Sunday, October 10, 2010

black prince tomatoes

We've been getting lots of tomatoes from the greenhouse lately. I haven't kept very good track of the varieties I've most enjoyed, but the Black Prince is a standout both visually and for its flavor. I planted seeds from Territorial. It's an indeterminate variety from Russia that is supposed to tolerate cooler conditions.


They range from golf ball to baseball in size. This one isn't the prettiest but it's fairly representative of ones that should probably be harvested.


I'm still trying to figure out the optimal color and firmness at which to pick them. They tend to have a softer texture than I like when too ripe, but by appearance alone it's tempting to not pick them early enough. I think there should still be a fair amount of green showing to get firmer flesh with good flavor.


The flavor is really outstanding. I've enjoyed them plain, in green salads, and in insalata caprese. These are some of the tastiest tomatoes I've grown. The flavor is rich and sweet. Wedges with cracked black pepper and salt satisfy perfectly.


All the tomatoes are still going strong in the greenhouse, so I'm not sure yet whether these will prove to have a longer season than the others. I will definitely plant Black Prince again next year, regardless. I've had no problems with them at all.

3 comments:

Kevin said...

They look weird, but sure sound good. I love tomatoes, they're one of my favorite fruits.

Steve Poole said...

Yeah, mine too. Ironic, living here.

They may have peculiar coloration but they're not as unattractive as a lot of heirloom tomatoes. And other than the occasional excrescence (a word I learned today from a comment in source code!) they are beautifully formed.

Den Mother said...

Those sound good. We tried Moskovich tomatoes this year, and they actually beat out Brandywines as our favorite tomato. Next year, we're planting a lot more of them, and we'll probably try Black Prince, too. How can we not? We always love a reference to Hamlet!