The Great Tomato Tasting Returns to Hunterdon County This Week with Over 50 Tomato Varieties

Hunterdon County hosts the Great Tomato Tasting this week, giving New Jerseyans another chance to appreciate their favorite crop. Rutgers New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension will offer a fun event with over 50 tomato varieties.

The Clifford E. & Melda C. Snyder Research and Extension Farm at 140 Locust Grove Road in Pittstown will host the annual tasting on Wednesday, August 27, from 1 to 7 p.m. Rutgers scientists examine tomatoes at this farm year-round to improve taste, quality, and longevity.

Registration and Entry Info

Before coming, visitors must register. Those 13 and older can pay $10 online when they join up. You must register early because walk-ins are not allowed.

What to Expect at the Event

Attendees will get more than tomatoes. Rutgers’ agricultural experiments, such as producing tomatoes that taste better and stay longer, can be seen from carts on the research farm. These visits offer a unique opportunity to explore how agricultural science is affecting New Jersey’s most famous crop.

Naturally, tasting the tomatoes is better. Visitors can taste, touch, and observe the variations between New Jersey’s many tomato varieties. You may taste heirloom and experimental varieties that may become popular in gardens and markets around the state with this interactive sampling.

Deep-Rooted New Jersey Crop

NJ tomatoes are part of the state’s history and agriculture, not just a summer pleasure. P.J. Ritter and Campbell Soup Company canned tomatoes at Bridgeton, Cumberland County, and sent them nationwide. Tomato farming in New Jersey was important after the canneries closed in the 1980s.

New Jersey growers harvested 60 million pounds of tomatoes from 2,400 acres in 2023. The state ranks among the top 10 US tomato growers, according to surveys. Late August, when the growth season is in full swing, is ideal for sampling parties.

Rutgers Keeps Innovating Tomato Ideas

The Great Tomato Tasting showcases Rutgers’ tomato research. For 2025, Rutgers researchers are developing tomatoes with higher taste and faster growth. The “Rutgers 250” and “Rutgers 250 Schermerhorn” tomatoes were popular because of the university’s tomato breeding tradition.

New Jersey leads tomato production with Rutgers’ legacy and innovation. Farmers, scientists, and the public commemorate the fruit, its agricultural history, and scientific development during the annual tasting event.

Why It Matters

The Great Tomato Tasting and other events demonstrate the importance of New Jerseyans supporting local farms, doing agricultural research, and being involved in their communities to preserve farming traditions. This day of sampling allows guests see the land, learn about farming’s future, and discover why Garden State tomatoes are so different.