Q: I grow a few tomato plants each year with limited success. I have spent years trying to produce fruit which has an acidic taste–a bit of a bite. Bland tomatoes are edible, but just barely so. Is the acidic taste I seek a function of the variety or the growing conditions, or neither? Does the acidity of the soil have any effect on the taste of the fruit? Can you suggest a variety and a regimen for cultivation that has a reasonable chance of producing the tomato I am pursuing?

A: Sunshine, available soil moisture, soil fertility and general growing conditions all affect tomato taste but soil pH seems not to be a dominant factor. The tomato variety you choose can be a very good indicator of acidic taste.

Visit these sites and read more about acidic tomatoes they offer:

Tomato Growers

Totally Tomato