Here is a list of the various types of tomatoes I’ve tried growing in Texas along with how each tomato performed. For a general overview and when to plant read Tomatoes in Texas.

Pests
Tomatoes are bothered by spider mites, leaf hoppers, tomato horn worms and a few other nasty bugs, but most are readily controlled by neem oil. If you don’t want to buy neem oil,  try insecticidal soap–two to three tablespoons of liquid hand-washing soap (such as Dial) per gallon of water. Do NOT use laundry soap or dishwashing soap. Use a very mild hand or body soap. Spray during cool parts of the day. If you’re spraying daily, rinse the plants with plain water every few days.

For horn worms, there’s a specific spray that affects only the worms–BT Worm Killer. It works because the bateria cultures in the spray are eaten by the worm and then the worm stops eating. Check at any gardening store for this product.

To help keep tomatoes fresh longer, first rinse with cold water. After they have completely dried, microwave them for six seconds. If you microwave more than one at a time, make sure the tomatoes are not touching one another. If they touch, they will begin cooking. This microwave trick works for both freshly harvested or store-bought tomatoes.

Microwaving onions or tomatoes in this manner kills bacteria and helps preserve the vegetables longer.

Freezing Tomatoes

Freeze without Blanching
Freezing tomatoes is very easy. You can wash them, dry them and simply put them in freezer bags. When thawed, the skins fall off easily. If you use your tomatoes in stews or crockpot recipes, you must thaw the tomatoes and remove the skins before putting them in the pot.

To avoid having skins at thaw time, blanch the tomatoes first, then freeze.

Freeze after Blanching

Blanching tomatoes is simple. Place them in boiling water long enough for the skins to crack and peel away (2 to 5 minutes).

Boil water in a large pot. (Stock pots are great for this).
Using tongs, place tomatoes in the pot one at a time.
As you add tomatoes, make sure to spin the ones already in the pot so that the surface of each tomato is covered or subjected to the hot water.

When cracks begin to appear on the tomato skins, use the tongs to take the tomatoes out.

If the tops of your tomatoes have green shoulders, the green part of the tomato will not peel. Cut that part off AFTER you blanch them and before you put the tomatoes into freezer bags.

Drain and cool. The skins will peel away easily. You can chop the tomatoes at this time, or simply put them whole in freezer bags and freeze.

I like to freeze them in the quart-sized freezer bags. Each bag holds two to four more tomatoes that you would find in a 14 oz can of tomatoes. I do not squish the tomatoes into the bag; rather just press them comfortably together.

Having some of the tomatoes chopped in the freezer saves time later; however chopping them is messy (juice runs all over the place!) It is easier to chop them partially thawed just before use.

Green Tomatoes
Freezing tomatoes should work with green tomatoes also, but I have never tried. I’m not certain how well they would peel using either method. (Many people like to eat fried green tomatoes.) I do not think the green tomatoes would be very good for frying after being frozen, but they could be used in stews or sauces.

I know you’re all eagerly awaiting the list of just what type of tomatoes I’ll be growing this year. Well, the plants have all pretty much either sprouted or refused to sprout so here they are:

Roma – A plain variety so that I have a comparison with some of the specialty romas I’ve been trying.

Viva Italia – A specialty roma variety. I want to compare to last year’s olpaka–which was a long-lasting variety. Opalka and Viva Italia are both supposed to have very good taste. I tried to grow both last year, but the Viva’s didn’t viva.

Ultimate Opener This is an early tomato. It’s very large, beautiful shape. The taste is a bit average if you ask me (still, waaaay better than a store-bought tomato), but they come in early and very strong. I do this one for its early tomatoes and also to give away because it produces enough that I generally have extras!

Celebrity – I plant these every year. They rock. They taste awesome, they do okay in the heat and they are disease and bug resistant. They do crack a bit, but they last through summer and have a decent fall season as well. Production is medium of medium to large-sized fruits.

Juliet – Wonderful, large grape tomato. Not as sweet as the smaller variety, but this thing produces out the ying-yang and the fruits keep extremely well.

Wisconsin – This is an indulgence. The plant didn’t produce a lot last year, it wasn’t particularly bug-resistant, it didn’t produce again in the fall…but the tomatoes were early and the taste was awesome! I plan on getting my early tomatoes and then pulling the plant when the heat sets in.

Siberian I grew this one indoors starting in early November, planning on having tomatoes through the winter. Well, there is one on the plant, but it has sat there. Green. This is the only heirloom I grow. The tomatoes are medium-sized, very good taste, especially in the spring and the plant does well overall. Next year I’ll try planting it in October.

As for cucumbers, I always do the bush, eating type. That’s worked out very well. This year I may try a sprite melon in addition to the mini-cantaloupes.

I read a lot of articles on tomatoes—which ones to get, which ones grow best where. Everyone has their own tastes, so it’s hard to figure out which ones to grow. For what it is worth, I’ve compiled a list of tomato plants that I’ve grown in Texas—both the hill country and in Houston. I suspect that some of these strains grown farther north probably taste different and also produce differently so take into account your weather. Texas generally has temperatures near 100 in the summer with warm nights in the mid-seventies.

In summary, my favorite tasting tomato is: Celebrity. It grows decently in Texas, medium to large sized, very tasty fruits. Second, and I grow it for yield, resistance to pests, and tolerance to heat is: Juliet. These large grape tomatoes are not as sweet as some of the the smaller ones, but one plant produces enough to keep me eating tomatoes all summer when production of other tomatoes is over.

Last, but not least, Roma tomatoes are also high yielding, tolerant to heat and pests–I grow these for salsa and freezing.

When to Plant

Tomatoes start producing in Texas in May—if planted in mid-February to mid-March. The same holds true for most other plants, including chiles. I always plant in late January or early February. Sometimes a late freeze means I plant twice, but when that doesn’t happen, my yields are high and delicious!!!!

For fall, I buy Juliet plants as soon as I can find them–usually around late August or sometime in Sept. I keep them indoors in a pot until it cools down and then either plant in a large pot or directly in the ground.

Best Method: Pot them in a large pot. Leave outside most of the time, but bring them in during freezes. The plants will produce all winter.

If you plant them directly into the soil, the plants will freeze–but I’ve had them make it through most of November (covered on any freezing night).

I’ve tried potting Celebrity over the winter, but the tomatoes grow too slowly and have to get too big before harvest. I got a single medium-sized tomato for my trouble. I highly recommend cherry or grape tomatoes over larger varieties for fall planting!

Pests
Tomatoes are bothered by spider mites, leaf hoppers, tomato horn worms and a few other nasty bugs, but most are readily controlled by insecticidal soap. If you don’t want to buy insecticidal soap, you can mix your own–two to three tablespoons of liquid hand-washing soap (such as Dial) per gallon of water. Do NOT use laundry soap or dishwashing soap. Use a very mild hand or body soap. Spray during cool parts of the day. If you’re spraying daily, rinse the plants with plain water every few days.

For horn worms, there’s a specific spray that affects only the worms–BT Worm Killer. It works because the bateria cultures in the spray are eaten by the worm and then the worm stops eating. Check at any gardening store for this product.

For a chart of the tomatoes I’ve tried growing, see Chart of Tomatoes.