"Paste" Tomatoes

[travis]

I have four tomatoes in 2006 that are one or another kind of paste tomatoes ...

First ... Amish Paste ... maybe it is, or maybe it ain't a "paste" tomato ... but here it is as a little greenie:



And then, the Opalka that's so talked about in another thread and loved by Gimme so much:



One of'm looks like a Jersey Devil, huh?

And here's Heidi ... all the way from Camaroon:



But how about these little Polish Paste tomatoes ... they are about the cutest things I have in the garden.



Here's two more Polish Paste tomatoes. Look at those odd shapes ... almost like a Habanero, huh?



Well, do you think I should try some crosses to see if I can get something even wackier?

PV

[feldon30]

How 'bout can some of those when they're ripe and mail em to me.

You'll be in a good position to judge the four based on taste and results. You need any good spaghetti sauce recipes?

[HeirloomNewb]

He might not, but I sure do....... got a few opalka that have sauce (bbq/spaghetti) and salsa written all over them!

[travis]

Originally Posted by jtcm05

Vic, you may have posted this elsewhere, but you're in zone 6.....how is it you have so many fruit already? Do you start extra early, use a greenhouse,....???

John,

I did start a lot earlier than I usually do ... but not on these paste varieties ... they were planted out last of all those I have.

I'm already getting a few ripe tomatoes from some plants I set out April 9, which is way too early for my specific area ... most years 'round here we plant out from about April 21 to Mothers Day. But this year seemed really warm early to me, so ...

Now, those paste tomatoes were planted out a little late really ... like mid May I think ... I know it was after Mothers Day, 'cause it was after my dad went back to Alexandria, Virginia, and he was here from May 2 'til May 16.

Then I planted a row of tomatoes in 10 gunny sacks full of horse manure from the seedlings that were left after my dad picked through and got what he wanted. Yeah, he took a tote full of seedlings back through TSA at the Louisville airport ... an 86-year-old tomato terrorist. 8)

Your lookin' at the first fruit to set on these plants. The seeds were germinated on top of the refrigerator mid March, transferred to 4-inch pots and stayed under lights in the garage 'til mid April, then out in the driveway until they went into the garden in mid May. Yeah, they were gettin' a little leggy by then, but the weather was good and warm, and since they were set in Sac-O-Scheist (tm) grow bags, I guess the root balls were nice and warm and grew the plants faster ... maybe

PV