larrick
I can send you some seed for Black from Tula if/when you wan't. I usually see some plants for sale in this area but haven't this year. Have you checked around Bellingham for plants? I haven't found a Black I care for but am trying Black Krim this year and next year i will try JD Special-C Tex
Jim

Hi. I'm new to this forum, but noticed this thread about Black tomato varieties and I wanted to weigh in.
I am growing a Black Ethiopian and I must say that it is out-performing all my other "heirlooms". It's early yet, but I think it will be a productive variety. I am told, as I have never eaten one, that they have a very "smokey" flavor and make good sauces and pastes.

I've heard many people recommend Black Krim as the best black tomato. The only downsides are that the fruit will become mushy after only a couple days of ripeness, and they also crack easily. But it seems like flavor is worth it. This year is my first growing Black Krim and I can't wait. I've never tasted one before.

I really enjoyed my Black Krims the year I grew them. I never experienced mushiness. One thing to note about the krim is that there will still have slightly green shoulders when they ripen; that's normal. They're not very large, but they have a good flavor and reasonably good productivity.

I'm trying Japanese Black Trifele this year; can't wait to see how they turn out. :) So far my healthiest tomato plants (all still small) are Amana Orange and Rev. Morrow's Long Keeper. Not surprised about the Amana Orange; after all, they're an heirloom from the Amana Colonies, which are only 20 miles away from me. My least healthy are the Great Whites; they're tiny, scraggly things, barely alive. Must not like the cold. The Trifeles are only doing a bit better than the Great Whites.

Cherokee Purple and/or Cherokee Chocolate. Very similar, very very wonderful.

jwr, oh I would really appreciate those BFT seeds. Seeds from folks on here are always better than from a company. I'll email ya. Thanks. I don't know why I didn't grow any black varieties this year and I regret it. Last year the wife and I made some sauce from my maters and a batch from CP was made. It was the best of the sauces as to me it was nice and smokey. The dark color of the sauce gave it a more gourmet look.

I've grown many blacks over the years, with Cherokee Purple and Black Krim being my favorites. Black from Tula and Cherokee Chocolate are also rated well also. Last year I grew Gary'O Sena in the Fall and must say it knocked them all out of the running. Altho it wasn't the best time of the year, here in Cali, it was a very strong and productive plant and has taken over the #1 spot.

I would add that Gary'O Sena is considered a pink/purple and is a Brandywine X Cherokee Purple cross. The fruit I got were very dark and to me similar to many of the blacks I've grown. Pictures are available at Dave's Garden.

My favorite tomato(black or any other color) is Paul Robeson.Been growing it 5 years and it is a must grow every year. Early for me (just behind Sungold and Juanne Flamme sp??)and very productive.Large ,juicy , and yummy.
CDGTXS

I'm growing Black Cherry from seeds that I received from WinterSown.com. Two out of three of the plants that I started have potato leaves, so I guess I get to try two different varieties. They are the first black tomatoes I have ever grown and I have not tasted any yet. I'm looking forward to the sweet, smokey taste that everyone says comes from black tomatoes. I love cherry tomatoes, I hope that these little tomatoes have the flavor of the larger ones.

Good gardening, Mary

Paul Robeson is always a favorite in my house. My husband insists that I grow it every year. I also love Black from Tula, CP, and JD's Special C-Tex. I don't think I've tried a black that I haven't liked!

I think Paul Robeson is my favorite black at this point, I have grown it the last 4 years. Carbon was pretty good as well last year, and I am growing it again. I also grow Black Cherry every year. I still have a lot of varieties to grow to be sure. :-)

My favorites are Black Krim and Japanese Black Trifele. They both have a similar distinctive earthy "black" flavor, which I also find in Paul Robeson, but in my garden Paul Robeson's character is a bit overpowering. Cherokee Purple and Black from Tula are good (slightly better than Carbon) but I don't know if I would recognize them as black tomatoes in a blind taste test.

Not any favorites since this is my first year growing black tomatoes, but in case you want seed, assuming these live:)) (I'm going to bag blossoms)

my black variety 2009 grow list:
Black Cherry
Paul Robeson
Carbon
Amazon Chocolate
Nyagous (probably the healthiest looking plant I've ever grown)
Brown Berry
Blueberry (???)
Chocolate Cherry
Indian Stripe

I also have many more varieties to grow, but I think I'm off to a strong start...

