the seed and grow it, whatever it may be. No doubt if you live somewhere like Blackpool, it grows well.

Jersey Tomato has more than one possible meaning. In the US, a Jersey Tomato is a tomato from New Jersey, and the concept of a "real Jersey Tomato" is a bit like "the real McCoy". The particular historical variety they notably used, and now use again, is called Ramapo. It fell out of use, and had to be tracked down, rescued and restored, which may account for the need to identify a real Jersey Tomato as indicated by the saying, as evidently there were a lot that weren't. In the UK, Jersey (and Guernsey) in the Channel Islands grow tomatoes, and market them as "Jersey Tomatoes". They used to grow a lot more, but they still grow a few. A "Jersey Tomato" is certainly a brand, but whether there is a specific variety they use, or whether a Jersey Tomato is just any tomato from Jersey, I have been unable to discover. What you can do is buy one (in season), collect the seed and grow it yourself. As for the ease of doing this, Google suggests it might be hard unless you are going there. I see that all but one of the growers have stopped export to the mainland. But Sainsburys indicated it still plans to sell them.

Personally I'd think it better to research tomato varieties and grow a good one. It looks like you are already doing this.

The message
from Sacha contains these words:

;-( Dull, isn't it? But it's a sign of things warming up, I suppose!

No - been sunny here all day - wall-to-wall, though the air temperature
is a bit on the low side.

--
Rusty
Growing old is mandatory; growing up is optional.
Direct reply to: horrid dot squeak snailything zetnet point co period uk

On 18/3/09 15:24, in article
, "Rusty_Hinge"
wrote:

The message
from Sacha contains these words:

;-( Dull, isn't it? But it's a sign of things warming up, I suppose!

No - been sunny here all day - wall-to-wall, though the air temperature
is a bit on the low side.

Sun broke through here around lunchtime and it's lovely now though still
hazy. Soon be drinkies on the lawn at 6pm if this keeps up!
--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon
Exotic plants, shrubs & perennials online

On 18/3/09 17:29, in article ,
"Martin" wrote:

On Wed, 18 Mar 2009 17:20:08 +0000, Sacha wrote:

On 18/3/09 15:24, in article
, "Rusty_Hinge"
wrote:

The message
from Sacha contains these words:

;-( Dull, isn't it? But it's a sign of things warming up, I suppose!

No - been sunny here all day - wall-to-wall, though the air temperature
is a bit on the low side.

Sun broke through here around lunchtime and it's lovely now though still
hazy. Soon be drinkies on the lawn at 6pm if this keeps up!

-3°C is forecast for Exeter on Saturday night.

Could well be - we've had a light frost for the last 3 or 4 mornings but
very warm, sunny days. The customers have been sitting on the lawn most of
the last few days and driving over to Torquay this pm I saw the lanes
absolutely zinging with colours from new leaves, daffs and primroses, may
trees are out and even our almond trees have blossom on them. It's quite
extraordinary the difference a tiny bit of sun can make to plants that are
straining at the leash to get going!
But this is the first year *I've* not seen buds already formed on the Rosa
Banksia lutea on the front of the house. It's still alive and putting on
new growth but those frosts obviously made it think a bit. It usually has
buds forming in January in these last few mild winters.
--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon
Exotic plants, shrubs & perennials online

On Wed, 18 Mar 2009 15:09:31 +0000, echinosum wrote:

In the UK,
Jersey (and Guernsey) in the Channel Islands grow tomatoes, and market
them as "Jersey Tomatoes". They used to grow a lot more, but they still
grow a few. A "Jersey Tomato" is certainly a brand, but whether there is
a specific variety they use, or whether a Jersey Tomato is just any
tomato from Jersey, I have been unable to discover.

See upthread. Jersey Sunrise is the variety. Oh, and neither Guernsey or
Jersey are 'in the UK'.

The message
from Martin contains these words:
On Wed, 18 Mar 2009 17:20:08 +0000, Sacha wrote:
On 18/3/09 15:24, in article
, "Rusty_Hinge"
wrote:

The message
from Sacha contains these words:

;-( Dull, isn't it? But it's a sign of things warming up, I suppose!

No - been sunny here all day - wall-to-wall, though the air temperature
is a bit on the low side.

Sun broke through here around lunchtime and it's lovely now though still
hazy. Soon be drinkies on the lawn at 6pm if this keeps up!

-3°C is forecast for Exeter on Saturday night.

I'm sure your cheerful observation will lighten the hearts of everyone
in the vicinity...

--
Rusty
Growing old is mandatory; growing up is optional.
Direct reply to: horrid dot squeak snailything zetnet point co period uk

On Wed, 18 Mar 2009 00:31:10 +0000, Judith Smith
wrote:



I have been visiting some friends in Blackpool.

We talked about tomatoes.

I said that this year I was growing : SUNGOLD, MARMANDE, ALICANTE,
GARDENERS DELIGHT , TIGERELLA and POMODORO

They said they preferred Blackpool or Jersey tomatoes.


I said that I did not know of them - they assured me that they always
bought them every year.

Can anyone explain please?

(I's also be interested in comments in what I am growing - apart from
Sungold - they were a mixed bag (separate packets) from Aldi)






I'd just like to say thanks for all the responses - much appreciated.