For People Who Eat What They Grow
Tomato Varieties
You can browse the varieties here but you need to go to the webstore to order:
Cherokee Purple
Origin: Cherokee
Pre-1890 heirloom, open-pollinated variety with a unique purple-rose color. The flavor has been described as both sweet and smoky, and definitely rivals the
Indeterminate, Open-Pollinated, 80 days from transplant.
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Black Krim
Origin:
Also known as the Black Crimson or Black Crim. Heirloom variety originally from the Isle of Krim, which is located on the
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Pink
Origin:
The
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Yellow
Origin:
My personal favorite due to the citrus-like flavor, creamy texture, and stunning appearance. This “potato leaf” variety is an old Amish heirloom dating back to the mid 1800’s. These smooth yellow fruit weighing up to 1½ pounds really add nice color to the garden. Purported to have originated in
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Mortgage Lifter
Origin: WV,
This tomato has the distinction of having the best “story” in its relatively short history. The Mortgage Lifter tomato was developed in the early 1930's in Logan, West Virginia by a radiator repairman, M.C. "Radiator Charlie" Byles. Without any experience in breeding tomatoes he made a successful cross of four of the largest tomatoes he could find - German Johnson, Beefsteak, an Italian variety, and an English variety. Byles is rumored to have sold the seedlings of his new tomato plant to customers who drove up to 200 miles, and paid $1 each, for his famous plants. With these sales Charlie managed to pay off his $6,000 mortgage in only six years, and thus the tomato was named Mortgage Lifter.
This large, meaty, mild-flavored tomato has few seeds and is the perfect sandwich tomato. The fruit can average over 2 pounds, and 4-pounders are not unusual. My personal best is 3.1 pounds. Brilliant pink-red flesh, delicious flavor. 75+ Seeds
Indeterminate, Open-Pollinated, 80 days from transplant.
Origin: OH,
An heirloom variety from
Indeterminate, Open-Pollinated, 85 days from transplant
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Beefsteak
This tomato is the mutt of American tomato varieties. Also known as the “Red Ponderosa” and “Crimson Cushion” this variety is considered THE original heirloom beefsteak tomato. An old time favorite that has been popular since the mid 1800’s due to its excellent productivity and wonderful taste. The fruits are large (12 to 16 oz.), slightly ribbed, scarlet in color, juicy, and with few seeds. This tomato’s excellent taste and meaty flesh make it an ideal tomato for eating fresh, or for cooking and canning. 75+ Seeds
Indeterminate, Open-Pollinated, 85 days from transplant.
Chocolate Cherry
Origin:
These highly-productive plants produce 1” fruit throughout the summer. Dark red in color, sweet and smoky in taste, this cherry makes a beautiful addition to any salad. Many people believe this is the best-tasting cherry tomato on the market. 30+ Seeds
Indeterminate, Open-Pollinated, 70 days from transplant.
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Roma VF
Origin: Italy. Type: Paste/Sauce
This variety is a meaty, egg-or-pear-shaped tomato that has few seeds and is perfect for canning and sauces. While the Roma is an open pollinated variety, it is generally not considered an heirloom tomato due to its commercial uses. It has been improved over time to the point that vines are now fusarium wilt and verticillium resistant (this accounts for the “VF” in the name). If you do any canning, or make your own spaghetti sauce, this variety is a must. 300+ Seeds
Determinate, Open-Pollinated, 80 days from transplant.
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Yellow Pear
Origin:
A delightful little pear-shaped yellow tomato that is rich in vitamins and antioxidants. The beautiful color and unusual shape make it a great addition to summer salads. These tasty little tomatoes are extremely prolific and grow quite tall, so stake well. Please note- the taste of the Yellow Pear improves significantly as the season progresses. Make sure you wait until they are fully-ripened before harvesting. 75+ Seeds
Indeterminate, Open-Pollinated, 70 days from transplant.
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German Johnson
Origin: Carolinas
A popular heirloom variety from the Carolinas and one of the original parent-lines of the Mortgage Lifter. Highly prized for its pinking-red fruit, large size, and scarcity of seeds, the German Johnson can grow to 1 1/2 pounds. Great for slicing, canning, or in sauces. This highly-productive variety is somewhat disease resistant. 75+ Seeds
Indeterminate, Open-Pollinated, 77 days from transplant.
