This is the latest in a series of posts that I’ve done about my favorite varieties of fruits, vegetables and herbs we grow at Happy Acres. To see my other Spotlights, and those from other garden bloggers, visit the Variety Spotlights page.
Today’s Spotlight is on a tomato that is sort of difficult to categorize. It’s too big to be called a grape tomato, and not quite as big as a Roma. Some catalogs call it a ‘baby Roma’ type, while others call it a Romanita or Saladette type. Whatever label you choose, Golden Rave is a golden yellow hybrid tomato I’ve been growing for almost ten years now.
Golden Rave paste tomatoes
Golden Rave has been a dependable and prolific performer for me ever since I started growing it. In my garden, the indeterminate vines quickly reach to the top of my five foot tomato cages and start spilling over, so sturdy cages or stakes are recommended. The vines usually keep producing over a long period, and according to the breeder (Sakata Seed) they are resistant to Fusarium wilt and TMV.
Golden Rave tomato
Most catalog descriptions say Golden Rave fruits get about 2″ long and weigh between 1-2 ounces, which matches my experiences growing them. And while they do resist cracking, they aren’t totally immune to it. That said, they have held up very well this year with our above average rainfall that has wreaked havoc on many of the tomato varieties I grow.
recent harvest of Golden Rave tomatoes
Golden Rave has more flavor than most paste tomatoes, though the flavor is mild like many yellow tomatoes. It also is a bit more juicy than most paste tomatoes. I know a lot of people will be thinking “what do you do with a yellow paste tomato?” My answer is “anything you do with a red paste tomato.” But since Golden Rave is not exactly a paste tomato, you do have a few more options.
Golden Rave tomato on pizza
Golden Rave makes a colorful addition to salsas and salads. And it made a recent appearance here atop a Pizza Margherita. I always freeze some for later use in soups and stews. You can use it to make a yellow colored sauce, but I usually mix it in with red tomatoes for sauces and pureed tomatoes. I also dehydrate Golden Rave, and it is tasty when Slow Roasted.
I hope you have enjoyed this spotlight on a tomato variety that has become one of my most dependable performers. Seeds for Golden Rave are widely available in the U.S. I’ll be back soon with another variety.