Violet Jasper or Tzi Bi U Tomato

Started these tomatoes from seeds and easily transplanted them into the garden in mid-May in zone 6b. Plants have grown very well and required minimal attention other than fertilizing and watering deeply. These are the first tomatoes that have ripened in our garden. Unfortunately, they are very mealy, mushy, liquidy and tasteless. Very disappointed in this variety and will not be re-ordering. We have a smaller raised bed garden so it’s disappointing to have chosen a tomato that will not offer us great summer tomato taste.

-- 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.