Two 'maters enter, one 'mater leave!!, shouted the post-apocalyptically attired crowd at our tomato taste test, where we pitted Cherokee Purples [from the plant that Jim's brother gave him in April and we thought had died shortly thereafter] against Carbons. OK, it was just us two, but it was quick and fun and fairly decisive. The two heirloom varieties are both tinged purple-black with the Carbons being the darker of the two. However, the Carbon won hands down with a sweet flavor, mouth-watering flesh and a nice acid finish for a really round, complete flavor. No wonder it won a Cornell heirloom variety taste test.
The differences in growing conditions seemed to favor the Carbon. We had it in a half wine barrel on casters so that we could maximize its sunny hours and, because it was downstairs, we watered it and cared for it more than the upstairs Cherokee, which was in a very small pot (for a tomato), didn't receive much sun and appeared to be diseased for much of the season. However, the Carbon had to compete with a Fengyuan Eggplant and Red Sails lettuce for nutrients and water.
That said, we are guarding or few Carbons jealously, so don't get any ideas. "Break a deal, face the wheel!!" [That line makes more sense if you've seen the Mad Max trilogy as many times as Jim has.]
Yours (through the Wasteland),
Jim and Peta
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