New Flavor Enhanced Hybrid Tomatoes - Growing Tomatoes Forum

Below is a thread from January 2009 regarding some new flavor "enhanced" hybrids. I was wondering if anyone tried any of them this season and if so what was your experience?
Thanks in advance for any comments:

New Flavor Enhanced Hybrid Tomatoes

Posted by hoosiercherokee IN6 (My Page) on Thu, Jan 22, 09 at 22:51

The varieties released thus far include Red Defender, Scarlet Red, SecuriTY 28, and Mountain Glory. Others may soon be on the way.
Here is a link that explains more: Flavor Enhanced New Hybrids
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Follow-Up Postings:
RE:
Posted by hoosiercherokee IN6 (My Page) on Thu, Jan 22, 09 at 22:58

Although that article was published today and says the varieties may soon be available, fact is Scarlet Red and Mountain Glory already are available at Stokes; and I've seen Red Defender sold somewhere, but cannot remember where just now.
In fact, I bought some Scarlet Red seeds out of Stokes last year. Decent tomato. And I grew Mt. Glory last summer from seeds sent in advance, some of which I shared with growers in Texas and Carolina who also got good, flavorful results. Mountain Glory is a TSWV version of Mountain Spring but has way more flavor.

I had no idea these tomatoes were product of an advancement in flavor enhancing technology until Keith M. sent me this article tonight. Gotta marvel at what the modern seed breeders have been able to do.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
RE:

Posted by rnewste 8b NorCal (My Page) on Thu, Jan 22, 09 at 22:58

hoosier,
The article says the ones you list above are only available to commercial growers - - not home gardeners. However, it says a variety called "Fabulous" has been around and may be available to us mere Mortals. Question: has anyone ever heard of Fabulous and where could one go about getting these seeds?

Raybo
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
RE:

Posted by hoosiercherokee IN6 (My Page) on Thu, Jan 22, 09 at 23:03

Raybo, I don't care what it says. I bought Scarlet Red and grew it last year. I'll post links to the catalog sources when I get time to find them.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Here are Links to the 2009 Catalog

Posted by hoosiercherokee IN6 (My Page) on Thu, Jan 22, 09 at 23:09

Scarlet Red is at the bottom of This Page of Stokes online catalog.
Mountain Glory is at the top of This Page of the same catalog.

It's gonna take me a while to find Red Defender because I think it's in the Twilley catalog and that's at my office and they don't have an online catalog.

In any case, all three of those varieties are available to home gardeners. I think Mountain Glory might even be in the 2009 Totally Tomatoes catalog, too.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Source for Fabulous Seeds

Posted by hoosiercherokee IN6 (My Page) on Thu, Jan 22, 09 at 23:12

Fabulous has been available from Parks Seeds for several years. It's a bit prone to BER in chronic wet conditions. A friend of mine grows it in the field and in his hoop houses for his farm stand.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
RE:

Posted by troad (My Page) on Thu, Jan 22, 09 at 23:14

Bill and Ray
Harris Seeds lists a Red Defender F-1 seeds

Len

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
RE:

Posted by rnewste 8b NorCal (My Page) on Thu, Jan 22, 09 at 23:19

thanks Bill,
While the article praises Fabulous, I can't ever remember anyone here posting it in their "favorites" list. Maybe Carolyn has a sound-bite on it.

Raybo

Follow-Up Postings:

RE: New Flavor Enhanced Hybrid Tomatoes

clip this post email this post what is this?
see most clipped and recent clippings

Posted by trudi_d 7, Long Island (My Page) on
Fri, Nov 13, 09 at 18:27

I grew Fabulous this year. It was fine, nothing to write home about concerning flavor, but it did seem to be a lot more disease tolerant than many other tomatoes in the garden. It makes baseball-size red fruits, fine on a sandwich or salad. I didn't cook them so I don't know how the flesh or flavor held up to heat.

RE: New Flavor Enhanced Hybrid Tomatoes

clip this post email this post what is this?
see most clipped and recent clippings

Posted by hoosiercherokee IN6 (My Page) on
Fri, Nov 13, 09 at 23:19

I grew Mountain Glory again this year (2009) and it performed better and tasted better than last year (2008) even though this year was wetter and cooler.

Also grew Scarlet Red again this summer and it produced more and larger fruit than Mt. Glory but did not have quite as deep a flavor.

Both of those tomatoes still are average with regard to flavor. Better than anything I've bought in a store, but not as tasty as several other hybrids I've grown (Better Boy and Big Boy for sure taste better) and not nearly as deep or rich a flavor as many open pollinated favorites.

Personally, I think the breeders have gone so far with certain traits to build holding and shipping qualities, while ignoring flavor for so long, that even when genetically enhancing these newer hybrids, they still have quite a ways to go before recapturing whatever flavor traits they already have let fall out of commercial hybrids.

