In 1519 Cortez saw tomatoes for the first time in Mexico. He sent sample seeds of the "tomatl" back to Spain where it spread to Morocco and Italy. It was known as pomo d'oro or golden apple, suggesting that the first tomatoes were indeed yellow. I am on a mission to let everyone know how wonderful, sweet and rich striped tomatoes can be. When sliced on a plate the marbled colors are like modern art. Some yellow varieties are so sweet a rich preserve and also wine can be made from them. Be sure to have a look at the Belarusian/Ukrainian/Russian Tomato page as well for more striped/yellow/orange selections.
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CUBAN YELLOW GRAPE TOMATO Lycopersicon esculentum- There are grape tomatoes of all kinds being sold now, but I guarantee none as tiny and cute as these babies! The original seeds were sent to me late this spring from my southern seed trading friend, N.M. who sadly passed away this August. I got them in the ground really late but when they caught up they really took off. A billion tiny grape shaped vivid yellow fruit covered the wispy vines. Like many cherry/tiny sized tomatoes, prolific doesn't even begin to describe the output. And this was from plants that were put in the ground a full 2 months later than my other tomatoes. They are still pumping out quarts of tiny fruit as I write this on October 14. The fruits have a sweet yet “wild" taste. I am unable to find out any more history on this tomato, now that N.M. has gone to tomato heaven. The fruits tend to grow on clusters or what is called trusses, and hang on well. They do not drop off the vine like many bunching/truss types. These teeny, tiny Cuban Yellow Grape tomatoes are sure to be a huge hit with the kids and young at heart. You can't get any cuter than these in my opinion.
10 of my own fresh organically grown seeds.
PERSIMMON TOMATO 1781 Thomas Jefferson Heirloom ~When I found out that my hero, Thomas Jefferson , grew this lovely tomato in 1781, I just had to have it! There are conflicting reports, but most sources agree that he did indeed grow this sublimely lovely yellow tomato. Persimmon isn't just yellow- it's that yellow with a touch of rose in it that you see in its namesake, the actual persimmon fruit. It grows fast and early with few blemishes and keeps on pumping out those orbs of sweetness all season long. Large fruits can weigh up to a pound. Flavorful, fruity and juicy, you just can't beat this reliable heirloom. And, like I say, if TJ (what we in the museum world like to call Thomas Jefferson) liked it then it had to be wonderful. Remember, Jefferson was a rarity at his time because he not only grew tomatoes (often considered poisonous in that era) but he ate them and with much relish. He was very nearly a vegetarian in his later years. So be like Jefferson and declare your independence from just plain old red tomatoes! 10 of my own fresh organically grown seeds.
HAHNSTOWN YELLOW TOMATO - EXCLUSIVE! ~ Local Lancaster County Mennonite Heirloom- "Hahn" translates from Pennsylvania German (PA Dutch) as hen, so Hahnstown means Hentown. It is tiny village near me that is settled by mostly old order (horse and buggy) Mennonites. I got my original tomatoes where I saved the seeds from at an Old Order farm there. The Mennonite lady who sold the tomato only could tell me that they "had always grown these" clear lemon yellow tomatoes. She was about 80 years old. She couldn't give me any more information, no name or anything. Nice sweet, light and fruity taste. They are perfect medium sized fruits. Every single fruit grows with no cracking, or "catfacing", just lovely orbs of gold. They grow on a nearly determinate (bush) vine and do throw out most of their fruit in midseason. It is not like any other yellow tomato I have ever grown. To the best of my knowledge, I am the only commercial source of the Hahnstown Yellow tomato.
10 fresh organically raised seeds.
AMISH YELLOWISH ORANGE OXHEART TOMATO Very Limited Quantity -Order Early !
