2011 Tomato Day Results

Sakura Honey

Grape varieties from Johnny's Selected Seeds came in the top three positions in Penn State Extension, Franklin County's 11th annual Tomato Taste Day.

Sakura Honey was number 1, followed by Red Pearl and Five Star. 

"Sakura Honey produces high yields of oval, avg. 15 gm fruits with excellent flavor. A good combination with Five Star Grape and Solid gold in a mixed container. Better flavor and more crack resistant than Chiquita, which it replaces. Indeterminate"

Red Pearl

"Compared with Red Grape, Red Pearl fruits are slightly larger, with more tender skin and fewer seeds for improved flavor. Resists cracking and stores well on and off the vine. Tall, healthy plants. High resistance (HR) to fusarium wilt races 1 and 2. Indeterminate."

Five Star Grape

"Five Star Grape has excellent, sweet flavor and firm, meaty texture with few seeds and little juice. Healthy plants bear high yields of bright red, 15-20 gm, crack resistant grape tomatoes. Indeterminate."

Rounding out the top five are heirloom varieties, Principe Borghese, an Italian heirloom noted for its ability to dry well  and Old Brooks (seed from Totally Tomatoes).  Originally the seed for Principe Borghese came from Pine Tree Gardens.

Principe Borghese

"HEIRLOOM Determinate. This is the tomato used for sun drying in Italy. It is very small (1-2 ounces), plum shaped, and pointed at one end. Fruits are born in large clusters of several dozen, like grapes. They are meaty with little juice and branches can be hung to dry until leathery. In Italy they just throw the vines over a fence. We've had success in our cool, wet climate with slicing them in half and drying them in an oven with just the pilot light."

Old Brooks

"Smooth, blemish-free fruits known for their superior resistance to blossom end-rot as well as to early and late blights. Gourmet quality flesh, with a fine, even texture. The taste is somewhat acidic, which proves to be an asset in home canning. Good all-around variety."


164 people participated in the event.  Here are the full results:

Taste

 1 Sakura Honey                  665.50
 2 Red Pearl                     623.50
 3 Five Star                     608.00
 4 Principe Borghese             555.50
 5 Old Brooks                    535.50
 6 Arbason                       525.00
 7 Fabulous                      521.50
 8 Heritage Hybrid               518.50
 9 Cherokee Green                499.50
10 SX 605                        493.50
11 Copper River                  493.50
12 Ceylon                        492.00
13 Lyn's Mahogany Garnet         491.50
14 Green Zebra                   475.50
15 Big Beef                      469.00
16 Tribeca                       466.50
17 Delicious                     466.00
18 Defiant                       457.50
19 Rocky Top                     451.50
20 Dr. Carolyn                   436.50
21 BHN 876                       432.00
22 Scarlet Red                   429.00
23 Bison                         417.00
24 BHN 189                       412.00


Aesthetics 

1 Red Pearl                      713.50
2 Sakura Honey                   670.50
3 Big Beef                       656.50
4 Old Brooks                     631.00
5 Rocky Top                      629.00
6 Principe Borghese              613.50
7 Arbason                        613.00
8 Scarlet Red                    611.00
9 Tribeca                        603.00
10 Heritage Hybrid               602.50
11 Five Star                     591.50
12 Dr. Carolyn                   578.50
13 SX 605                        578.00
14 Delicious                     573.00
15 BHN 189                       568.50
16 Defiant                       563.50
17 Fabulous                      558.50
18 Green Zebra                   552.50
19 Lyn's Mahogany Garnet         550.00
20 Copper River                  541.50
21 BHN 876                       534.00
22 Ceylon                        525.50
23 Cherokee Green                499.50
24 Bison                         477.00