65-70
days
- Indeterminate. 4 ounce potato leaf.
Fruits hang in
magnificent clusters with this very early and high yielding
variety. Exceptional flavor and rich dark red color.
Break O' Day $3.00
65-68
days
- Indeterminate. 7 ounce regular leaf. A high-producing
heirloom that was introduced in 1931. Flame-red, smooth
globe-shaped fruit that are very uniform and beautiful. Heirloom tomato
expert Carolyn Male calls this "A
workhorse of a tomato," and it truly is! The flavor is rich and
tangy, perfect for canning or slicing.
Buckbee's New Fifty Day $3.00
55
days - Indeterminate. 4 ounce regular leaf. for canning or salads. A pre-1930
variety introduced by H. W. Buckbee, Rockford, Illinois. Their
1930
catalog states, "The largest fruited, the smoothest, the
finest in
quality of all early scarlet tomatoes." Not always quite as early
as 50 days,
but this is indeed a good producer that has an old-fashioned tomato
taste.
Gregori's
Altai $3.00
67 days - Indeterminate. A Siberian
variety,
from the
Altai Mountains near the border with China. Many Russian tomatoes
tend
to be
fairly early and reliable in cooler weather, and this one is no
exception. The tall plant produces heavy crops of medium-large,
8-12
ounce fruits, and over a very long season.
Illini
Star $3.00
65
days - Indeterminate. Salad/slicing/canning.
A
6-8 ounce regular-leaf variety. A
"star"
in any garden, this winner was developed by Merlyn and Mary Ann
Niedens. This variety sets heavy crops of round fruit with superior
flavor for an early type. For quick and steady production, this
one is
hard to beat. The vines need very little staking.
Legend $3.00 New
68
days - Determinate. 8 to 16 ounce, glossy red round or oblate
fruits are of good flavor, posessing a good balance of sweetness and
acidity. Produces abundantly even under cool conditions, for
which it was bred by Oregon State University master
breeder, Dr. James Baggett. The fruits tend to be nearly
seedless until late in the season. Resistance to late blight
fungus, and compact vines that need no staking, complete this picture
of a
nearly perfect early-season variety.
Marmande $3.00
63
days - Indeterminate. 4 ounce - regular
leaf. Popular
old French variety developed by the Vilmorin Seed Company.
Scarlet, lightly ribbed fruit have the full, rich flavor
that is so
enjoyed in Europe. Medium-large fruit are produced even in cool
weather. Productive.
Matina $3.00
58-75 days -
Indeterminate vines. An excellent open-pollinated commercial
variety from Germany.
Vigorous, potato-leaved plants
put on numerous clusters of 2 to 4
ounce round
fruits, whose superb flavor rivals that of the large beefsteak
types.
The fact that Matina starts bearing a full month before the beefsteaks
makes this variety unusually valuable to the home gardener. Yet
the
early start doesn't mean the plants quit early--they bear over a very
long season!
Rutgers $3.00
(AKA Jersey)
60-75 days - Determinate. Intensely red, 8 ounce globes
are
lavishly produced on sturdy vines. Suitable for fresh use but
really excels as a canner!
Developed at Rutgers University in 1934 from
a
cross between Marglobe and JTD (the initials of John Thomas Dorrance
who developed soups for the Campbell's Soup Co). This variety
once accounted for up to 70
percent of
all tomatoes processed in the United States, and helped put New
Jersey
on the map as a major tomato-producing state. This seed even went into
outer space as part of NASA's Seeds in Space program!
Siletz $3.00
62
days - Determinate. 8-12 ounce regular
leaf, for salads and slicing.
- One of the best early
tomatoes. Dwarf plants produce unbelievable
yields of perfectly-shaped fruit that are loaded with old-time flavor
and are very sweet. This variety is perfect for the home
grower. Developed by Dr. James Baggett, OSU.
Sophie's
Choice
$3.00 New
55
days - Determinate, slicing.
Exceptional earliness combine with good
flavor in this variety, which originated in Edmonton, Canada. Fruits in
clusters average 6 ounces, occasionally reaching twice that size!