Next year I'll try Mountain Magic, but there you're dealing with a saladette or large cherry tomato and there are many hybrid cherry and a few hybrid saladettes that have superior flavor.

Oh, and I did pick up a few Fabulous tomatoes earlier this year like in April or May from Paul Mayse that he grew in his hoop houses and those were very tasty after I left them to fully ripen on the counter.

RE: New Flavor Enhanced Hybrid Tomatoes

clip this post email this post what is this?
see most clipped and recent clippings

Posted by digdirt 6 -7 AR (My Page) on
Sat, Nov 14, 09 at 8:55

Scarlet Red sure seems to be 'sale happy' for the coming year. I have already gotten 4 emails from seed companies pushing Scarlet Red (on sale) as "the solution to all your tomato-growing problems" and similar claims.

Fer sure! I'm waiting for one of them to offer a guarantee on flavor. ;)

Dave

RE: New Flavor Enhanced Hybrid Tomatoes

clip this post email this post what is this?
see most clipped and recent clippings

Posted by bigdaddyj Zone7 (My Page) on
Tue, Nov 17, 09 at 19:24

My Stokes 2010 Catalog arrived today. Mountain Glory and Scarlet Red are both listed on page 51.

RE: New Flavor Enhanced Hybrid Tomatoes

clip this post email this post what is this?
see most clipped and recent clippings

Posted by tomakers SE MA 6? (My Page) on
Wed, Nov 18, 09 at 6:36

Harris also lists Scarlet Red and I grew it last year. However, I was wiped out by LB and never harvested a tomato from it. The plant itself looked good and had quite a few good sized fruit when it bit the dust. Definitely not tolerant of LB. Trying again next year.
Happy Gardening,
Tom

RE: New Flavor Enhanced Hybrid Tomatoes

clip this post email this post what is this?
see most clipped and recent clippings

Posted by azruss 8b Tucson (My Page) on
Fri, Nov 20, 09 at 18:43

I for one no longer have time, space or patience for varieties that don't taste just fabulous. I'm with Dave--I'll wait for a guarantee of flavor.

RE: New Flavor Enhanced Hybrid Tomatoes

clip this post email this post what is this?
see most clipped and recent clippings

Posted by jtcm05 Zone 6 CT (My Page) on
Fri, Nov 20, 09 at 19:56

Well, I don't hear anyone RAVING about the taste of these so I guess they can't be TOO "flavor enhanced" eh?

RE: New Flavor Enhanced Hybrid Tomatoes

clip this post email this post what is this?
see most clipped and recent clippings

Posted by greyghost 19350 (My Page) on
Sat, Nov 21, 09 at 11:53

I grew Scarlet Red (purchased from Harris) and was disappointed in the taste. Got some nice size blemish-free
fruits, very beautiful but taste wasn't as good as many of
the heirlooms. Overall, because of the very wet season,
all varieties had a watered-down taste but this variety
didn't live up to the high expectations I had for it.

RE: New Flavor Enhanced Hybrid Tomatoes

clip this post email this post what is this?
see most clipped and recent clippings

Posted by rwk_nova 7, Northern VA (My Page) on
Wed, Nov 25, 09 at 16:01

Thanks for the opinions!
Sounds like nothing to run out and replace Better Boy or Big Beef with as my hybrids although I'm thinking of trying Moreton Hybrid and wonder if Ramapo F1 differs much from the F6 seeds I grew this season. Ramapo F6 turned out to be a very tasty and large, if somewhat later than Better Boy and Big Beef, tomato.

RE: New Flavor Enhanced Hybrid Tomatoes

clip this post email this post what is this?
see most clipped and recent clippings

Posted by trudi_d 7, Long Island (My Page) on
Wed, Nov 25, 09 at 16:41

I'm glad to hear the F6 did well for you! I grew some too and thought they ere just wonderful.

RE: New Flavor Enhanced Hybrid Tomatoes

clip this post email this post what is this?
see most clipped and recent clippings

Posted by hoosiercherokee IN6 (My Page) on
Wed, Nov 25, 09 at 19:12

RWK, if you grew Ramapo F6 side by side with Better Boy and Big Beef and got better results from the Ramapo, I'd stick with those rather than switch to something else, unless you have extra space and just want to try out Moreton (which I found okay but not as good as Ramapo - think mine were F4s or F5s - don't remember right now). But why even bother with Ramapo F1 if your F6s are that great?

Post a Follow-Up

Please Note: Only registered members are able to post messages to this forum.

If you are a member, please log in.

If you aren't yet a member, join now!

Return to the Growing Tomatoes Forum