Have any of you been disappointed by mealy toms? Yesterday after shoring up my wicked and crazy growing tomato plants, I discovered a red and delicious looking beauty. I accidently split the tom in two trying to pick it (it was caught between branches), and the insides were mealy looking. It is a "beefsteak" type, good size. This is the first year I'm trying the square foot gardening method, the raised bed is fairly shallow, maybe 7 or 8 inches of planter mix on top of plastic weed guard,but the plants are over 5 feet tall. The planter mix is 1/3 each vermiculite, compost and peat moss. I've given several applications of Miracle-Gro., so growth is obviously not an issue. After all the $, time and effort, unless I can start getting good tomatoes from this plant, I'll yank it out of the ground and start something else. Thank you in advance for any info.
Beefsteak type tomatoes are prone to mealiness. That's not to say each and every one will be mealy, but they are more likely to become so than the later producing, smaller fruited types. The texture/taste could also be affected by watering methods. A good deep soaking every two or three days is better than just some water daily. Overripe tomatoes can become mealy--that red delicious looking one may have been a day or two past its prime.
Did you taste it though? was it mealy in your mouth or just mealy looking? I have seen many toms pulled apart and they do look mealy, but not have a mealy texture in the mouth. Incidentally, refrigerating tomatoes will make them mealy and change the flavor (for the worse)..so always store them cool, but not cold or just on the counter.
Well, tried a second tom today, not quite as red as first, good flavor, good balance of juice and meatiness. I never refrigerate the tomatoes unless they are cut up in some way. Thank you for your input. Carolyn, I did not bother tasting it, just went by the visual.