When I wrote the article on "Saving Amish and Mennonite Seeds" for Farm & Ranch Living magazine in 2007, I received a number of phone calls and letters from plain people all over the United States. Many offered me their family's heirloom seeds. This is another great addition to my collection. The sender, P.P., of my original seed stock, sent me seeds of 2 oxheart (heart) shaped tomatoes, this one,which she called "Amish Yellowish Orange Oxhert" and a red one, which she called "Amish Pink Oxheart" (but it grew out red for me). She is also the sender of my favorite new addition, the "Amish Mayberry Cherry" tomato. I'm sorry but I don't any other information or history from her about this tomato. This is the difficulty with saving seeds. Most families don't value the wonderful history they have in the palm of their hand and so it goes, the history is lost forever. But at least we have the great seeds and the cute tomato it grew out. It was sweet and quite pretty. I grew this tomato, among many others, in the historic 4 square raised bed Pennsylvania German demonstration garden I help with. It is located at Historic Scheafferstown Inc., a farm museum right over the county line in Lebanon County. The 90 acre farm and farmhouse date to 1736 and we have tried to make the gardens as authentic as possible to that time period of the Pennsylvania Germans who lived there. I donate nearly all the historically correct seeds grown there. Be the first to try this sweet little heart shaped beauty. It warms my heart to save it from being lost, hopefully it will warm yours too. To the best of my knowledge I am the only commercial seed source of this tomato.
10 of my own fresh organically grown seeds.
NEW YELLOW PEAR TOMATO - synonyms: Yellow Fig, Pear Shaped Yellow, Tomato Fig, Poire Jaune-
I have always grown this but never thought to list it on my website. After many requests, I am bringing it to you now. These tomatoes are documented to have been grown in North America since the 18th century. Thomas Jefferson grew them, heck just everyone did back then. But they were used mostly for desserts then. To the Pennsylvania Germans, these little morsels were known as "Tomato Figs" and they were dried, sugared and preserved. My neighbor always jokingly refers to them as "Christmas lightbulbs." Whatever you call them, these are about the easiest tomato to grow and will self seed forever once begun, so plant them once and enjoy for years. They grow rather bushy plants so you really don't have to stake them. How easy is that? Sweet and perfect to pop in your mouth. Kids adore them.
10 of my own fresh organically grown seeds.
Striped Tomatoes
NEW FOR 2012!~ CHOCOLATE STRIPES TOMATO~ Limited Quantities~ Order Early~ Just the coolest tomato ever! Awesome coloration and look and I never say "awesome", but there was no other adjective to use! Striped tomatoes are my favorites because no two are ever the same. But Chocolate Stripes did a whole kaleidiscope show of color as it ripened. Each and every day there was a different look to the fruit. It produced scads of slightly oblate up to 1 lb fruits. But don't let those movie star good looks fool ya, its always about the taste and this baby has it. Like so many of the "blacks" it has a winey, earthy, sweet and complex melding of flavors. Hard to catch the colors in a photo. It starts as a rich mahogany brown with chartreuse olive-y green stripes and becomes an increasing deep brown red as it darkens. This may be the hardest tomato I have ever tried to describe. and my photos hardly do it justice. It would be great to have one of those slow motion cameras to show how it "blossoms" with beauty. The interior is lovely too, with olive, rose and pink gel. Everyone says this tomato is destined to become a classic. It's an open pollinated fruit bred by Al Anderson of Troy, Ohio. He started with another favorite striped tomato of mine, Tom Wagner's wonderful Schimmeig Creg along with another unknown pink. If I had known it would be this wonderful, I would have grown more plants, so I have limited quantities of seed available this season.
10 of my own fresh organically grown seeds.
SCHIMMEIG CREG TOMATO-
SUPER RARE~Limited Quantities~Order Early!~ I got my original seeds from an esteemed German tomato collection. I grow out and will be offering for sale again this year, another tomato from the same breeder, "Schimmeig Striped Cavern" or "Schimmeig Stoo". "Schimmeig Creg Tomato" is one of the prettiest tomatoes you can possibly grow. Both of these fabulously lovely striped tomatoes were bred and developed by famed tomato breeder Tom Wagner. Tom is the original breeder of the now ubiquitous Green Grape and Green Zebra tomatoes , as well as Banana Legs, Greenwich, Pixie Stripe, Lime Green, Elberta Girl, Brown Derby, and hundreds more varieties. I have had several amazing phone conversations with this fascinating and dedicated man. Many people believe that his varieties are heirlooms. They are open pollinated and may have parent tomatoes that are known heirlooms. I discovered that the name "Schimmeig Creg" translates as "Striped Rock" from the Gaelic/Norse/Manx (Isle of Man) language of his grandfather on his Mom's side. These are truly gorgeous saladette sized tomatoes. They range about 2 to 3 inches across, and were rather late in the season for me, but I got them started late, too. They have brilliant slightly wavy golden stripes over red. Ever so slightly hollow inside and firm. They were exceptional "keepers". They have a bit of a point on the bottom. Nice, rich, sweet taste. This lovely tomato is exceedingly rare to find for sale in the USA. Be among the first to grow this great little gem.
