New Heirloom Varieties from Hungary

amideutch · May 25, 2008

I mentioned this to Carolyn in another forum that I had gotten seedlings from a coworker who is a first generation american from Hungary. As his last name is Kiss I gave him last year some tomatoes from Maidens Kiss and KBX. He really got excited and saved the seed and is growing them this year. Anyway he got hooked and I asked him if he could check with his relatives in Hungary and see if they knew any families growing the same tomatoes year after year in their garden. Anyway 2 or 3 months later he came to me all excited and said one of his relatives in Hungary have been growing 2 different varieties since the early 1800's. So he gave me a seedling from each last month and they have no names. One is supposed to be a red Ind and size wasn't mentioned. The other is supposed to be an Det red, shaped like an apple again no size given. Here are pictures of the seelings taken today. Ami

**carolyn137** · May 25, 2008

Ami, do you really think he meant the early 1800's? I ask b'c there really weren't that many tomatoes being grown at that time and I wonder if he really meant the early 1900's.

If not the early 1900's then the fruits of what you get as well as the leaf forms should be a bit different from more recent heirloom varieties. Hard to describe.

The only pre-1800 hundred varieties that I know of that are still around are King (Roi) Humbert, Yellow and Red Pears and Green Gage and a few more I can't think of this AM.

So if they are indeed pre-1800 you have a nice find.

crazytomato · May 25, 2008

Nice find ami,i have got a tomato from crete found in a issolated place deep in the mountains.I am growing him now for the second time and both times it came true,so i suppose it is a heirloom.

amideutch · May 25, 2008

Carolyn, he says they go back 200 years so that would put them in the 1800's.

Crazy, long time no hear. I'll tell you what, it's easy to get lost in some of those mountains. That's right people and snow covered at that. When I lived there they said not even the police would go to some of those remote villages in the mountains of Crete. Ami

ddsack · May 25, 2008

Ami and Crazytomato -- you guys have got some real finds there! I hope you have a success with these tomatoes and are able to share some seeds soon.

Dee

**carolyn137** · May 25, 2008

Carolyn, he says they go back 200 years so that would put them in the 1800's.

****

You'll know soon enough ami b'c the first really smooth tomato didn't appear until 1860, and that was Trophy, which was from a cross between a cherry tomato and a lumpy type which was the norm up until then.

If I were you I'd be out there every day waiting for those fruits to form and see what gives.

Did he tell you what color and what shape the fruits were?

organichris · May 25, 2008

Ami, I hope you will be able to keep us posted as you grow these out.

elkwc36 · May 25, 2008

Very interesting and will be looking forward to the updates. JD

amideutch · May 25, 2008

Carolyn, one is a Red Ind and nothing said about size or shape. The other tomato is a Red Det I'm assuming, as he said the plant didn't get very tall and the tomatoes were shape like apples. Ami

crazytomato · May 25, 2008

Mine is a great normal sized pasta type of tomato,red from colour.The shape is a little bit as a cube.

maryinoregon · May 26, 2008

Looking forward to pics and taste descriptions. Congrats on scoring seeds.

amideutch · June 8, 2008

Here's the latest snaps of my two Hungarian heirlooms. So far so good. The first photo is the Ind. and the second is the Det. Ami

amideutch · July 12, 2008

Here's an update on the two hungarian heirlooms. Both are growing like gangbusters and the indet has fruit set. Heres some snaps. The first two are from the Ind. and the last one is the Det. Ami

amideutch · July 20, 2008

Here's the latest pictures of the fruits on the Indeterminate plant. Ami

amideutch · August 10, 2008

Here's the latest pictures from the Ind. and Det. plants. If the Ind. gets any taller were going to have to put "Tree" in the name it will be given. Ami

May 25, 2008	#2
carolyn137 Moderator Emeritus Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Upstate NY, zone 4b/5a Posts: 21,169	Ami, do you really think he meant the early 1800's? I ask b'c there really weren't that many tomatoes being grown at that time and I wonder if he really meant the early 1900's. If not the early 1900's then the fruits of what you get as well as the leaf forms should be a bit different from more recent heirloom varieties. Hard to describe. The only pre-1800 hundred varieties that I know of that are still around are King (Roi) Humbert, Yellow and Red Pears and Green Gage and a few more I can't think of this AM. So if they are indeed pre-1800 you have a nice find. __________________ Carolyn

May 25, 2008	#4
amideutch Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Germany 49°26"N 07°36"E Posts: 5,041	Carolyn, he says they go back 200 years so that would put them in the 1800's. Crazy, long time no hear. I'll tell you what, it's easy to get lost in some of those mountains. That's right people and snow covered at that. When I lived there they said not even the police would go to some of those remote villages in the mountains of Crete. Ami __________________ Life's journey is not to arrive at the grave safely in a well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, totally worn out, shouting ‘...Holy Crap .....What a ride!'

May 25, 2008	#6
carolyn137 Moderator Emeritus Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Upstate NY, zone 4b/5a Posts: 21,169	Carolyn, he says they go back 200 years so that would put them in the 1800's. **** You'll know soon enough ami b'c the first really smooth tomato didn't appear until 1860, and that was Trophy, which was from a cross between a cherry tomato and a lumpy type which was the norm up until then. If I were you I'd be out there every day waiting for those fruits to form and see what gives. Did he tell you what color and what shape the fruits were? __________________ Carolyn Last edited by carolyn137; May 25, 2008 at 12:26 PM. Reason: add a sentence at bottom

May 25, 2008	#9
amideutch Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Germany 49°26"N 07°36"E Posts: 5,041	Carolyn, one is a Red Ind and nothing said about size or shape. The other tomato is a Red Det I'm assuming, as he said the plant didn't get very tall and the tomatoes were shape like apples. Ami __________________ Life's journey is not to arrive at the grave safely in a well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, totally worn out, shouting ‘...Holy Crap .....What a ride!'

May 25, 2008	#3
crazytomato Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: the netherlands Posts: 137	Nice find ami,i have got a tomato from crete found in a issolated place deep in the mountains.I am growing him now for the second time and both times it came true,so i suppose it is a heirloom.

May 25, 2008	#5
ddsack Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Northern Minnesota - zone 3 Posts: 3,231	Ami and Crazytomato -- you guys have got some real finds there! I hope you have a success with these tomatoes and are able to share some seeds soon. Dee

May 25, 2008	#7
organichris Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Tulsa, OK Posts: 630	Ami, I hope you will be able to keep us posted as you grow these out.

May 25, 2008	#8
elkwc36 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2006 Location: SW Kansas Posts: 339	Very interesting and will be looking forward to the updates. JD

May 26, 2008	#11
maryinoregon Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Oregon Posts: 361	Looking forward to pics and taste descriptions. Congrats on scoring seeds.