Orange-red exterior and red interior. Best in cool-summer environments
or as a very early-season crop as Sophie doesn't do well in extreme
heat. Small plants to only 24 inches tall would be good in containers,
but be sure to keep soil on the moist side, as this tomato doesn't
tolerate dry soil. Shows some tolerance to early blight. Introduced by
Carolyn Male who got the seed from Barry Comdon (who got the original
Canadian seed) in the mid-1990's.
Thessaloniki $3.00
60-80 days
-
Indeterminate. Salads/slicing.
Originally a commercial variety from sun-drenched
Greece, where it was named for her Second City. Introduced
in the US in
1950 by Gleckler Seedsmen of Ohio,
whose 1958 catalog said: "Reports
of trials with Thessaloniki say 'nothing more could be asked for in
tomatoes.' " The 4-6 ounce, baseball-sized fruit are uniform, free
of
cracks and
blemishes, and beautifully smooth. Juicy fruits are tangy
and full of
old-fashioned tomato flavor! Vines are moderately
disease-resistant and
very productive. We're happy to offer this superior
early-to-midseason
tomato!
Urbikany $3.00 New
58-70
days - Determinate. Eastern European variety originally
received from Czech collector Milan Sodomka in the
1970's. 3 ounce fruits are of good quality and prolifically
produced on compact vines. Deserving of the wider recognition
it has achieved in recent years.
MID-SEASON
(69-80 days)
Abraham Lincoln (Regular) $3.00
77
days - Indeterminate. 6-10 ounce, regular leaf used for paste/juice/slicing. A
solid-fleshed, dark red tomato with a good tomato flavor. The
vigorous
vines often produce good yields up until the time of the first
frost.
They prefer full sun to a bit of shade.
Bisignano No. 2 $3.00
80
days - Indeterminate. 8 to 14 ounce - regular leaf for fresh use or sauces and canning. This
variety was originally obtained from a Mr. Bisignano, who brought it
from Italy and made it
available in the early 1980's. Large-sized tomatoes vary in
shape. They
have thick, flavorful flesh with reaI Italian tomato flavor.
Burbank $3.00
70-80
days - Determinate plants reaching only 18-30 inches in height, require
no staking. A Luther Burbank introduction from 1915. A 6-8
ounce slicing tomato that is
recommended for drier climates.
Burpee's
Long-Keeper $3.00
78 days - Indeterminate.
4-6 ounce, regular leaf, storage
tomato. This
very productive variety is justly famous for its storage ability.
Fruit
ripens late in the season and once picked, it lasts a very long
time. When
stored properly (unwrapped at 60-70ºF, with fruits not touching
each other), these tomatoes can last into the winter without a change
in quality. Pick yellowish-orange fruit before frost or when
night
temperatures are consistently 40-50ºF. When the skin is
orange-red, the tomatoes are ripe . The interiors are medium-red.
Use
blemished or cracked fruits promptly.
Cosmonaut
Volkov $3.00
70
days - Determinate. 8-10 ounce
regular leaf tomato for salads,
slicing or canning. A
smooth and attractive medium tomato that has a full, rich
flavor. The productive vines yield well even in hot weather. This
variety is from Dniepropetrousk, Ukraine, and was named after an early
Russian cosmonaut.
Costoluto
Fiorentino $3.00
80
days - Indeterminate. An
Italian heirloom variety from Tuscany that produces abundant 8 oz and
larger fruit. Wonderful for
making into sauces as this
tomato is high
in
sugar, but also high in acid; it is smoother in shape than the heavily
ribbed Costoluto Genovese.
Costoluto
Genovese $3.00
78
days - Indeterminate. Deeply ribbed Italian heirloom with a rich,
full flavor. Hearty plants that do well in hot weather, but will
produce even when the weather cools down. Delicious flavor.