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Pink Oxheart
Origin:
This prolific producer has been around for years. Large (1-2+ pounds) heart-shaped fruit that ripen 75 days after planting. This tomato is quite firm, has a meaty texture, and is great for slicing. 75+ Seeds
Indeterminate, Open-Pollinated, 75 days from transplant.
No Photo Available
This old favorite was introduced in 1934 as a cross between the “Marglobe” and “JTP” varieties. Known for having thick walls and a resistance to cracking. 75+ Seeds
Semi-Determinate, Open-Pollinated, 75 days from transplant.
Paul Robeson Organic
Origin: Russia
I have been growing this variety for many years and consider it to be my favorite. Plants are very productive and produce 6 oz. to 1 lb. fruit. The taste is a delicious, smokey flavor. It is the best salad tomato available, in my opinion, and never disappoints. 30+ Seeds
Indeterminate, Open-Pollinated, 70 days from transplant.
Mr. Stripey
This variety has become more popular over the past 10 years due to its unusual look and low acidity. As the name implies, the fruit are striped with orange and pink colors. 8oz. to 2 lbs. 75+ Seeds
Indeterminate, Open-Pollinated, 70 days from transplant.
Rozovyi Myod "Siberian Pink Honey"
This is an extremely rare variety!
Last fall I received 10 Siberian
Pink Honey seeds from a family friend in
I started the 10 seeds in late
March, along with over 900 other tamato plants (27 varieties), and quickly
discovered that the Pink Honey's were the first to germinate, and the fastest
growers. Within a few weeks they were 3" taller than any other variety.
I planted the 10 plants on May 25th and had excellent fruit-set
within 3 weeks. They seemed to explode out of the ground in the early cool
weather. I was harvesting tomatoes in early July, which is unheard of in this
part of
Now on to the fruit. I HAVE NEVER GROWN TOMATO PLANTS THAT GROW SUCH HUGE FRUIT. They are oxheart-shaped, many over
I have thus far (through August 18th) picked
Indeterminate,
Open-Pollinated, 48 days from transplant.
Purple Russian Organic
Origin: Ukraine Type: Sauce/Salad
This variety is a BIG producer-
I've had individual plants yield
Fruit average about 4" in
length and have a strong, smokey flavor. Very resistant to cracking and performs
well in hot or cool conditions. The fruit rarely have any flaws, which makes
them a great choice for the market. 50+ Seeds
Grown by my good friend Larissa
in
Indeterminate,
Open-Pollinated, 55-67 days from transplant.
Carbon Organic
Origin:
I decided to grow this variety
after reading several articles rating it the best-tasting tomato variety
available. The kudos are well deserved. This is one of the tastiest varieties I
have ever grown and the plants are quite productive. Tomatoes range from
Grown by my good friends Tom and
Sarah Murphy near
Indeterminate,
Open-Pollinated, 66 days from transplant.
Orange Kentucky Beefsteak Organic
Origin: KY,
I grew this variety for the first
time this year and was really, really impressed. I like fruity tomatoes, and
this variety offers a delicious mango-like taste. Far more sweet than
acidic. Not many seeds , not much juice, just meat. Outstanding!
This may be the largest
average-size tomato I have ever grown. Most of the fruit were in the 1 to
2-pound range, with one reaching almost
Grown at my parent's house
in
Indeterminate,
Open-Pollinated, 72 days from transplant.
Roman Candle
Large yields of 3"-4"
neon-yellow, banana-shaped tomatoes. This variety is great for paste,
salsa, or storage. Has a sweet taste, relatively dry, with few seeds. 30+ Seeds
Indeterminate, Open-Pollinated,
80 days from transplant.
Hillbilly
Origin: OH,
This is one heck to a tomato
variety! Huge, tri-colored tomatoes that can reach
Indeterminate, Open-Pollinated,
85 days from transplant.
Pineapple
Origin:
This is my first year growing
this variety and was very happy with the results. The fruit are a beautiful,
pink-yellow color, with vertical stripes forming as they ripen. I averaged
about 20-pounds per plant and most fruit were in the 1-
Indeterminate,
Open-Pollinated, 80 days from transplant.
