Best red heart

charline · January 26, 2018

I am not a fan of red tomatoes but every season I try one or two varieties. Usually it is not a big hit.....
I have some seeds of red hearts in my collection and as I love hearts I would like to try some.
Please tell me which hearts have strong flavor (not acidic!). Thank you.

SueCT · January 26, 2018

Not sure I can help you here. I really like Rief Red Heart. I don't really understand the strong taste but not acidic thing, though. As far as I know there really is not a huge variance of acidity between tomatoes, although some people describe strong tasting tomatoes as tasting acidic. Not sure about strong tasting but not acidic. Are you maybe looking for very sweet tomatoes? Can you give some examples of what you consider a strong tasting but not acidic tomato? Maybe you want to stick to pink, yellow and orange varieties? Is there is a particular reason you are looking for a red variety if you don't usually like them?

Worth1 · January 26, 2018

Wes is a very good one.

Worth

PaulF · January 26, 2018

I never met a heart I didn't like. Some of my favorite red hearts include: Coeur de Velours, Ernesto, Fish Lake Oxheart (pink or red, not sure which), German Red Strawberry, Indiana Red, Julie's Red Oxheart, Reif Red Heart, Wes and Zore's Big Red.

Many more nice hearts are pink and that is close to red, so if you want to include the pink hearts the list gets much longer. So there is a start to see if what you have matches and I am sure your list from others will get very long.

SueCT · January 26, 2018

If you want to include pink hearts then there are many I like, also. Still not sure if any would be considered acidic. I can second that I have grown and really liked Wes, Fish Lake Oxheart and German Red Strawberry, also.

pmcgrady · January 26, 2018

I grew 1 plant from seeds from Macedonia that turned out to be a 1 pound plus red heart, great taste, meaty, not many seeds. I named it Millard's Macedonian Heart after the guy that brought back seeds and has been growing them for years. I'm growing 4 plants this year.

dorota · January 26, 2018

I agree with Worth. Wes is very good and beautiful red heart

Andrey_BY · January 26, 2018

Belarusian Heart

http://tomatoville.com/showthread.php?t=3827
http://t.tatianastomatobase.com/wiki/Belarusian_Heart

FarmerShawn · January 26, 2018

I agree with Wes - it has been our favorite eating tomato for several years now. But I also like Grightmire's Pride, Anna Russian (both medium sized tomatoes), and Reif Red Heart.

Father'sDaughter · January 26, 2018

I've grown Wes and it was good, but once I tried Russian 117 it became my go-to red heart. Nicely balanced and rich.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

KarenO · January 27, 2018

Very much depends on your season and location imo. Wes and several others mentioned here are quite late season tomatoes.
Mayo’s delight, Belarusian heart and EM champion are 3 red hearts that have done well for me in my Canadian garden. I think there should be more so I aim to breed one, ideally PL that will do well and taste great in a northern garden.
KarenO

AlittleSalt · January 27, 2018

Quote:

Originally Posted by charline

I am not a fan of red tomatoes but every season I try one or two varieties. Usually it is not a big hit.....
I have some seeds of red hearts in my collection and as I love hearts I would like to try some.
Please tell me which hearts have strong flavor (not acidic!). Thank you.

Charline, I agree with you about red tomatoes. I can only suggest a Pink When Ripe heart variety. Anna Margaret's Heart http://tatianastomatobase.com/wiki/A...aret%27s_Heart

**carolyn137** · January 27, 2018

I'm the person who is late making a list.

First,Charline,if I look at a pink tomato,the exterior is pink b/c it has a clear epidermis I cut into it and the inside is red. Take a red tomato, they have a yellow epidermis, and the inside is red.

So I'm not so sure about an exterior color making a difference in taste or in any other way. Just my opinion.

You asked for red hearts, so here's some that I really do like and have grown most of them several times for either seed offers or SSE listings.

In no particular order, but I do have my favorites.

German Red Strawberry
Indiana Red
Kukla's Portuguese Red Heart
Sheryl's Portuguese Red Heart
Linnie's Oxheart
Milka's Red Bulgarian
Reif Red Heart
Ukrainian Heart
Wes
Fish Lake Oxheart, the original red/pink version also
Bobbie
Danko
Provenzano
Russian 117, double flat heart
Aunt Sophie
Mom's Heart
Favorite Vacation
Grandee
Orlinoe Serdtse

Carolyn

natural · January 27, 2018

I really like Danko. Early and productive.

I grew short and bushy. I believe that it was determinate but cannot recall for sure.

Bill

Cole_Robbie · January 27, 2018

Wes is a very good variety. I also like George Detsikas Italian Red, which I now remember we talked about before, and only some of the fruit on the plant are heart-shaped. So maybe it is not a true heart.

I was going to say Kardinal Mazarini, but now that I look it up, it is technically a pink, not a red: http://t.tatianastomatobase.com/wiki/Mazarini

January 26, 2018	#1
charline Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2014 Location: France Posts: 688	Best red heart I am not a fan of red tomatoes but every season I try one or two varieties. Usually it is not a big hit..... I have some seeds of red hearts in my collection and as I love hearts I would like to try some. Please tell me which hearts have strong flavor (not acidic!). Thank you.

