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Tomatoes
- A Description of Tomatoes
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History: Native to South and Central America and Mexico, the tomato traveled to Spain with Columbus and quickly spread throughout Europe. As popular as it was, it was only used as an ornamental for the garden as it was considered a poisonous plant. One writer in 1602 cautioned that "Tomatoes should never be eaten raw as death will be instantaneous.". Gradually, saner heads prevailed, first in Italy followed by Spain and England, and the tomato moved to its rightful place as a worthy garden vegetable. Cultivation: Tomato seeds need to be started indoors 6-7 weeks before the last frost. Sow 1/4" deep in soil-less mix; harden off & plant out 24 - 48" apart, in not too rich a soil, after all danger of frost is over. Companions: basil and borage repel tomato hornworms; onions, leeks and chives all deter pests, especially red spiders; marigolds encourage growth.
- Amana Orange Tomato
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Orange; Rare; Certified Organic
(90 days) Indeterminate. Originally from the Amana Colonies in Iowa (a National Historic Landmark), this variety produces a large number of beautiful, orange tomatoes that grow to about 1 lb. Disease-resistant, with a mild, pleasing taste.
- Amish Paste Tomato
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Paste/Sauce; Rare; Certified Organic
SORRY, SOLD OUT. (74-85 days) This is a very old tomato, a Pennsylvania heirloom, indeterminate, with long, heart-shaped fruits that are sweet and have few seeds. Excellent sauce tomato! Accepted onto Slow Food USA's "Ark of Taste".
Sold Out- Pkt - 30 seeds: 3.00
- Trade Pack - 90 seeds: 6.00
- Aunt Ruby's German Green Tomato
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Green; Endangered; Certified Organic
(80 days) Indeterminate. This old German heirloom is the only true large green "beefsteak" tomato in the trade. The 1 lb, juicy fruits have a zesty, sweet-spicy flavour. Since the fruits stay green, they must be picked by "feel" (soft to the touch), not look. Accepted onto Slow Food USA's "Ark of Taste".
- Basinga Tomato
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Yellow: Endangered,Sustainably-Grown
(80 days) Indeterminate. A family heirloom whose origins are unknown, Basinga retains its bright lemon-yellow colour through to maturity (which is unusual; most beefsteaks turn a deep gold). It has produced well for us both in both drought and cool, wet conditions. High yields of up to 1 lb fruits with a mild, sweet taste.
- Beefsteak Tomato
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Red; Certified Organic
Pre-1916 Indeterminate (90 days) The tomato that gave large tomatoes their descriptive moniker. This variety produces large, red, meaty fruit that average almost a pound each and full of rich, sweet flavour. Great for sandwiches and salads. (approx. 10,000 seeds/oz)
- Pkt - 30 seeds: 3.00
- Trade Pack - 90 seeds: 6.00
- 300 seeds: 7.50
- 1000 seeds: 12.00
- 1/4 oz: 20.00
- 1/2 oz: 30.00
- 1 oz (approx 10,000 seeds): 40.00
- Bellstar Tomato
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Red; Paste/Sauce; Certified Organic
(65 days) Determinate. Aka 'Bellestar'. I'm so excited to have found this tomato! It was developed in 1981 by Dr. Jack Metcalf, of the Smithfield Experimental Farm in Trenton, Ontario, which is about an hour away from us so it's really local. Dr. Jack did a great job - it matures much earlier than most other plum tomatoes, making it a cool-season champion, yet its fruit is larger than those of most of its peers. The compact plants produce large quantities of rich-tasting fruit that are easy to pick and great for fresh eating as well as making fabulous sauce.
- Black Brandywine Tomato
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Black/Purple; Certified Organic
(80 days) Indeterminate. This open-pollinated, potato-leaved variety is the result of an accidental cross of Pink Brandywine and a black tomato prior to 1900. The purple-maroon coloured fruits come in variable sizes up to a pound, and make great slicing tomates with that smoky flavour one associates with black tomatoes.