~Limited Quantities~Order Early!~
10 of my own fresh organically grown seeds.
PEACH BLOW SUTTON TOMATO
-VERY LIMITED QUANTITIES~ ORDER EARLY I had heard about this early 1900's heirloom for years and finally was able to grow this out this season. I am also an antique dealer, so I actually knew where this strange name came from. The "Peach Blow" refers to the name of a fancy Victorian blown glass known for its gorgeous variation of red flowing to peach pink color on the edges. It is a rare and expensive process of glassmaking and was usually reserved for "bride's baskets," fancy glass bowls set in silver holders, a popular wedding gift at the turn of the century. Sometimes the glass was made to appear like satin instead of shiny. "Peach blow" was made both ways.
The "Sutton" refers to a seed company at the time who capitalized on the popularity of the lovely and prized glass, when it named this odd tomato. The fruit really do have that odd coloration of pink, peach and red. They also have an even stranger slightly sticky, fuzzy skin. They resemble nectarines, both in "fuzziness" and size. They are considered an indeterminate tomato, but my vines were quite short. You will love this rare tomato from the past, both for its uniqueness and its history. It was nearly impossible to photograph the weird look and coloration of this cute little tomato. It really has much more lovely coloration than my photos show. Very hard to find seeds. 10 fresh organically grown seeds.
BACK AGAIN FOR 2012 PINEAPPLE TOMATO - BI-COLOR HEIRLOOM Limited Quantities~ Order Early! - I have grown "Hawaiian Pineapple Tomato" for years now and it is always one of my top 3 favorites. People are always writing me to ask if it is the same as "Pineapple," which it definitely is not, since "Hawaiian Pineapple" is a solid golden yellow-orange fruit with no stripes or marbling. I figured I should try the "Pineapple" and see what all the fuss was about. "Pineapple Tomato " is an an heirloom tomato that I was told hails originally from Kentucky. Wow, what a great tomato! This baby pumped out immense quantities of huge fruit. They were all at 1 pound minimum, with many up to 2 pounds. I always said my "Hawaiian Pineapple" was my second largest type I have grown (with my famous "Gigantesque Ukrainian" being the heaviest and largest). Check out the ruler in the one photo. "Pineapple Tomato" probably ties for second place. This was a fairly good growing season in my zone 6A garden, and these huge 7 to 8 foot tall vines produced all summer and are still pumping the monsters out. Today was October 28, and I went out and picked 5 gorgeous fruits. They were all easily over 1-1/2 pounds, and 5-6 inches across! How's that for staying power? And the taste!
Did I mention taste? It is fruity, and so sweet and juicy. Cut one open, and see the psychedelic swirls of red, yellow, gold and pink. Truly one of the most beautiful tomatoes you will ever see. This heirloom tomato really impressed me and I have always had a special fondness for all the striped, bi-color tomatoes and have grown many types (as you can see by all the ones already on my website). How could I have gone this long without trying "Pineapple"? Be sure to add this one to your order, I guarantee you will thank me next season. 10 fresh organically grown seeds.
STRIPED or SPECKLED ROMAN TOMATO - Wowie Zowie! You won't ever see another Italian paste type tomato like this one! Stunning &unique, long pointed red fruit have wavy golden stripes! This tomato was the one that caught everyone's eye this season in my garden. Everyone wanted this tomato! Be the first to have this showy fruit for your garden. They are a perfect mid-size fruit, with brilliant color and exotic
markings. Very meaty flesh with excellent sweet flavor. They have very few seeds, so I have a very limited quantity of
seed. This great variety was developed by John Swenson from a stabilized cross of Antique Roman and Banana Legs. He called it Speckled Roman. 10 fresh organically grown seeds.
