POULSBO — A tomato with a unique history paid big dividends for Ann Pyles as she walked away with the top tomato in the Poulsbo Farmers Market Tomato Taste Off Saturday.

Pyles won first place in the paste, salad and slicing categories as her Mortgage Lifter tomato tantalized judges’ taste buds to win the third annual event.

Denise Bauman won the cherry tomato category with tomatoes she brought from Oregon, when her husband, Jeff Bauman became the city’s Public Works Director.

“Every year, a different variety of tomato does better than the others, and this year it was the Mortgage Lifter,” Pyles said, adding that this was the first year she had entered that variety into the contest.

“The Mortgage Lifter got its name because the man who developed it was able to sell enough tomatoes to lift the mortgage on his house by selling the tomatoes,” Pyles said.

“They were all really great tomatoes, and it always comes down to the basic rules: appearance, flavor and texture,” said contest judge John Nesby, owner of MorMor Bistro in downtown Poulsbo.

During the past three years, Nesby said the quality of entries has continued to improve. As a result, the judging has become more difficult.

“There’s always something to love, and it’s always great tomatoes,” Nesby said.

Nesby along with fellow judges Brad Allen, Terry Aitchison, Mary Shryock and Carol Despeaux methodically worked their way through the 14 entries in the four distinctive categories before debating between two of Pyles’ entries for the overall title.

The difference between the overall winner and the runner-up came down to taste and texture as all of the judges agreed that the slicing tomato had a better taste and texture.

“This is what a tomato is supposed to taste like,” Nesby said as the winner was announced.

For Despeaux, the contest provided a glimpse of the wide variety of tomatoes that can be found in the area.

“It was a wonderful experience. I didn’t realize there was such a difference,” she said. “They were all good tomatoes.”

If asked to be a judge in next year’s contest, Despeaux said she would do it again without any hesitation.

As the PFM’s marketing manager, Jackie Aitchison said she works hard to create a judges panel that represents a good cross section of the community.

“John (Nesby) and Terry (Aitchison) have been judges all three years and they represent different things,” Aitchison said.

Nesby provides a restaurant owner’s perspective, while Terry Aitchison adds the average Joe’s taste to the contest, Aitchison said.

“All of our judges love tomatoes, so it’s just great,” she said.

Overall this year’s farmers market is meeting expectations and hasn’t been impacted much by the State Route 305 widening project, she said.

“It’s really been going well, and we’ve been OK, so far,” Aitchison said.