Druzba $3.00 New
75
days
- Indeterminate. Bulgarian heirloom introduced by Southern Exposure
Seed Exchange, from seed supplied by Carolyn Male. Juicy, 5-ounce,
slightly flattened 3-inch fruits are generously produced in clusters of
2-4; excellent for salads. Crack resistant and blemish-free, with
outstanding flavor and production.
Egg $3.00
70
days
- Indeterminate. 3 ounces very good for slicing and canning. This
heirloom was sold by Glecklers Seedmen in
the 1950's. The fruit is the shape and size of a medium-sized egg, with
thick, blood-red flesh that is rich and perfect for preserving or
eating fresh. The smooth fruit keep very well; delicious and are
nice
for specialty markets.
Floradade $3.00
80
days - Determinate. Developed in
Dade County, Florida, this hearty tomato works for the humid
South. Developed by the University of Florida to be resistant to
many of the
particular problems that afflict tomatoes in southern states.
Nice sized
fruit are round and smooth and are quite productive. Fusarium wilt races 1 and 2, verticillium
wilt race 1, and gray leaf spot restistant.
Hazelfield
Farm $3.00
75-80 days -
Indeterminate. Slicer. Found
as a chance seedling at Hazelfield Farm,
a modern organic farm in the Lexington Kentucky area, where it was
out-performing many named varieties surrounding it at the time!
Believed to be a chance cross between Carmello and Marmande.
Medium-sized plants produce abundance of good-tasting, 8 ounce,
slightly flattened
red tomatoes, even under adverse conditions of hot, dry summers.
Homestead $3.00
80
days - Semi-determinate.
Developed in the 1950's for growers in Florida
and the southern states, this 8 ounce tomato is wilt-resistant
and
productive.
At one time this was a very popular shipping variety. Firm, tasty
flesh, blemish-free under most conditions.
Marglobe Supreme $3.00
75-80
days
-Semi-determinate. 9 ounce,
regular leaf. Used for salads,slicing
or canning. Good
size and uniform deep scarlet color. Great for humid
climates. Less
cracking than other Marglobes. Fusarium wilt, blight and rust
resistant.
Moneymaker $3.00 New
75-80
days
- Indeterminate. Originally bred for hothouses in Bristol,
England. Tolerating heat and humidity extremely well, this
variety nevertheless sets fruit over a wide range of conditions.
Clusters of 6 to 10, deep red, 6 ounce fruits profligately
produced on strong, vigorous vines.
Mule Team $3.00
75-90 days -
Indeterminate. Lives up to its name! This heat and disease
resistant variety was found by Joe Bratka in a glass jar in a tool
shed, having been bred by his father. The seeds were sent to Carolyn
Male, who introduced them through the Seed Savers
Yearbook. Plants
continuously produce smooth 8 to 12 ounce red fruits until frost.
Nice tomato taste with a tang.
Nepal $3.00
75-85 days -
Indeterminate. Large, intensely-flavored, very deep red, reaching
12
ounces and of very high quality. Harvests are produced fairly
early for
such a large-fruited variety. Plants bear well even in cooler
weather,
making Nepal a good choice choice for coastal or mountain climates, or
for production into the late summer and autumn. Originally from
the
Himalaya Mountains .
Pantano Romanesco $3.00
70-80 days. Indeterminate.
An Italian heiloom which produces
fruit that are large
and deep red with an almost purple tint. The flesh is very
rich,
flavorful and juicy. A superb tomato;
very rare and delicious.
Placero $3.00 New
70-80
days. Indeterminate. Two - to three inch fruits are borne in long
clusters, lovely to look at as they ripen in the summer sun. Collected
in 2005 by Herb Culver, an acquaintance of ours, on a trip to Cuba,
where gardening has undergone a resurgence in recent years. A
deeply
lobed, very old-fashioned type like those seen in Old Masters
paintings. For those who like their tomatoes decidedly tart and very
juicy. Marvellous when quartered into salads.
Rei dos Temporoes $3.00 New
70
days. Determinate. 5-to 6-inch, blemish-free fruits are perfect for slicing and commonly weigh one-half
pound. This Portuguese market type just introduced into the
U.S. was fantastically productive in our 2009 trial, yielding steadily
right up
until frost.
