The "Magic Cross" I would like to see

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Okay, I'll admit it, I am selfish. I would like to see someone breed a cross of a long, large pendular paste tomato (something akin to Federle or Opalka which both have fairly good flavor for paste-types) with a black and my personal favorite of those is Tula.

The "black" variety market is exploding. I am currently drying numerous black types for which I get almost double the money but none of them are paste varieties. They have too much moisture and too many seeds. I have to dry almost double the fresh amount to get a pound. Although I personally don't transcend into a state of rapture over the black varieties flavors as many do, I will admit that at least some of the black varieties are more flavorful than the average paste variety. In addition to dried, many Chefs are wanting the black types for sauce and now, they are also asking for "white" varieties for sauce which they are using for seafood recipes. Many Chefs are now using only heirloom varieties in their recipes siting the same arguements we use...commercial varieties lack flavor.

For any of you growing for market, I would advise visiting some upscale restaurants with your heirlooms and letting the Chefs taste them. I think they will be pleasantly surpised at the huge flavor difference.

Anyway, for those ambitious souls, A long black paste would be like winning the lottery for me!

[Wi-sunflower]

While not really dark black, Purple Russian is a roma and grows really nice.It's not all that big, more of a normal roma size, but it does have decent flavor. I've grown it for years and like it as a fresh tomato.

I've also been hearing lots of great stuff about Brad's Black Heart from Wild Boar Farms. I will be growing it this year. While not a roma, the hearts are meatier than the regular types.

Until someone comes up with your ideal, those might be 2 to try.

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I just got some Brad's Black Heart seed to try. For my sun dried tomato business I am always looking for large, dry, few seeds. Unfortunately, when you use just that criteria, the taste isn't as good. I have really been chatting with the Chefs that buy from me. They are using sun drieds more and more. I am going to add some sauce tomatoes to my grow list to sell fresh to them as they now know how much more flavor the heirlooms have. They are all hyped on the white or black sauce (it probably means they can charge more for a dish if they can talk up the color as well as the flavor on the heirlooms?) There are so many people who have no idea how much better heirloom varieties taste compared to the cardboard tomatoes sold at the store.

[DuckCreekFarms]

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I noticed that on Brad Gates Site, he is selling dried tomatoes for $20.00/lb. He says that it take about 20 pounds of fresh to make one pound of dry...Is that your experience?

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Yes, I knew Brad was selling dried tomatoes. And yes, the 20 to 1 ratio is about right but of course, it depends on variety. Non-paste types have so much moisture it can take up to 35 lbs of fresh to get a pound of dry. I have chefs that want the black varieties and most of those are not paste types so it takes many more to get a pound and I charge more for them. Since I mainly grow types with few seeds, I find the seeds in dried, non-paste types to be much too prolific and I try to clean out as many as I can (thus making the whole process more labor intensive and more costly!) The seed cavities in non-paste types are much larger so there is a lot of "vacant" space per slice. I have started just cutting non-paste types in half to dry, unless they are very large, like Tula which I cut into 1" slices. You can see why I want one of the "Tomato Wizards" here to perfect a thick, meaty, few seeded black with a twang to the taste. Would make my life much less complicated and streamline my drying process for black varieities. I wanted to add that my recipe for drying includes soaking the sliced tomatoes in red wine for 24 hours. The non-paste types degenerate in the wine unless the slices are really thick (and I am sure Carolyn can explain why...must have something to do with acidity or amino acids...)

[oc tony]

I have read about a variety named Debaro black. I have not grown it, maybe someone could comment if it would make a good drying tomato

[brokenbar]

Debaro is good but not very large and I found the ones I grew had more moisture than reported.

[dokutaaguriin]

Have you tried Black Plum? I have dried a few and thought they were pretty tasty.
Jeff

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Jeff, I have not tried it. How large is it?

[Wi-sunflower]

It's a nice, productive tomato. One that i like for eating too. But it is SMALL. It's a grape size.

[brokenbar]

Too much work for me. I sell about1500 lbs a year and the small varieties just take to many to make a pound.

[nctomatoman]

Another vote for Purple Russian - great taste, great productivity - and is very much like a Cherokee Purple flavored, purple fruited Opalka type!

[newatthiskat]

Got a new dehydrator and have really been reading this post with enthusiasm. Have to say have not tried a dried tomato at all yet but really lookingforward to trying. The wine soak idea is great. A question. Is the tomato left with the alcohol content? I can just see a bunch of drunk people at work or church!
Kat

[oc tony]

There are thousands of deferent wine labels each label having a number of red wines, each with their own taste characteristics much the same as red tomatoes. Could you narrow the selection down a bit?

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Newatthiskat: I am no chemist but there is no residule taste of alcohol on the dried tomatoes. I speculate it evaporates during the long drying process.

OC TOny: I use cheap Merlot (and the cheaper the better because I do so many, I would be broke buying good wine!) I have a friend who swears by Chianti and a customer that now grows and dehydrates their own uses Burgundy. I speculate you could use the wine of your choice although I don't know if white wines would impart as much flavor?

As regards the wine, I can usually soak 4 batches of tomatoes in one solution of wine before discarding it. After that many tomatoes soaking, there is a larger and larger amount of tomato juice mixed in with the wine. I have a neighbor I give the used stuff to who mixes it with grain & feeds it to her pigs and yes...she says they get a little drunk! The wine soak actually aids in the whole dehydrating process because the wine seems to act as a drawing agent and pulls a lot of the juice out of the tomatoes. It also helps to acidify them.

I use a 5 gallon bucket (for me, more like 25- 5 gallon buckets at a time!) Make sure the plastic bucket you use is food grade and has not had chemicals or other nasty things in it. I get mine from the restaurants I sell to as they buy a lot of food-stuff in those buckets. For anyone who makes refrigerator pickles, peppers or Giardiniera (pickled mixed veggies) hit the restaurants up for gallon jars as well.

Any other questions just give me a holler!