Ciao all-

For sauce, I love Purple Russian and I'm growing it again this year. For drying, I love Black Plum, super productive and small enough to dry evenly and quickly. For burgers and sandwiches, I love Black From Tula best, although I've grown Cherokee Purple, Black Krim, and Large Barred Boar which are also very good. For blanching/dicing, I love Japanese Black Trifele as it's a rather firm tomato that stands up well to cooking. For a cherry, I love Haley's Purple Comet, which I'm growing again this year. It doesn't have the thick skins Black Cherry has and it's more productive than Brown Berry. I grew Poll Robson Angolan one year, thinking it was Paul Robeson, but it was mushy and bland. I've changed my seed source and will re-grow the real Paul Robeson at some point. For a stuffer, I'm growing Brown Flesh this year and I'm trying Chocolate Stripes and Cherokee Chocolate for the first time.

adding Haley's Purple Comet to my wish list:))

Cherokee Chocolate has been a favorite of mine for the past 4 years...this year I'm growing Black Krim, Black Sea Man, Japanese Black Trifele and Chocolate Stripes...

Only ever had Black Prince (I did like!) and what I can only assume is rotten bad luck with Purple Calabash (AWFUL - skin was sort of see-through!). This year, my blacks are:
Japanese Black Trifele
Paul Robeson
Black Cherry

Karen: I grew great white last year. Was a large plant but not a lot of leaves (?). Fair bit of fruit towards the end of my season.

jsvand5,

Yes, it seems as though something somewhere got mixed up. No, I don't know for certain what I will end up with, its a bit of a mystery. I'll plant out one of each and see what I end up with. After I noticed the first one growing with potato leaves I looked it up and did find one seed company selling black cherries that have potato leaves, I don't remember which one, but I guess that they do exist. I will just have to wait and be surprised.

Good gardening, Mary

With few exceptions I have grown all above, mainly for taste exhibitions at horticultural associations. None of them came close to the great reds/pinks. I even prefer some yellows like Aunt Gertie Gold to the darker skinned varieties. Paul Robeson is hyped by Laurel's Heirloom Tomatoes, probably because nobody else sells this variety as transplants. I dislike the practise of mail order companies to hype a unique variety and hope that customers order other seeds/plants as well. The flavor of Paul Robeson is quite good for a darker skinned variety but the plants quickly succumb to disease and the yield rarely exceeds a few tomatoes. This has been noticed both on a professional and hobby gardener scale, even with transplants bought from Laurel. Needless to say there are Laurel fans in here that will dispute this but there is no doubt in my mind that for whatever reason Paul Robeson's performance is miserable.

I forgot about Black Sea Man. Looks promising. blumater keep us posted on your expirience with those.

joachim ct

I am not a Laurel fan but I partially agree with you about Paul Robeson, for whatever reason, the taste was so so. But omg, it was the most productive plant last year. It bent my texas tomato cage. My wife called me in the middle of the day and sounded like someone die when she gave me the bad news. I am not growing Paul Robeson this year, but maybe I will give it another try next year. Perhaps it's the California soil ??? Cherokee Purple is a must have every year. so is yellow Aunt Gertie's Gold.

I am surprise Chocolate Stripe is not mentioned more. It's the most beautiful tomato in my garden and it grows the fastest. Maybe because I think it's so beautiful that I think it taste better than if I were to taste it blind folded. I guess it's similar to a man think if the woman is beautiful the sex will be awesome. LOL.

Johnny, I've had the opposite experience with Paul Robeson. Not very productive, but wonderful fruits. My other favorite is Paul Robeson, and black cherry is at the top of my list as far as tomatoes go.

im here in s.e. ga. and the last two weeks were hot and humid. the paul robeson plant i have is producing just as good as my heat tolerant hybrids and blowing heirlooms away. probably 20 fruit on plant. planted transplant last week in march. no disease.

Black Cherry! Black Cherry! Black Cherry!

OK raisemybeds, I think I got your drift. Black Cherry is the best tasting tomato I've ever grown and I have to agree with you wholeheartedly. Grew them last year for the first time and everyone who got to try them were pleasantly surprised. Now they want my plants, let alone the fruit. Black Cherry is definitely THE one to grow for blacks. Best Regards all.

Black cherry is different from chocolate cherry, yes? I grew CC last year and thought the taste a real spitter.

Rain

Blacks are my favorite.
Haven't planted tomatoes in a few years but
from what I have Black From Tula was the one I most remember as being great.

I hope to find some more great ones this year.

Planted

Black Prince a bonnie plant from HD my first until I discovered a nersery that had a large selection of heirlooms

black From Tula
Paul robeson
Japenese Black Triefel
Black Zebra

Let's all hope its a great year for maters