Saint Pierre $3.00
80
days - Indeterminate. 2-inch fruits,
regular
leaf. Use fresh or for canning.
A beautiful French heirloom
with red flesh and green
shoulders. The tender fruits have a full, rich tomato flavor.
They are deep red and excellent producers, even in adverse
conditions.
Popular in Europe.
Santa Crus Kada $3.00
80
days -Indeterminate. 4-5 ounce regular
leaf, fresh/canning
A
medium-sized tomato from Brazil. This is
a high-yielding market type that is popular in sub-tropical areas.
Commercial-type fruit; perfect for marketing if you require a smooth
tomato with superb taste and yield. A good canner that bears until frost.
Sioux $3.00
75
days
- Indeterminate. 6 ounce, regular
leaf, salad/slicing/canning
One
of the
best-known historic tomatoes. Introduced in 1944. Great
flavor made
this one of the most popular Midwestern tomatoes in the late 1940's. In
1947, Oscar H. Will & Co. stated, "It out-yielded all other
varieties in South Dakota trials." Peter Henderson &
Co., in
1951, "Two weeks earlier than Marglobe or Rutgers." Plants
produce
heavy yield of smooth, beautiful fruit even in hot weather.
Super
Sioux $3.00
70-80
days - Indeterminate. 4-8 ounce, regular
leaf, fresh/slicing
Thick-walled, crack-free,
fleshy fruits have excellent flavor, a blend of acid, sweet, and earthy
flavors. Outperformed all others in a cold, wet year. Yet it's an
excellent
variety for areas with hot summer temperatures, since it sets fruit
well in spite of heat and dry conditions. Produces heavily right
up until
frost.
Usabec $3.00
75 days- Determinate.
Uniform, 6 ounce, rich red fruits of
moderately
acid taste, quite round and divided into three interior cavities.
The
productive vines tolerate cool spring conditions. Bred by Roger
Doucet
at St. Hyacinthe Research Station, Quebec, its ancestors
included,
curiously, a variety from Puerto Rico! Released in 1974. (Seed
courtesy
of Genesis One Seeds)
LATE SEASON
(> 80 days)
Large Red $3.00
80-85
days - Indeterminate. 12-16 ounce, regular
leaf, good for canning and slicing, this
pre-1830 variety is
documented as being grown in Hancock, Massachusetts, by the Shakers in
the 1830's. In 1865 Fearing Burr stated, "from the time of
introduction...the large red was almost the only kind cultivated, or
even commonly known." Unique fruit are deeply fluted and have a
sweet,
rich tomato flavor. A rare treasure for historic gardeners.
Pritchard
(Scarlet Topper) $3.00
75-85
days -
Indeterminate. 6-10 ounce, regular leaf, salad/slicing/canning.
Large-size,
bright-red fruit; heavy yield and excellent flavor. An old
variety that
is now rare, it was introduced around 1930 by the USDA, trying to
perfect the most wilt-, disease- and rust-resistant tomato
possible.
Peter Henderson's catalog said in 1932, "For its
disease-resistant
qualities, it supersedes all others." They gave it high marks for
flavor and yield, as well as perfect shape and attractiveness, saying,
"undoubtedly it will occupy a leading place in market varieties."
An excellent variety for the homestead.
Rouge d'Irak $3.00
85
days
- Indeterminate. 5-10 ounce,
regular leaf, salad/slicing/canning
Fruit
are
fine flavored and yields well. The fruits are surprisingly
uniform
in shape, vary quite a lot in size, and were very free of blemishes and
cracking in our 2006 trial. This variety from Iraq is very rare.
Seattle Best of All
$3.00 New
80 days
- Indeterminate. Medium-sized, all-purpose
fruits. Originally selected by a Seattle market gardener from a variety
called "Best-of-All," and carried by the Gill Brothers in the 1960's.
Well suited anywhere summers are moist and on the cool side. In 2009
this variety succeeded where many others failed.
