2025 Tomato Tasting Event
In celebration of our community, the 2025 Texas Master Gardener Interns held a Tomato Tasting event the morning of June 6. We served tomato varieties separated into categories: Slicer varieties Carmello, Early Girl, Green Zebra and Hossinator; Paste varieties Black Plum, Juliet, Plum Regal and San Marzano; and Saladet varieties Patio, Sun Sugar, Supersweet 100 and Yellow Pear. We invited the public to vote on their fave tomato variety by taste preference. The program also included tours of the garden and tomato cultivation seminar by Horticulture Agent Stephen Brueggerhoff.
Following are preference for category winners:
Slicers 1st place – Green Zebra; followed by Early Girl, Hossinator and Carmello
Paste 1st place – Juliet; followed by Plum Regal, San Marzano and Black Plum
Saladet 1st place – Sun Sugar; followed by Supersweet 100, Yellow Pear and Patio
We thank you for joining us this year, and see you at the 2026 Tomato Tasting Event next May!
Brazos County AgriLife Extension Service strives to provide the public with accurate information and best practices through research-based programs. The Tomato Trials purpose identifies tomato varietals that perform best in Brazos County.
Research methods: Texas Master Gardener Interns recorded data of 12 different tomato varieties from transplant to harvest. Data included transplant date, weekly average growth rate, first bloom and fruit, and first harvest. Additional data includes the number of viable and discarded fruit, harvested weight and number of all fruit, and the time/date of the harvest. The tomatoes were planted randomly in designated raised beds at our Demonstration Idea Garden (DIG), 2619 Hwy 21 West, in Bryan. We used the Florida Weave method supporting the plants during growth. Plants were started from seed January 5, and transplanted into the beds March 5, 2025. All are hand-watered and fertilized throughout the growing period.
Report: The trials ended June 27. Data will be published and available soon!
* All images this page by Stephen Brueggerhoff