Tomato questions

[ksmith]

Do other tomato varieties do this?



One complaint I have heard about Black Crim is that they tend to split and crack. I am seeing quite a bit of that, as can be seen from the photos below. The most mangled, bulbous tomato actually grew around its stem. There's a tiny hole in the middle of it.

I am hoping I can salvage something from these. These are some big tomatoes, and I would hate to have to trash them in their entirety.

Comments

[naomikritzer]

Cut around the crack and eat them promptly, like today or tomorrow. The cracks cause them to spoil quickly but these are some of the tastiest (and ugliest!) tomatoes in existence.

[kristine-smith.livejournal.com]

Looks like dinner tomorrow will be a big tomato salad.

[naomikritzer]

And yeah, I always throw away the bits that look really nasty, but I salvage every morsel I can. SO SO SO good.

I particularly like it with mozzarella and minced basil and a little olive oil.

[kristine-smith.livejournal.com]

I don't have mozzarella, but I do have some parmesano reggiano.

[cailleuch.livejournal.com]

Yes, had one that looked a lot like the one on the left. It was a very yummy tomato sandwich for lunch today (salt & pepper with a little mayo on homemade bread). I slice from the top and cut out any really nasty bits - but the taste was excellent.

[barbarienne.livejournal.com]

This is the joy of tomatoes that grow as natural evolution allows (i.e., being misshapen is no detriment to their ability to reproduce).

"Perfect" tomatoes aren't necessarily unnatural, but the commercially-defined image of the quintessential tomato (red, round, perfect) has skewed our perceptions.

[kristine-smith.livejournal.com]

The funny thing is, I have overpaid for those "Ugli" heirloom tomatoes in grocery stores, and I find them pretty average-looking. Just as tasteless as the other supermarket brands, too, but that's beside the point.

This is my first real veggie garden ever, and even though I lived on a farm for a year (my folks' farm. I was 4 or 5) and later ate produce from my Mom's gardens, I don't recall tomatoes like these. But I am looking forward to having one for dinner tonight.