help finding a firm heirloom tomato

[730dcm]

is anyone aware of a firm heirloom tomato would prefer red color if possible as well ? grew dixie golden and pink brandywine last year i liked both but others didnt . they are alot softer then the hybrid bigboy types . i bought bigboy seeds but i threw them out as they were treated seeds with thiram coating which i want no part off. thanks for any and all help

[MissS]

Wow, I have never heard of that complaint before. I am finding this a little sad because it means that people are wanting those rocks at the grocery more than they do a nice home grown tomato with flavor.

I am not much of a red tomato grower, so I will let others try to help you with this.

[730dcm]

i think you greatly miss understood me. a big boy hybrid home grown tomato is far from the grocery store flavorless rocks .the brandywine and the dixie gold that i grew last year where quite soft close to mushy when they where ripe they where really good but hard to cut seemed to tear just looking for something a little more firmer if its anything out there that a heirloom variety. thanks im growing the dixie gold and brandywine again this year. color isnt a deal breaker these are for my dad he just old time set in his ways like a flavorful tomato that firm but not rock like a grocery store green picked tomato that is red in color. thanks again for any info

[AlittleSalt]

730dcm, being they are for your dad and most people cannot tell the difference between Pink and Red tomatoes (They both look red to most of us). Breaking down the definition of Heirloom means older Open Pollinated (OP) varieties. If you want a true heirloom, grow Livingston's Magnus. If you're looking for an excellent OP - then grow Rebel Yell. If hybrids are okay, grow some Big Beef, Better Boy, Best Boy, Jetsetter, etc.

If you include pinks, there are some really good choices out there.

[Cole_Robbie]

I used to think all firm varieties were bad, but last year I grew a few that I liked a lot. Grot and Zarca are both red saladettes, and Sladkij Ponchik is a medium yellow. All of them had good flavor. They only difference with them was a thicker wall of flesh next to the skin.

My family grows Carolina Gold as a yellow market tomato. They're not my favorite to eat, but they're not too bad; they're firm and produce well.

[KarenO]

I think that the meaty hearts with fewer seed locules make nice tomatoes for slicing firm without being hard at all but with that smooth buttery texture I love in a good tomato. There are many varieties to try and may be a good option for a delicious firmer slicer.
KarenO

[MissS]

I'm sorry that I misunderstood you. Try picking the Brandywines a little sooner, while pink yet not too soft to the touch. They are a pretty good tasting tomato and if picked earlier cut quite well.

For a firmer old time red, I would try Livingston's Magnus or even better Livingston's Perfection which was grown as a market tomato. Mule Team might fit the bill as well as Wisconsin 55 or Red Beefsteak.

[Tormato]

I've trialed ~1,000 varieties, and Seek-No-Further Love Apple (a pink) is the firmest beefsteak of them all.

There were a couple of inedible red globe "rocks" that I can't remember the names of, though.

[ilex]

I've got one yellow that has very good flavour ... it will bounce on the floor if it falls from a table, not a joke. Firmer than supermarket tomatoes, with a shelf live of weeks, even a couple months. Endangered variety from Spain.

[PaulF]

Oftentimes a variety in one part of the country ripens differently than in other parts of the country (or world). Perhaps if you could narrow down your area from USA there could be regional favorites.

For me the 500 or so heirloom/OP varieties have not been mushy unless the growing conditions have caused a problem. This is most often caused by excess watering or rain. Many of my favorites can be considered juicy but not mushy. Mushy also means flavorless and this is excess water.

I am also a heart lover, but there are hundreds of red or pink varieties that are solid and flavorful.

[bower]

There are some firm but tasty and sweet orange fruit from the far side of the pond - Zolotoe Serdtse (means Heart of Gold) is one and Orange-1 (sometimes called Belarus Orange) is another. ZS is semi-determinate and super productive. Orange-1 is determinate and earlier, also productive, round fruit.
You can't turn these to mush I don't believe. They will hold for weeks, and they tolerate some pretty rough handling (Bounce? Yeah.. it's possible).

[TC_Manhattan]

Why not try Brandywine OTV?
It's an open-pollinated RED tomato, and an accidental cross between Brandywine Yellow and an unknown red beefsteak tomato. It grows big, and late, and is an amazing red tomato. For me, it remained firm when fully red-ripe, and if you keep up the fertilizing, you may be surprised at its yield.

Be forewarned, the plants grow huge, as do the tomatoes. Mine were in-ground.

[Spartanburg123]

What he said ^^^^^^^ above. Fantastic plant and tomato!!!

[montanamato]

Eye, Victoria, Bonny Best, Early Rouge and Cabot are all red and incredible flavor. A few Italian varieties with green shoulders are very good.
Count me in your camp too. I never could get real excited over those sweet, mushy pinks everyone seems to favor.
Jeanne

[Ricky Shaw]

I found the open pollinated Cosmonaut Volkov reminiscent of Better Boy and Big Beef. Not quite as firm, but much better taste and kept longer than any of the pinks. Full flavored through all stages of ripeness. A great all-around tom.