OK....I picked the first two Opalka heirloom tomatoes.
It's mid-August and the vines are vibrant and still producing blooms. Plants have sturdy stakes and are off the ground. While I see hornworm, fusariam blight & cracking on neighboring Cherokee Purple & Sungold Cherry tomatoes, there are none of these problems with Opalka.
Ripe tomatoes are firm and overall red with no green or tough shoulders.
Upon washing & slicing, I notice skin is not tough or thick. Very few seeds, mostly even red flesh that is NOT mealy. These are not an excessively juicy tomato.
Flavor is real old fashioned tomato. A light hint of sweetness, not acid tasting at all. When eaten alone, I detect a sweet after taste.
I predict I would use Opalka as a slicer for fresh serving; for paste, sauce, ketchup; in stews & soups; and, even freezing whole.
I will save seeds & grow again next year.
