‘Orange Jazz’ is an Excellent New Beefsteak Tomato

Reader Contribution by Fred Hempel and Artisan Seeds
Published on November 10, 2015
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Chasing the Premium Flavor Found in the Best Beefsteak Tomatoes

We started seriously growing heirloom beefsteak tomatoes over 15 years ago. From the first year, I was captivated by the incredible flavor that one finds in the best beefsteak tomatoes. That first year, we grew 40 different varieties with wildly different results. In fact, the difference in quality between the best and the worst beefsteak tomatoes, in our community garden plot, was striking.

Early on, it didn’t really matter to me that over two-thirds of the beefsteaks I grew were quite mediocre, flavor-wise, because the flavor of the best varieties made everything worthwhile. Northern Lights, Red Brandywine and a few others were very good. But, by far, the best-tasting beefsteak tomatoes in our garden the first years were ‘Cherokee Purple’ and ‘Black Krim’ – two varieties that taste similar in many ways. In fact, the major difference, in our experience, between the two varieties, was that the ‘Cherokee Purple’ plants produced more than ‘Black Krim’. Which is why, early on, ‘Cherokee Purple’ became our standard “black” tomato.

The smoky, complex sweetness, and velvety flesh of ‘Cherokee Purple’ was truly eye-opening, and it fueled our general love for “black” tomatoes. Since then, we have tried and enjoyed many more. Over the years, however, other characteristics have continually elevated ‘Cherokee Purple’ above the other beefsteak tomatoes grown on our farm.

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