Unusual tomato varieties: tigerella, tumbling tiger, black cherry, black russian

A few prize examples of my more unusual varieties.  Ignore the little yellow, one, I hate yellow tomatoes

At the end of the day, all the matters about a tomato is how it tastes.  Ideally not thick skinned and fluffy like a potato in my opinion.  But, if a tomato can be tasty and unusual in appearance then I like it.  I managed to buy some plants that promised a little variety on the usual red round fruit.  Some are heritage, and some are just a bit different.  As long as they aren't yellow, different is good.

Two tigerella tomatoes.  Its difficult to see as the light was bright but they do have a subtle patchy stripe.  Taste just
like a normal tomato

I have two stripey varieties, both named after tigers.  Tigerella produces lovely medium red round tomatoes but with a nice stripey jacket, just like a tiger but in shades of red with a touch of yellow.  Tumbling tiger is a little more unusual.  A very small bush plant it certainly doesn't need a lot of space.  The fruits are really long and elongated, far more oval than round, and the brightest orange colour, but again with stripes.  The orange colour keeps throwing me because I don't think they are ripe, and they are.  I have found one or two on the ground because I ignored them too long.  The colour is the exact same shade as Heinz cream of tomato soup.  I don't remember the tomatoes tasting the same though which in my book is a shame.  Both are pretty productive and great additions.

Tumbling tigers.  To me that orange one is miles off, but it isn't actually far from being ripe, deceptive little devil.  Interesting one to watch with its very elongated fruits and very economical on space

I have also enjoyed growing black cherry.  Small cherry-like fruits similar in size and shape to supersweet, but with a darkened smokey red appearance, these are just a novelty.

These black cherries have a lovely smokey black tinge, the mother thought there was something wrong with them.  She doesn't appreciate style

Another 'black' tomato which isn't really black at all is black russian.  This has really big fruits, nearing beefstake size.  The fruits have changed colour in a lovely way, being mottled green to orange red all at once.  They are also of that more knobbly than perfectly spherical.  They are admittedly exceptionally fluffy in flavour.  Think of these as full of boiled potatoes masquerading as a red fruit.  The fruits are lovely and big, but this means that when we had some impressive storms the resulting deluge popped the skins open like a fat butt ripping open some tight jeans.

Now heres a rustic tomato.  This feels like it should make a bolognese or something.  But of a fluffy one unfortunately

I know a plain red tomato is more than fine, and everybody would rather a tasty one than a fluffy one, but I do enjoy growing the unusual ones.  I would definitely grow different ones again next year, ideally from seed if I can.  I have one more unusual tomato to share, but he, yes he, deserves a whole post all of his own.

And I had a severe case of split with this one

The season as a whole is still progressing well with my larder constantly stocked with home grown tomatoes.  Only this week have numbers slowed as the heavens have opened and temperatures plunged.  But I still have over 50 to ripen if the weather ever improves!