Tappy's
Heritage $3.00
85
days - Indeterminate, 6 ounces or larger regular
leaf for slicing or canning.
Beautiful,
smooth, large
fruit are globe shaped. Good
disease
resistance, great yields, perfect shape, and wonderful flavor.
This
variety was developed by Merlyn and Mary Ann Niedens, long-time
seed-growers in Illinois. Bred from heirloom varieties, it has
fantastic taste.
OXHEARTS
Cuor di Bue $3.00
80
days
- Indeterminate. A 12-ounce, regular
leaf, slicer this
Oxheart-type Italian heirloom has been a favorite in Italy for many
years. Beautiful fruit have a delicious sweet taste and can be used for
sauces. Large,
vigorous
vines. Hard to find.
Danko $3.00
65-70 days-
Determinate. All-purpose
heart-shaped fruits of good flavor, and
weighing 4-8 ounces. Originally a Russian commercial variety. With its
relatively quick maturity, a good choice for shorter-season gardens.
(Seed courtesy of Carolyn Male)
German Red
Strawberry $3.00
80
days - Indeterminate. 10 ounce, regular leaf, multi-purpose
tomato. Big flavorful
fruit are shaped like a giant, red strawberry. These beautiful tomatoes
are loaded with a rich, sweet flavor and have only a small amount of
seeds and juice. This superior-tasting tomato is a family
heirloom from
Germany.
Ludmilla's Red Plum $3.00
70-85 days -
Indeterminate. Outstanding producer. Very flavorful, 3-to 5-inch, multi-purpose,
plum-shaped fruits, weighing 6 to 10 ounces. The variety had been grown
for over 50 years by one Ludmilla, a “Kazakstan German,” who gave seeds
to Reinhard Kraft. (Seed courtesy of Carolyn Male)
BEEFSTEAKS
Beefsteak $3.00
96
days - Indeterminate.
Regular leaf slicing tomato
can grow up to 2 lbs.
A popular
old standard variety, deep red and very large; fine flavor, rich old
time tomato taste. We think there are many better beefsteak
varieties
available, but offer it here for those who don't agree.
Crimson
Cushion (Red Ponderosa) $3.00
95
days
-Indeterminate.Up to 2 lbs., regular leaf for slicing.
"The
Crimson
Scarlet Brother of Ponderosa," huge size and delicious red flesh.
Said
to be introduced in 1892 by Peter Henderson, the flesh is very thick
and of great quality. This is probably the tomato that made red
beefsteak-type tomatoes famous. Believed by some to be the same variety
as Beefsteak, but offered here under this name, as so many gardeners
have grown it as Crimson Cushion and know it by that name.
Crnkovic
Yugoslavian $3.00
80
- 90 days - Indeterminate. Large fruited pink-to-red beefsteak
with a
wonderful juicy tomato flavor. Brought to the U.S. by Yasha
Crnkovic, a colleague of Carolyn Male, author and tomato
expert. Fruit good for
canning or eating fresh. The fruit have perfect shoulders
that seldom
crack and the plants are very productive.
Cuostralee $3.00
83
days -Indeterminate. A regular leaf tomato that produces fruits up to 3
lbs for slicing and canning.
This giant of French
heirlooms is also big in flavor; it has an
intense, sweet taste. The huge vines set on very heavily and yield
well in many climates.
Delicious $3.00
80
days - Indeterminate. This 1 plus pound regular
leaf tomato holds the
world's record for largest tomato. If you want to grow a whopper of a
tomato, you'll have to remove most of the fruit, so that each plant's
resources go into a single fruit. Great all-purpose tomato
Early Stokesdale $3.00
80
days -
Indeterminate. Large, tasty beefsteak-type
fruits usually ripen
in
pairs. Selected out of the early 20th Century variety Stokesdale,
and
is yet another fine New Jersey heirloom. An old Porter & Son
catalog described it as 'a new extra early scarlet-fruited sort with
remarkable solid interior, ripening from the inside outward.' (Seed
courtesy of Genesis One Seeds)
Granny
Cantrell $3.00
75-85
days -
Indeterminate. A rare variety named after Lettie
Cantrell, who grew this tomato from seed she received from a
soldier returning from Germany after WWII. Lettie said it was the
only tomato she grew and that she saved seed from only the largest
tomatoes, some of which reach 2 1/2 lbs. A productive beefsteak
with a fine flavor.