Amurskij Tigr (Amur Tiger)- Organically Grown
Origin: Russia Type: Cherry/Salad
This cherry variety produces unique, yellow-striped fruit on a semi-determinate vine. The fruit are quite juicy, possess nice flavor, and range in size from a large marble to a ping pong ball. Unique appearance makes it a real eye-catcher.
The plants are compact, easy to stake, and quite productive for their size. 20+ Seeds
60 days, Open-Pollinated, Semi-Determinate
Russian Queen- Organically Grown
Origin: Russia Type: Salad
This rare variety is not sold anywhere in the U.S., according to our Google searches.
The most productive tomato variety we have ever grown at over 20 pounds per plant (through 9/5/2012). The iridescent-yellow striping on the fruit make this a striking addition to your dinner table. It's unusual appearance also made it a fast-seller at our farm market. Has a full tomato-flavor, unlike most striped varieties. Golf ball-size fruit that are slightly elongated.
The plant is fast-growing, upright, and requires heavy-duty staking. Our plants were 6' tall by July 1st and already loaded with fruit. You won't find a more vigorous tomato variety. 50+ Seeds
72 days,
Open-Pollinated,
Indeterminate
Mr. Bruno- Organically Grown
Origin: Australia
This is our first year growing this rare Australian variety and we are quite impressed with both its flavor and production.
The plants produce loads of 4-8 ounce fruit that mature to a deep-red color. The fruit are slightly ribbed, quite juicy, and exquisitely flavored. Our first fruit ripened by mid July, and we continue to harvest them by the bucket-load. As of today (9/5/2012) our 7 plants have produced 108 pounds of tomatoes, and I would expect another 5 pounds per plant before the season ends.
The plants are compact, dark green in color, and seem to resist disease well. It can also be said that they do quite well in hot weather as we here in Ohio experienced our hottest summer since the 1930's.
Certainly one of the 2 or 3 best-tasting tomatoes we have ever grown. An absolute MUST for the tomato connoisseur.
This variety is said to have been developed by an Italian farmer, Mr. Bruno, who moved to Australia during the 1950's.
20+ Seeds73 days,
Open-Pollinated,
Indeterminate
Pertsewidnij Schelmij "Gold Pepper-Shaped"
2012 was our first year growing this rare variety after receiving seeds from a friend in Europe.
This vigorous variety produces loads of bizarre-looking 4" gold fruit. They are irregular in size and shape, but absolutely delicious. Incredibly sweet- the taste reminds me more of a tropical fruit, like papaya, than a tomato.
20+ Seeds
66 Days, Open-Pollinated,
Indeterminate
Strawberry
Origin: Germany
We received seeds for this variety from a friend in Europe. It came highly recommended and did not disappoint!!
One of the most vigorous varieties we have grown. Large, unwieldy plants that produce large numbers of 1+ pound pink fruit. They are very meaty, with few seeds or gel, and tend to be heart-shaped. Great flavor.
The plant is fast-growing, upright, and requires heavy-duty staking. Consistently produces big fruit all season long.
We have yielded an amazing 21 pounds per plant through 9/17/12. 20+ Seeds
70 days,
Open-Pollinated,
Indeterminate
Lehrertomate "Teacher Tomato"
This rare German variety yields huge, beefsteak-type slicers that are absolutely delicious. The fruit are meaty, with few seeds, and are slightly ribbed. We grew only 4 plants this year and harvested nearly 50 pounds. 8 fruit weighed over 1.5 pounds, with the largest reaching 2.1 pounds. We will continue to grow this wonderful variety in the coming years, but our seed supply is limited this year. 20+ Seeds
66 Days, Open-Pollinated,
Indeterminate
Lehrer means "teacher" in German.
Sacharnaja Sliva Malinovaja- Raspberry-Colored Sugarplum
Origin: Estonia
This rare variety comes to us from eastern Europe and is not available from any other seed retailer (to the best of our knowledge). This is our first year growing Raspberry and it definitely is a keeper. Our hot summer here in Ohio did not seem to affect this variety.
Vigorous, sprawling plants produce large numbers of plum-shaped tomatoes. The fruit are dark-pink, quite juicy, and sweet. Try them , you will like them. 20+ Seeds
Open-Pollinated,
Indeterminate, 72 Days
Black Cherry