VINTAGE WINE STRIPED TOMATO - This was the loveliest, showiest tomato I grew out this past season. Very unusual looking. Rare coloration of pink with brilliant squiggly golden stripes. They positively shimmer, kind of like an optical illusion or op-art! Most striped tomatoes are a yellow and red coloration. Everyone who saw this beauty wanted to know its name and grow it. This was the showstopper of this season in my garden. Large good sized fruit grow on sturdy large potato leafed plants. It was fairly early and continued pumping out gorgeous fruit until frost. Tasty fruit had a nice balance of sweet and tart. Interestingly, unlike other striped tomatoes, there are no stripes inside. It has a lovely deep rich pink interior. Very juicy. This is an open pollinated variety developed by the great tomato breeder, Tom Wagner. I guarantee you will love this showy, yummy tomato. I have a special fondness for striped tomatoes and this is my new favorite. 10 of my own fresh organically grown seeds.
EVA'S AMISH STRIPE TOMATO ~ EXCLUSIVE FAMILY HEIRLOOM -ONLY USA SEED SOURCE! - My 89 year old Pennsylvania Dutch friend, Eva, who has given me so many of her family heirloom seeds, gave me seeds to this great heirloom tomato that was originally from the Amish. She passed away 6 years back in mid sentence asking her son about how big were his fish on his latest fishing trip. That's the way to go! I miss her so much! I go to her grave now and talk to her about how her gardens and mine have been doing. She remembered getting these tomatoes from an Amish lady her father sold cattle to in Belleville PA., when she was young, which needless to say, was quite a while back. Eva said she had been growing these huge bi-colored yellow and red tomatoes herself for over 60 years. She liked the fact that are low acid and so sweet flavored, and so will you. She called them "my big old yellow tomatoes", despite the fact that they have so much red on the blossom end, and are marbled red and yellow inside. These are huge, up to 2 pound tomatoes that ripen a bit late in the season. They resemble "Old German" (another great bi-color tomato I sell) in looks. But, I have grown them side by side and "Eva's Amish Stripe" are much later to ripen. They ripen in late August or early September here in my zone 6a garden,but they are well worth waiting for. I love striped tomatoes and this is my favorite bi-color of all. I absolutely wouldn't have a garden without these big, beautiful whoppers! You won't find this heirloom tomato anywhere else. Thanks to Eva's generosity, I am the only commercial USA source for these seeds. My own 10 organically grown seeds.
SCHIMMEIG STRIPED HOLLOW ~aka SCHIMMEIG STOO TOMATO ~
I only just found out the real history on this great tomato. This is from noted tomato breeder, Tom Wagner , who first bred it in the 1970's. According to Tom, Schimmeig Stoo means "Striped Hollow " in the Gaelic/Norse/Manx language of his grandfather on his Mom's side. These are real show stopper tomatoes. This must be the most beautiful tomato there is! Everyone who saw these beauties wanted them. These orange-red tomatoes are striped in an iridescent bright golden bronze! It’s nearly impossible to photograph the real beauty they possess. They are sized and shaped just like a bell pepper. They are totally hollow inside, with very thick flavorful walls and no liquid gel like in other tomatoes. Even though they are hollow inside, the walls are so meaty that each fruit weighs about 8 oz. with a core of seeds up toward the stem end, just like on a pepper. Fabulous for stuffing with chicken or tuna salad. Fine for slicing and eating fresh. These are real good "keepers", and cold and frost tolerant as well. 10 of my own fresh organically grown seeds
WOODLE ORANGE TOMATO~ My favorite new heirloom tomato!~ This was such an exciting new addition to my "stable" of proven winners! Woodle Orange was way early and kept on pumping out these exquisite perfect round orbs of sunshine all season long ! The color is a brilliant tangerine and very showy. My photo doesn’t even begin to do it justice. Flawless shape, with never a single imperfection, just beyond gorgeous. But who cares if it's that pretty, you really want to know does it taste great? You bet! It has a complex combination of sweet richness .... heck, where is my thesaurus so I can find more adjectives to describe its lusciousness. It has just enough jaunty tartness to offset the sweetness so it’s not just a "candy apple" fruit. Hailing from Idaho, despite its dippy sounding name, this is a superior tomato in every way. And prolific even in 2009's truly dreadful growing season. The fruits weighed in at 10 to 16 ounces and have everything a home or market gardener could ever wish for. Do you get the feeling I am in tomato love? Just grow Woodle Orange, devour these juicy babies all summer and be in total bliss 10 of my own fresh organically raised seeds.