Ingegnoli Gigante Liscio (Large
Smooth Tomato) $3.00
75
days - Indeterminate.
Giant
fruit are smooth and very tasty, having more vibrant tomato flavor than
many huge tomatoes; perfect for home gardeners. This historic
Italian
heirloom was developed around 1900 from varieties 'Ponderosa' and
'Saint Louis'. It is nearly extinct in the United States. Few seeds. Mid
season. Said to be of
American origin, but perhaps brought back to Italy by emigrants who
returned home.
Super
Choice $3.00
80-85 days -
Indeterminate. Classic one- to two pound beefsteak fruit produced on
large,
vigorous plants. Good old-fashioned tomato taste.
Productive old
Kentucky heirloom, originating in Liberty, Kentucky, where it was grown
by an Amish family for generations. The variety was preserved and
then
passed on by Hobart Pearson of Berea, Kentucky.
PASTE
Amish Paste $3.00
80-85
days. Indeterminate. 8 ounces
or larger. Excellent variety for canning
and paste. A large
blocky tomato that some consider an oxheart type. Originally from
an Amish community in Wisconsin.
Hungarian-Italian Paste $3.00 New
79
days. Determinate. Small, pear-shaped paste-type
fruits weighing 2-3 ounces and borne in clusters of 4. High yields on
moderately disease-tolerant vines. Very fine-flavored fruits hold well
after picking, which allows you to make tomato paste or spaghetti
sauces at your convenience. A favorite!
Polish
Linguisa $3.00
78
days- Vigorous, indeterminate plants produce pointed or sausage-shaped
fruits upwards of 4 inches in length, sometimes weighing in at 10
ounces. Bears until frost most years, producing abundant, tasty
fruits
ideal for making sauce or paste,
yet still good for fresh
eating as
well. A New York heirloom since the 19th Century;
originating in
Poland.
Roma $3.00
75 - 80 days -
Determinate. An
old favorite, Roma yields large harvests on compact vines,
producing thick walled and solid 3 inch fruit that is excellent for sauces
and canning.
Roma Rio Grande $3.00 New
75-85
days - Determinate. A wonderful large-fruited paste-type, fruits weigh
8-12 ounces and are sometimes much larger! Well adapted to heat
and
temperature extremes. Large, fusarium-resistant vines are richly
covered in deeply pleated leaves. A joy to behold in the garden!
Royal Chico $3.00
70
days - Determinate, small-medium size, regular
leaf for paste or canning.
Very
productive Roma type; vigorous plant yields bright red, pear-shaped
fruit that are uniform. Very resistant to disease; perfect for
the home
garden or market. This variety is becoming rare.
San
Marzano $3.00
80
days - Indeterminate. Our favorite paste tomato, and the one we
grow
for sauce or paste! Blocky, 3.5-inch fruits are produced
unstintingly in our garden. Plant
this one to mature in hot weather; in our experience, it loses its
distinctive rich flavor if ripened in very cool autumn weather. The
flavor is, to us, unequalled by any other paste variety we've
grown.
San
Marzano Lampadina $3.00
82
days - Indeterminate. A milder San Marzano-type, tasty
Roma-shaped fruits have a very low water content. Hollow seed
cavities
inside thick-walled, pepper-like fruit. Has more disease
resistance
than regular San Marzano. Very productive paste-type.
Ten
Fingers of Naples $3.00
Mid-season,
determinate. 1 1/2" x
6", A regular leaf, for paste or canning that produces huge
yields of elongated, pointed fruit that are produced in bunches.
The
flavor is much superior to modern types, being sweet and rich.
This
fine variety is from Naples, Italy.
