I mostly agree with you BUT. I all ways grow one stupice. They don't taste that bad when it early and there is no other tomato. It will stand in the cold wind and bloom when the others give up.

colokid has it right, the stupice is a wonderful tomato when you can't get any other homegrown tomatoes. Later in the season I will add them to my sauces that I am canning. They are pretty darn good as sauce in the winter when you don't have fresh tomatoes.

Betsy

I agree too. I will always plant one Stupice because it is so early and keeps kicking out tomatoes, but once better tasting tomatoes become available the fruit is just left to rot on the vine because most people would rather eat something else.

ispahan - thanks for this post. I had put Stupice on my list of tomatoes to try, but I will be crossing it off.

I prefer Matina. Just as early, just as productive but slightly better tasting. It still is no Carbon or Black Krim, but its not a spitter. I grow it to get tomatoes early. Then when the tastier varieties start producing, it is salsa filler. :)

ispahan,

From your post it seems you are looking for maybe not as early, but taste prevailing 6 ounce. One that I grow every year is Mountain Princess, because I like the taste balance. It can be grown in a 6-10 gal. pot, or growbag and that's what I do, I grow it outside of the garden. In the earlier (and smaller) category I agree with Matina, (although seedy) having an edge over Stupice in taste.

I have to agree... once my others start coming in, I stop wanting to just pop my stupices in my mouth. I've been dehydrating mine with great success. Cut in half, scoop out seeds, and stick on the dehydrator at 125 for about 8 hours. The dried product is not as good as my red figs, which I grow specifically to dry, but they're pretty darn good. No waste!

My 1st year growing them. I like that I can go out and pick a couple handfulls every other day while I wait for everything else to ripen. I sliced a bunch up on a pizza with some seasoning and it brought out some great flavor when baked.

I usually grow Stupice and in a good year I can have ripe fruit by Memorial Day. The early ones don't have the best taste but they get better as the weather gets warmer; I think that is true of most varieties. I always try to grow at least 6 or 8 different kinds so I always have some ripe fruit even if the weather gets hot, or cold, or dry or rainy. And different varieties are resistant to different diseases and environmental stresses.

Bob B.

As long as they are still a little firm, Stupice is great and only go mealy when they are overripe. We eat some of the early ones fresh, but mostly dry them. Their little size is perfect for three slices that go straight into the dehydrator. We usually grow 5-6 plants just for drying.

Another vigorous small-fruited heirloom, Tropic, will set heavy crops and stands up to disease, but it doesn't fruit early like Stupice.

Don't tomatoes taste the best if they are ripened on the vine?

I used to grow Stupice and prefer Matina which is a look alike in all ways except I think the taste is better and it too is early and productive and have tried Kimberly and Bloody Butcher as well.

But what I currently like the best is Moravsky Div, which is very early and for me has great taste.

There were four different Stupicka's developed in Czechoslovakia, two for outdoor growing and two for glass house growing.

At another site there's been a very long thread about Moravsky Div and there appears to be some agreement with research done with Moravoseed and other places in Europe that Moravsky Div may be one of the indoor ones but grows great outside as well.

In my experience the fruits of MD are a bit smaller than conventional Stupice or Matina but the taste is much much better and it has performed well for me in my area all summer.

Below is a link to Tania's T-base for seed sources and I was the source of seed to Glecklers, Jeff Casey, Sandhill and Victory Seeds, where I usually send the best of what I've grown each year. I also send to Linda Sapp at TGS but she's very behind in trialing varieties right now.

Glenn Drowns comment at Sandhill amused me b/c he notes in his catalog/website that he put out 4 inch transplants and had fruits 43 days later.

Carolyn

Here is a link that might be useful: Seed sources for Moravsky Div

Just a thought; those who have not been very happy with the taste, maybe it's because of the growing conditions or climate? I have grown them from seed at 1000' elevation (starting them in my greenhouse) for the past 8 years or so; and they are the tastiest tomatoes I've ever tasted! They remind me of the flavor I used to get when I was a kid (I'm 56) and they are super producers! I get 2-3 dish tubs full almost every day during peak season; and they are slow to split at the end of the season when the weather changes (I'm in the Pacific Northwest, the weather changes a lot in spring and fall). I am having trouble finding true Stupice seeds again though, some are not potato leaf varieties, and they just aren't the same.

Debi, what was your seed source, and please read my post above yours which might help,since all 'I've ever know are PL Stupikas, as originallly called.

And please also read thel link I gavea bove to Tanias' page for it which might also clarify the issue.

Again, what was your seed source or sources,either commercial or with traded seeds.

Carolyn

Try stiletz. It's earlier, tastier and abundant with fruit.