January 26, 2018	#4
PaulF Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Brownville, Ne Posts: 3,286	I never met a heart I didn't like. Some of my favorite red hearts include: Coeur de Velours, Ernesto, Fish Lake Oxheart (pink or red, not sure which), German Red Strawberry, Indiana Red, Julie's Red Oxheart, Reif Red Heart, Wes and Zore's Big Red. Many more nice hearts are pink and that is close to red, so if you want to include the pink hearts the list gets much longer. So there is a start to see if what you have matches and I am sure your list from others will get very long. __________________ there's two things money can't buy; true love and home grown tomatoes. Last edited by PaulF; January 26, 2018 at 02:16 PM.

January 26, 2018	#8
Andrey_BY Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Minsk, Belarus, Eastern Europe (Zone 4a) Posts: 2,278	Belarusian Heart http://tomatoville.com/showthread.php?t=3827 http://t.tatianastomatobase.com/wiki/Belarusian_Heart __________________ 1 kg=2.2 lb , 1 m=39,37 in , 1 oz=28.35 g , 1 ft=30.48 cm , 1 lb= 0,4536 kg , 1 in=2.54 cm , 1 l = 0.26 gallon , 0 C=32 F Andrey a.k.a. TOMATODOR

January 26, 2018	#9
FarmerShawn Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Vermont Posts: 1,001	I agree with Wes - it has been our favorite eating tomato for several years now. But I also like Grightmire's Pride, Anna Russian (both medium sized tomatoes), and Reif Red Heart. __________________ "Red meat is NOT bad for you. Now blue-green meat, THAT'S bad for you!" -- Tommy Smothers

January 27, 2018	#13
carolyn137 Moderator Emeritus Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Upstate NY, zone 4b/5a Posts: 21,169	I'm the person who is late making a list. First,Charline,if I look at a pink tomato,the exterior is pink b/c it has a clear epidermis I cut into it and the inside is red. Take a red tomato, they have a yellow epidermis, and the inside is red. So I'm not so sure about an exterior color making a difference in taste or in any other way. Just my opinion. You asked for red hearts, so here's some that I really do like and have grown most of them several times for either seed offers or SSE listings. In no particular order, but I do have my favorites. German Red Strawberry Indiana Red Kukla's Portuguese Red Heart Sheryl's Portuguese Red Heart Linnie's Oxheart Milka's Red Bulgarian Reif Red Heart Ukrainian Heart Wes Fish Lake Oxheart, the original red/pink version also Bobbie Danko Provenzano Russian 117, double flat heart Aunt Sophie Mom's Heart Favorite Vacation Grandee Orlinoe Serdtse Carolyn __________________ Carolyn

January 26, 2018	#2
SueCT Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Connecticut Posts: 1,460	Not sure I can help you here. I really like Rief Red Heart. I don't really understand the strong taste but not acidic thing, though. As far as I know there really is not a huge variance of acidity between tomatoes, although some people describe strong tasting tomatoes as tasting acidic. Not sure about strong tasting but not acidic. Are you maybe looking for very sweet tomatoes? Can you give some examples of what you consider a strong tasting but not acidic tomato? Maybe you want to stick to pink, yellow and orange varieties? Is there is a particular reason you are looking for a red variety if you don't usually like them?

January 26, 2018	#3
Worth1 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Den of Drunken Fools Posts: 38,539	Wes is a very good one. Worth

January 26, 2018	#6
pmcgrady Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2015 Location: Central Illinois Posts: 1,836	I grew 1 plant from seeds from Macedonia that turned out to be a 1 pound plus red heart, great taste, meaty, not many seeds. I named it Millard's Macedonian Heart after the guy that brought back seeds and has been growing them for years. I'm growing 4 plants this year.

January 26, 2018	#7
dorota Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2016 Location: Poland, EU Posts: 107	I agree with Worth. Wes is very good and beautiful red heart

January 26, 2018	#10
Father'sDaughter Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: MA/NH Border Posts: 4,917	I've grown Wes and it was good, but once I tried Russian 117 it became my go-to red heart. Nicely balanced and rich. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

January 27, 2018	#11
KarenO Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Vancouver Island Posts: 5,928	Very much depends on your season and location imo. Wes and several others mentioned here are quite late season tomatoes. Mayo’s delight, Belarusian heart and EM champion are 3 red hearts that have done well for me in my Canadian garden. I think there should be more so I aim to breed one, ideally PL that will do well and taste great in a northern garden. KarenO

January 27, 2018	#14
natural Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: North GA Posts: 530	I really like Danko. Early and productive. I grew short and bushy. I believe that it was determinate but cannot recall for sure. Bill

January 27, 2018	#15
Cole_Robbie Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Illinois, zone 6 Posts: 8,407	Wes is a very good variety. I also like George Detsikas Italian Red, which I now remember we talked about before, and only some of the fruit on the plant are heart-shaped. So maybe it is not a true heart. I was going to say Kardinal Mazarini, but now that I look it up, it is technically a pink, not a red: http://t.tatianastomatobase.com/wiki/Mazarini