SMALL-FRUITED
Chadwick
Cherry $3.00
80-90
days - (AKA Camp Joy) Indeterminate vines easily grow to 6 feet
tall! At 1-2
ounces, these fruits are a bit large to be called a cherry, but are
superb in salads with their full, rich tomato flavor.
Selected by
the peppery organic pioneer, Dr. Alan Chadwick. Recommended.
Ciudado Victoria $3.00
70 days -
Indeterminate. A nearly wild currant
type from the
region of Ciudado
Victoria, Mexico. Absolutely rampant vines aren't for the small
garden,
occasionally spreading to 12 feet in an ordinary temperate-zone
summer!
Yields hundreds of intensely flavorful currant-type fruits (½
inch in diameter). Super easy to grow, tolerant of
less-than-ideal
conditions.
Jujube Cherry $3.00
55-68
days-Indeterminate. An early, regular leaf, red grape
tomato from
Reinhard Kraft of Germany. Fruits are about the size and shape of
a large Italian-style green olive, borne in long clusters of 15 to 20
fruits. Very rare.
Matt's
Wild Cherry $3.00
70-80
days - Indeterminate
regular
leaf, cherry. Fruits are about an inch across,
weigh
one-half ounce. Very sweet, tiny cherry tomatoes. Large
vines; a wild
tomato from Mexico. Very productive.
Peacevine
$3.00
70-80
days - Indeterminate.
Developed by Dr. Alan Kapuler, as a dehybridized (open-pollinated)
version of Sweet 100. Complex-flavored, one-ounce fruits
in clusters or trusses, generously produced over a long season.
Not only are they very high in vitamin C for a cherry-type, but also
uniquely high in gamma-amino butyric acid, reputed to calm jittery
nerves. The plants throw an occasional yellow fruit.
Principe Borghese $3.00
70-80
days - Determinate—Very compact vines yield numerous
clusters of 1-2 ounce, plum-shaped
beaked fruit, of intense, rich
flavor. Meaty fruits are low in moisture and carry few
seeds. Famous
for drying; in Italy branches
or whole plants are to be seen draped
over fences, drying in the Mediterranean sunshine. Equally good
for
sauces or paste. While of determinate habit, plants
require staking
because of the exceedingly heavy crops they are known to produce.
Red Fig or Pear $3.00
70
days -
Indeterminate, 1 ounce, regular leaf, cherry.
Small
red fruit are pear-shaped. Beleived
by some to be the original variety dating back to the 1700's and
identified on the basis of old pictures. The original Red Pear
was offered by many seedsmen and was very popular for making "Tomato
Figs". Whatever the true origins of this variety, the fruit is sweet
and flavorful.
Red Grape $3.00
75
days - Indeterminate.
An heiroom from the 1800's, this sweet, pear-shaped cherry was once used as
a substitute for figs after being dried and stored. Very
popular for salads
and a lucious snack right from the garden.
Riesentraube $3.00
80
days -Indeterminate.
This
old German heirloom was offered in Philadelphia by the
mid-1800's. The
sweet grape-shaped fruit grow
to one ounce in large clusters on the plant. The name means
"Giant Bunch of
Grapes" in German. It is probably the most popular small
tomato
with seed collectors, as many enjoy the rich, full tomato flavor that
is missing in today's cherry types. Large plants produce massive
yields.
Tess's $3.00
75
days - (AKA Tess's Landrace) Indeterminate. A
wonderful currant from the shores of
Maryland. This
tomato is the result of a two generation, five parent cross by Brett
Grohsgal of Evenstar Organic Farm. This variety was grown by our
friend
Myrna who gave us some for tasting. We were impressed with the
intense
flavor. Fruits can vary in color from
red
to pink to yellow. Good for
trellising or caging. Very popular with chefs and home gardners.
Whippersnapper
Cherry
$3.00
55 days
Determinate. Very early cherry-type.
Pinkish-red oval
fruits produced in startling profusion! Productive even in far
Northern gardens, has done very well in Canada! Earliest
in our trials last year. Very flavorful for such an early tomato.
