@SSGardener, did you get any of the Paul Robeson tomatoes at that swap? That's the one I have and it is still green.

It was purple something, I think. I need to look it up! Hopefully the label hasn't faded.

Cherokee Purple?

Hi SSG. I think you picked up a Cherokee Purple tomato plant from me at the swap. Mine just started to ripen last week so hopefully yours isn't too far behind.

Oh I thought it might have been a purple something!

That's good to know, @aspenhill! The tomatoes look sooo yummy that I can't wait to bite into it.

I grew several heirloom tomato varieties from seeds from the winter seed swap. Only problem is that I think they were either mislabeled or I mixed up my own labeling when I planted them. I'm now matching up what the ripened tomatoes look like with pictures in this great tomato database that gardadore shared. I might have spoken too soon when I said you picked up Cherokee Purple from me - what was labeled as Cherokee Purple might actually be something else... hmmmm. Anyhow, below are links to the tomato database and to each variety that was on the seed labels from the winter seed swap:

The tomato database covers an extensive list of tomato varieties, and has pictures, growing notes from participants, and my favorite - a short history about where the variety came from.
http://tatianastomatobase.com/...

Cherokee Purple:
http://tatianastomatobase.com/...

Rose:
http://tatianastomatobase.com/...

Limbaugh's Legacy:
http://tatianastomatobase.com/...

Garden Peach:
http://tatianastomatobase.com/...

Arkansas Traveler:
http://tatianastomatobase.com/...

Polish Linguisa:
http://tatianastomatobase.com/...

Mortgage Lifter:
http://tatianastomatobase.com/...

Wonderful info @aspenhill thanks so much!

Wow, what a fantastic database!

Take a look at that Purple Cherokee!

It's apparently one of the earliest beefsteak tomatoes. I guess mine's just taking its time getting nice and juicy!

If I was Rita, I would be making sauce and freezing it for the winter. Nothing like your own spaghetti sauce.

Mmm yummy!

JB said:If I was Rita, I would be making sauce and freezing it for the winter. Nothing like your own spaghetti sauce.

JB, I used to do all those sorts of things when my husband was alive. These days I rarely make sauce. I used to cook the tomatoes down and freeze it like you said. Then in the winter (or whenever I wanted) I could make it into spaghetti sauce or use it as a base for chili. I do however make my own stewed tomatoes which I do in the crockpot and then freeze them.

Also the other day I did freeze some of my home grown pole beans.

I just had my first string beans from the garden last night. Delicious!

Rita , it does make a difference when we are alone. I seldom make sauce anymore since I am alone. My kids are not happy eating Barilla but I am in no mood to cook all day.

JB said:Rita , it does make a difference when we are alone. I seldom make sauce anymore since I am alone. My kids are not happy eating Barilla but I am in no mood to cook all day.

It does, I used to cook more and I certainly used to freeze more of my garden veggies. It just seems like too much work for just one person these days.

But I do really enjoy growing veggies. So I always grow way more than I need and give lots away. Tomatoes I go simply overboard on! I must have 60 plants again this year. So I do eat lots of tomatoes but mostly I give away lots of tomatoes. Most people are thrilled to get home grown tomatoes from the garden.

Catmint20906 said:I just had my first string beans from the garden last night. Delicious!

Oh, that is great. I love fresh green beans although mine are not necessarily green! In fact I usually snack on the sweet young ones as I am out there picking. Love to eat them raw just out in the garden.

You can be sure you saved money for those people you gave your tomatoes. I took my grandson up to the farm the other day where we get some of the special NJ corn and tomatoes and they had tomatoes of all sizes and shapes there...I bought a pint of grape tomatoes....$6.00. Can you imagine? That does not happen often, but this place is special and I wanted his Mother to see all the different varieties of corn and tomatoes they had. They had one called a strawberry tomato also. Same price. I am in the wrong business.

That sounds like a wonderful place. Here we don't have any real farm stands. Maybe out east bit not around me. Best I can do is when they sell local corn at the supermarkets in season.

Okay, so no wonder I get a lot of fruit. I have a very long list of tomato varieties. This year I am growing-

Pork Chop
Black & Brown Boar
Blue Gold
Solar Flare
Blue Beauty
Sweet Carneros Pink
AAA Sweet Solano
Berkeley Tie Dye
SteakHouse Hybrid
Porterhouse Hybrid
Razzle Dazzle
Beaverlodge slicer
Beaverlodge plum
Glacier
Oregon Spring
Cuore Di Bue
Momotaro
Japanese Black Trifle
Pink Berkley Tie Dye
Grandma's Pick
Zebra Cherry
Fantastic
Beefmaster
Belgiam Giant
Yellow Pear
Pink Girl
Sunsugar
Black Cherry
Big Boy (12 plants)
Better Boy (12 plants)
Early Girl (6 plants)
Sweet Million
Juliet
Vivia Italia
Brandywine
Blue Pearl

These ones at the beginning of my list are those "fancy" tomato varieties I bought from Wild Boar Farms.

Pork Chop
Black & Brown Boar
Blue Gold
Solar Flare
Blue Beauty
Sweet Carneros Pink
AAA Sweet Solano
Berkeley Tie Dye

They are newly hybridized by them but selected for old time flavors. And many are really beautiful tomatoes in stripes and swirls of color!

http://www.wildboarfarms.com/w...

ohmigosh, Rita! I want to just wander up and down all those rows of tomato vines and pick and taste them at random!