**SORRY SOLD OUT!** PURPLE SMUDGE, ORANGE FLESHED TOMATO ~ VERY LIMITED QUANTITIES~ ORDER EARLY! This was the most fabulously stunning new tomato I grew this season. Purple Smudge Orange Fleshed is the sport of the original Red Fleshed Purple Smudge. The miraculous coloring of this tomato, that "fairy-dusting" of deep purple, is a sign of anthocyanim that lies just below the skin surface. This coloring is rare in cultivated tomatoes but can appear more commonly in its wild relatives. At any rate, the sheer beauty of this tomato is just overwhelming. It provoked sharp gasps of wonder in all who viewed it growing on my fence. Members of the Mennonite Church next to me were all agog when they left their Sunday services, and rushed over asking about it. People can't help but touch it. This lovely fruit had a slightly "green" fresh taste, not sweet. It is low acid, soft and quite juicy. Its flavor is different and really quite hard to describe. It is prolific and quite early, just about the first to ripen in my garden this cold season.
However, the mice also must have thought Purple Smudge Orange Fleshed Tomato was wonderful too. In one night they ate over 3,000 of my drying seeds from my first crop, every blessed one! I have always had an even tempered relationship with wildlife but this time I saw red. For the first time ever I gave up on traps and actually stooped to mouse pellets. I was heartbroken about the lost seeds and that is why there is such a limited quantity this year. Be the first where you live to grow this breathtakingly beautiful tomato.
**SORRY SOLD OUT!**
GALAPAGOS TOMATO (Lycopersicon cheesmanii) ~ aka Cheesman's Tomato ~ RARE not the same species as Lycopersicon esculentum ~This is a totally weird land race type of tomato, often used for breeding work. It has fantastic ruffled leaves and an overabundance of blossoms that are staggering in number. The fruit are small and about the size and shape of a small olive, maybe an inch long at most. The fruit is very salt tolerant and that is one reason it is so valued for breeding work. Needless to say this is a native to the remote Galapagos Islands off the coast of Ecuador. According to Wikipedia: "the islands are geologically young and famed for their vast number of endemic species, which were studied by Charles Darwin during the voyage of the Beagle. His observations and collections contributed to the inception of Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection." I have always wanted to visit, but for now, the best I can do is grow and eat the Galapagos Tomato, which is sweet and fruity although it does have a somewhat tough skin. The famous giant Galapagos tortoises favor it as a popular food source.
However, I have had up front and personal experience with giant tortoises. When I lived on Praslin Island in the Seychelles in the 70's, we had a very close living relative to the famous Galapagos tortoise, the Aldabra Giant Tortoise (Geochelone gigantea). Since they live much longer than humans, the tortoises are willed with the land to the owner. Our herd (about 8- don't ask me their names as my mother named them after people she hated- more on why later) belonged to our landlord. They were 50 to over 100 years old. Well, when you live on an island, even a tropical paradise like the Seychelles, you do get tired of the same old food (fish, seafood, fish and more fish!). I had, at my mother's request, brought along salad ingredient seeds, like lettuce, radishes, carrots and so forth. My parents were ecstatic over the thought of fresh salads. The tortoises are protected and by law you can't harm them in any way. But they decided our veggie garden was THE place to be and they can eat any plant (even huge croton trees) in a matter of seconds. The first 3 plantings were wiped out immediately. So we took the huge granite boulders the island is known for and built a fortress around our little garden. Well, they are really like tanks, they can climb and knock over just about any barrier, and you are prohibited from fencing them in anyway. So the battle lines were drawn. We humans were always on the losing side. In total frustration, my usually placid stepfather (the gourmet chef) could only turn them upside down for a bit to vent his rage. We would then haul them (2 big grown men to lift even a small one) in our beat up mini-pickup truck over to the far side of the island. Those darn creatures could really build up speed is all I can say. It was amazing how fast the returned! We never did eat a real salad. Anyway, if you like to be an armchair traveler, you too can pretend you are on a remote island when you grow and eat your own sweet, elusive Galapagos tomato.
