My personal favorite is Cherokee Purple. Whats yours?

That's a good one! Probably my favorite is Black Krim. Followed closely by a couple of pinks I really enjoy, one I lost the tag for it, I just keep saving seed every year. LOL

Black Cherry ranks right up there too.

Hope it's okay to just jump on in here.

Oh, goodness. Do I have to pick just one?

Neves Azorean Red is fantastic. Then there's Kelloggs Breakfast...Mortgage Lifter...German Johnson...Gregori's Altai...Aunt Ginny's Purple...

For paste tomatoes we love Federle. I've been saving seed on the biggest and best of it each year and am now getting a larger proportion of monsters at or about 1lb. and about the size of my outstretched palm.

We also plant one that was from seed a fellow tomato fanatic saved from a hybrid some years ago. We've been saving the seed on those each year, and it has stabilized into one great processing tomato, though it's also a good all rounder for salads and salsas. We named it "Buckeye Boon" since we live in OH.

FYI the Kelloggs Breakfast, Mortgage Lifter, and German Johnson all did great for us where we used to live in southern MD.

I just KNOW I've forgotten some. We grow almost all heirlooms here on the farm.

I grow different ones every year so do not have a real favorite yet.
I did like Cherokee Purple when i grew it. It had a bit of a smoky flavour to it, I thought.

I like yellow pear as it is a favorite with the grandkids. It fits nicely in small hands,-- and because it is on the mealy side --it does not squirt juice all over when they bite into one.

This year I am going to grow Beam's yellow pear which is supposed to be suitable for the northern gardens.

Will keep in touch with this forum when I get to tomatoes.
Right now I am WS perennials. And have started geraniums, tuberous begonias and petunias under lights indoors.

Love Mortgage Lifter, Ky Striper, Ky Beefsteak, Chocolate Cherry, Galina's Yellow Cherry... the list goes on. LOL

I have found one that I really like but doesn't seem to get much attention...Large Pink Bulgarian.

My experience with this variety is fairly tall plants, 6'-7', and produces about 40 fruits in the 8 to 12oz range. Flavor is just what is advertised, a good balance of sugar and acid.

I also grow Black Cherry every year too!

I'll make anything my favorite if we just get decent weather this year. Last year was too cool for decent tomatoes.

I agree, Arlene, I lost all but six of my 30 tomato plants (heirlooms) to early blight and leaf spot. WAY too cool and damp in June and July here on the Cape. I wondered if part of the problem was in herilooms themselves? Are they more susceptible to fungal diseases that some of the "engineered" hybrids? But then that wouldn't explain how heirlooms and OP toms have managed to survive down through the generations. . .
Anyway, among others that people have already listed I also love Mr. Stripey.
Just dying to get my lips wrapped around a REAL tomato!! Fun just to say the names.

My favorite tomato is Bonnys Best and Black Prince.
Cherry tomato is Juliet.

yes i believe heirlooms are more prone to virus than a hybrid.
we have a lot of humidity. So we are always fighting the battle.
i just plant more and then i do have hybrids as back up.
i m looking forward to Hillybilly this year.
also got some new cherries
Lollipop is one of them . sounds yummy ?

One of my favorite hybrids is Burpees Best Boy.

I think i got a roma and a super beef in the hybrid and one tha is just a number LOL but its disease resistant and i need that just in case . Not the greatest flavor but ? with enough basil and other herbs grilled and broiled or in sauce its all good.
fresh eating well.... that has to be a heirloom. no comparism.

"yes i believe heirlooms are more prone to virus than a hybrid.
we have a lot of humidity. So we are always fighting the battle. "
Sue, I heard a lecture from the County Extension today, and the speaker reiterated that last summer was "a Perfect Storm" here in New England for tomato viruses--a cold, wet spring and early summer--which awakened the various blights. So here comes a new season and I have hope that my heirlooms will be much better this year! Forgot to mention that I love Brandywine Sudduth Strain, too.

We had a cool wet summer. not good for tomatos.
yes got to love them brandywine i think i have OTV ? variety this year.

Pruden's Purple and Black Krim, hands down!

my black cherry and cherokee purple don't seem to want to grow ?
those sound yummy Gym !

I can't say a favorite because I've had so many bad years . . not just due to Mother Nature but due to Mother Me!

But one year, Orange King really produced well and became my favorite; last year it was Dr Wyches Yellow that did well.

I am going to be more mindful of my cultural practices this year and I also have a grade school friend that want to go to the farm with me and help. It will be so much more enjoyable to have some company.

Hi,
I just want to clear up some confusion here about the tomato diseases mentioned above. Early Blight(not always early) and Late Blight(not always late) are Fungal diseases not viruses. For these 2 fungal diseases, it does not matter whether or not a tomato or a hybrid or heirloom. If you have heard otherwise, it was misinformation.
Early Blight causes oyster shell looking marks and the leaves become yellow eventually dying off. It likes hot humid weather. A severe case can kill a plant, but with spraying organic or not, the fungus can be controlled. The spores can overwinter so good sanitation is recommended.
Late Blight kills plants right quick. It looks like actual furry mold on the plants and then they become a slimy mess pretty much overnight. It is air born and likes cool damp weather. There is no cure. This is the disease that affected so many gardeners last year. Luckily, it does not over winter! It can only survive in living tissue. So unless you grew Potatoes that were infected and saved those, you don't need to worry as long as Mother Nature is good to you this year.
There's other fungus problems like Septoria and those also affect hybrids and heirlooms the same.

Viruses are a totally different group of tomato diseases. If you live up north, you really don't need to worry about them. Though I'm sure it could be possible to buy infected plants. Down south is different(and I'm not sure about the west.) Some areas are prone to viruses. There are hybrids with disease resistance to certain viruses. If you live in an area prone to a particular one, it is best to buy resistant hybrids along with heirlooms in case the virus rear its ugly head. In fact I spoke to one southern gardener that has to buy only plants resistant to a certain virus or they can not grow tomatoes.
Hope this helped some,
Remy

Ooops, I forgot to say Stump of the World is my favorite!
Remy

Thanks for clearing that up, Remy! Glad to know the difference between funguses and viruses.