Food critics and chefs from across the region gathered outside Boston Public Market on Tuesday for the 40th annual Massachusetts Tomato Contest. Tomato growers brought their best and brightest tomatoes to be tested by a panel of 22 judges, which ranked them based on taste, firmness, exterior color and shape.
"For me, I like a good balance of sweetness and acidity and not a thick skin," said Sarah Blackburn. "Especially with cherry tomatoes, that can be kind of off-putting."
Blackburn, the editor-in-chief of Edible Boston and Edible Worcester, said the contest is a great way to promote local agriculture. She also doesn't mind stepping in as a judge, and has done so for several years now.
"It's such a short time, and we really have to experience every minute of tomato season in Massachusetts because you blink and it's gone," Blackburn said. "I was invited a few years ago and I would never turn down an opportunity to spend the lunchtime hour eating tomatoes on the patio."
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