10 of my own fresh organically raised seeds.
GOLDEN QUEEN TOMATO ~ Introduced in 1882- The stupefyingly brilliant orange fruit of the Golden Queen Tomato is just the beginning. This was just a marvelous tomato in so many ways. To me, it has an aroma just like apricots, and looks just like orange juice when cut open and just as juicy. The flavor is sweet and mild and likewise low acid. The striking, solid fruit were all perfect, no ridges, no imperfections, no cracks, just orange perfection. Really a royal fruit indeed! It was aptly named by A. W. Livingston, who, in his own words in his book Livingston and the Tomato, wrote: "In one of the county fairs which I often attended for the purpose of selling seeds, I saw a very pretty yellow tomato. As I was examining it closely, and admiring it, the owner saw fit to make a present of one of them, which I highly prized, and took special care to preserve, test and improve. I had it a number of years before I released it; but in 1882 I thought it advisable to give it a wider circulation, and so advertised it extensively under the above name."
I dare you to find a prettier or tastier golden orange tomato. This one moved into my "top 20 best tomatoes of all time" category. It was prolific even in this year's cold, rainy then too dry, awful summer we had here in Amishland.
10 of my own fresh organically raised seeds.
GREEN GAGE TOMATO-
1800's Heirloom ~ Very Scarce ~ This is the cutest ping pong sized tomato with what sounds like an odd name to us in the 21st century. But in actuality it is named for its appearance as a dead ringer for the old fashioned fruit plum called Green Gage. Interestingly, the interior has pale green seed gel as well, so the green kind of makes sense to us, but that is not why it was named so. Fruits are way beyond prolific and pumped out scads of tomatoes all season long. It started out a bit slow but then really took off. I really liked the strong flavor which is surprising in a yellow tomato. I had been searching for this for years and finally acquired my original seed for it in a seed trade. 10 fresh organically grown seeds.
YELLOW TRIFELE TOMATO -
Scarce Russian Heirloom ~ Only USA Source ~ Looks like Al Capp's "Schmoo"!- LIMITED QUANTITIES - ORDER EARLY - I absolutely adored these cute bright orangey yellow tomatoes! Talk about prolific. They filled up the smallish vines over and over. Each cute 3- 4 oz fruit was truly perfect. Not a single mark, crack or any defacing at all, just tons of silly little "Shmoo" shaped tomatoes. If you aren't baby boomer age, "Shmoos" were an invention of the comic strip writer Al Capp who did the "Li'l Abner" series. They date back at least to 1949, although I remember them in my childhood in the 50's and 60's.
(See the accompanying picture for the amazing resemblance.) But not only is the "Yellow Trifele" cute is it a great little tomato. It is a super "keeper", keeping fresh and firm for weeks after picking. I think it would make a dream of a market grower's type. Nice light orange colored flesh and sweet taste. They start out lighter yellow and get more golden as they ripen more while still remaining firm. They tend to get slightly green shoulders on some fruit. The trifele is a name that must refer to its unique shape in Russian. I received seeds of the pink, red and black trifele which are all that strange shape. But I only grew out the yellow and black this season. My original seed stock is from my Ukrainian gardening friend, Lydmilla. Look also on my website for her “Japanese Black Trifele" which, despite its name, is Russian. To the best of my knowledge, I am the only commercial seed source of this variety in the USA. Try it first for the laughs and then to enjoy their wonderful long keeping sweetness.
My own 10 organically grown seeds.
GIANT LEMON UKRAINIAN TOMATO
Rare ~ Only USA Seed Source - VERY LIMITED QUANTITIES - ORDER EARLY ~
I got my original seeds from my great Ukrainian gardening friend, Lydmilla. I just loved the color; it is not like any other yellow tomato I have grown, more of a clear lemon yellow with no trace of orange. So I once again have a limited quantity of these seeds available. Nice clear yellow interior and light refreshing fruity taste as you might expect from such a pretty yellow fruit. Very juicy and mild. To the best of my knowledge I am the only commercial seed source of this tomato in the USA. ~ Limited Quantity ~ Order Early ~ 10 of my own fresh organically grown seeds.
