Violet Jasper or Tzi Bi U Tomato

-- As I mentioned before, the flavor was inconsistent, but some were awesome, w/ a purple flesh & smokey flavor. -- This tomato is what got me hooked on "black"/purple tomatoes. I've tried multiple varieties since, trying to find the fine smokey flavor I tasted in SOME of these Violet Jasper tomatoes I had in my garden...so no avail. Sad, as many claim to have some special smokey flavor...& always, ALWAYS disappoint me - esp. w/ smaller varieties, which seem to work best for me, as birds peck the larger ones or something messes them up, or the weather is too much for them. So, I try medium to small "dark" varieties, and those few excellent Violet Jaspers make me think about them again & again. Only Chocolate Sprinkles temporarily helps, but it's not smokey (although always delicious). Some day, I will likely buy a huge amount of seeds in an attempt to select a line of Violet Jaspers for that amazing flavor I found in so few of them - yes, it was that good! (Plus, plant toughness)

I tried this several years ago & was impressed that some were (& still are) some of the best tomatoes I've ever eaten. Those select ones were deep purple-fleshed w/ a truly smokey flavor - hmm, delicious!! However, many lacked that quality & some not very flavorful at all. They had all been grown in a row from seed at the same time. I regret I didn't save seed from the best, but after they'd been eaten & I tasted how great the few awesome ones were, it was too late for that. I think this variety could do with someone making choice selections of the best-tasting fruits to come up with a "select" version or "improved" version that is more consistent for good flavor & color (also lacking). Plants all grew about the same, aside from flavor & color of some. Tough, durable in Texas.

I started many plants from this tomato variety seed. They grew quickly and were plentiful. However, I have no idea what they would be good for since they have no flavor and are mushy on the inside. I tried using them for roasting, cutting, making tomato sauce, cooking, but really they are just not very good.

I anxiously awaited some ripe violet jasper tomatoes to add some new color to the tomatoes on the farm stand. These ripened about 2 weeks after the cherry tomatoes and Dad's Sunset. As soon as a few ripened I picked some and tried one. The taste and texture was so bad that I didn't even finish one slice of it. Since the plants did seem to produce a lot of tomatoes, I tried to add them to sauce or to my dehydrated tomatoes. No good for either of these purposes either. Once peeled and seeded there is maybe a half teaspoon of usable pulp. They have an overabundance of extra large seeds considering the small size of the tomato. When I returned from a 4 day vacation in August, the plants were loaded with tomatoes, but many were rotten before they ripened. I picked about 5 gallons of tomatoes, green and ripe, fed them to the pigs, and then tore out the vines to make room for something I can eat.

First year with this variety. I have to say it was the worst tomato I grew out of many varieties. The texture tasted like hothouse winter tomatoes, very pulpy, no juice, no taste. Prolific producer but will feed them to the chickens..Definitely not something I will grow again to eat.