Slideshow: Seven best varieties

Bunches of ripe tomatoes still clinging to the vine have become a familiar sight at produce markets. These so-called cluster tomatoes are cultured in hothouses for sale during seasons when field-grown crops aren’t available. But you can easily grow such tomatoes in your summer garden. Which are the most rewarding? To find out, Sunset grew several varieties last summer in Northern California and near Puget Sound, Washington. Then we conducted a tasting, rating each tomato for texture, flavor, and sweetness or acidity. Our seven favorites are shown and described here.

Some varieties, like ‘Juliet’, are commonly sold as seedlings in nurseries; others you’ll need to start from seed (sources are listed below). Sow seeds indoors about six weeks before the average date of the last spring frost in your area.

Plant seedlings in full sun and in soil amended with plenty of compost, leaf mold, or peat moss, plus some low-nitrogen fertilizer (5-10-10). You can grow plants in a tomato cage or train them up stakes.

Most kinds will start setting fruit in two months. Fruit ripens from the base of the cluster (closest to the main stem) outward to the tip. Pick ripe tomatoes one at a time to enjoy the best flavor.