AMISH ORANGE SHERBET HEIRLOOM TOMATO -EXCLUSIVE! - Order Early!
This was the surprise tomato of my summer a few years back. I was given one unnamed "mystery" plant from a friend, who got the seeds from her Amish farming neighbor in Narvon , Lancaster County, PA. I had no idea what would grow. It was a huge, indeterminate, strong vine, with the most beautiful, perfect pale apricot orange beefsteak type tomatoes. They are the exact color of Orange Sherbet or a Creamsicle. Very large and sweet and mild flavored. And they kept on coming until hard frost here in my Zone 6A garden. Since they had no name I just called them what they looked and tasted like. You will love these beauties. Very few cracks or "catfacing" for such a large heirloom tomato. Fruits were about 1/2- 3/4 lb or more each. Try these and be the first in your area to eat them. You will love them. Low acid. I grow them every year now but always sell out early.
My own fresh organically grown 10 seeds.
1868 HEIRLOOM HARTMAN'S YELLOW GOOSEBERRY TOMATO - If you can't grow tomatoes or have had little success with them, try this prolific baby! You won't be disappointed! According to William Woys Weaver, the famous food historian and author,whom I got my orginal seed from, this is a very old heirloom tomato. He says it is the very same yellow cherry-type tomato that was illustrated in the famous French 1868 Album Vilmorin on plate 19. You will gets scads of delicious sweet/tart perfect little morsels of these small bright yellow tomatoes. Excellent flavor and super for adding color to salsas and in cooking and for fresh eating in salads as well. Just pop 'em in your mouth all day . It is so prolific you will only need one plant! I grew them over a fence and they just pumped out those darlings all season. They beat out any other small yellow 1-2 ounce tomato I have ever grown for flavor and fecundity. You will love these and they will happily self seed. 10+ of my own fresh organically grown seeds
HAWAIIAN PINEAPPLE TOMATO VERY LIMITED QUANTITIES- Order Early!
-This is still one of my absolute favorite tomatoes of all. I won't have a garden without it! This heirloom tomato is a real knockout in everyone's garden. These monster deep-orange fruit grow very large, up to 2+ lbs., and are the prettiest golden color inside and out. This was the largest tomato I have ever grown! I won the heaviest tomato blue ribbon at my local farm fairs 2 years running with this. They really do have a pineapple-like sweet, fruity flavor. This is the one to grow to amaze your neighbors and win the prizes. Limited quantities! 10 of my own fresh organically grown seeds
MANYEL TOMATO - - This just may be the prettiest and most perfect little yellow tomato I have ever grown. Prolific beyond words! It is purportedly a Native American heirloom. The name translates as "many moons." Each and every fruit on this rather short vine with wispy leaves, was absolutely gorgeous and flawless. Not only is it a true lemon yellow color but it actually has a sweet lemony flavor, kind of like lemonade in a tomato! Very thin walls and creamy.They make a great golden yellow tomato sauce or salsa. The tomatoes grew in little clusters of up to 6 or 8 on tresses. Each 6 to 8 ounce fruit is about 2" by 3" or a bit larger as the season went on. This one started out very early and is still pumping out perfect little orbs of sweetness even today in late October in my Zone 6A garden. I never got so many tomatoes from such little plants! You can't go wrong with this little lunar beauty as the fruits glow on the plants like small moons.
10 of my own fresh organically grown seeds.
JAUNE FLAMMEE ORANGE TOMATO I had heard about how wonderful this tomato was for years, and finally found some seeds in a seed trade. This gorgeous orange tomato is described by William Woys Weaver, author of "Heirloom Vegetable Gardening" as resembling:
"a sliced blood orange, orange - yellow skin, reddish interior, handsome salad tomato...also dries beautifully and holds it color." This tomato positively glows on the vine and is about the color and size of an apricot. It really drew comments this summer in my garden. And taste? Juicy and sweet, like the apricot is resembles. It is just blushing with intense full bodied flavor. Great yields all summer long. A fabulous addition to your garden. 10 fresh organically grown seeds.
SUMMER CIDER APRICOT TOMATO LIMITED QUANTITIES - ORDER EARLY! Rare Apricot Color ~ Taste Test Winner! This This was the loveliest and most unusual coloration I have seen in a tomato in quite some time. Even the poetic name did justice to its beauty. It truly was the color of apricots. Huge, Brandywine type fruit grew on massive, strong, potato leaf foliage vines. Very large, easily exceeding one pound. The fruit was incredibly tasty, mild and sweet. Nice creamy texture. The interior is the same exact color as the apricot orange exterior. It was super juicy and looked just like freshly squeezed orange juice inside. But still meaty, an unusual combination. "Summer Cider" is starting to take over the winner's circle in tomato taste tests all over the country. Even people reluctant to eat any non-red tomato loved this tomato. This variety was quite early considering its very large size of 1-1/2 pound or more. This season it was my second largest tomato of all, consistently. This is an open pollinated European variety new to the USA, be the first to try it in your garden. A market grower's dream. 10 of my own fresh organically grown
CRAIG'S CANADIAN TOMATO ~ EXCLUSIVE ~ ONLY USA SEED SOURCE! - VERY LIMITED QUANTITIES~ ORDER EARLY - I got these seeds from my Canadian gardener friend, Craig. He found this tomato years ago in a plant swap in Canada. Here is what he said about his little Canadian tomato when I wrote to him recently asking for more history about it: "I actually thought that this tomato was a golden plum tomato but it obviously must be a cross between a yellow plum variety and another variety that I got years ago from an american seed company that was called B&O railway... came with a story that railway workers had been provided with it to grow for food. That mother tomato variety also came up from a museum "village"' here and I was told it was a Mennonite heirloom... "It is an open pollinated (the seeds will grow true to the parent) tomato. They are just delightful little morsels of sweetness and taste. Perfect little egg or grape shaped tomatoes. This baby is very early, pumps out all summer, and can take the heat as well as cold. Exceptionally prolific, and readily self seeds. If you can't grow tomatoes where you live, or are a beginning gardener, give this one a try.
10 fresh organically grown seeds.
PINK GRAPEFRUIT TOMATO - Determinate. This is a flavorful and unusual heirloom dating before 1900 and it is delicious. It may just be the best tasting yellow tomato I have ever eaten. The lovely, really shiny, golden, round fruits are a wonderful juicy pink inside, exactly like a pink grapefruit when cut open. Very sweet and fruity taste on very short vines 3-1/2 to 4 feet tall. Try this lovely, tasty little tomato and slice it in front of your friends and see their faces, then see them smile when they taste it! 10 fresh organically grown seeds.
BACK AGAIN FOR 2012 PECHE JAUNE (French for Yellow Peach). This tomato is also known as "Sorbet de Citron", "Yellow Peach", and "Garden Peach". 75- 85 days. This was my absolute favorite tomato last summer. They are actually fuzzy, exactly like tiny little peaches! They even have a pink blush on them. They date back to 1862 in France. Great keepers, just leave them on the counter or in a box for a month or more and still they are perfect! Round 1-1/2 to 2 inch peach-colored tomatoes with a mild yet full, sweet, fruity flavor that improves with age. Everyone wants them once they see and taste them. 10 of my own fresh organically grown seeds.
ROUGHWOOD GOLDEN PLUM TOMATO - Determinate- This is a wonderful all purpose, fresh eating, salad and cooking tomato. My original seeds came to me via William Woys Weaver, author of "HEIRLOOM VEGETABLE GARDENING" and "100 VEGETABLES AND WHERE THEY COME FROM." He developed this variety himself. It is his stable cross of Yellow Brandywine with San Marzano Paste. Drought resistant and also white fly resistant. But the flavor and the impressive golden color are what really makes this tomato stand out! It is the most intense deep gold color, almost glowing. The neighbors will come over to stare at them as they beam their bright golden light out from relatively short vines.
10 of my own fresh organically grown seeds.
