Old Time Tomatoes

[Deborah]

I loved the story. I'd like to see more posts like these. I'm a caregiver for seniors, and I know for sure that there is much to learn from people who were there.

[remy]

Growing up in the Niagara Falls area, most of the old people were immigrants from Italy and Poland, or their parents were, so there was a lot of seed saving in the area. I remember in particular big ugly tomatoes with green shoulders that tasted fantastic. Unfortunately many of the younger generation did not know the value of saving the seeds at the time. Heaven knows I didn't!
When I first bought my home over 20 years ago, the first thing I did was plant a tomato garden. I bought plants from a local nursery. When they were ripe, I was sorely disappointed. I was expecting the flavors of my childhood.
There was no internet back then, and thankfully, my MIL gave me some Organic Gardening mags. In there was the addresses of companies to write to to get their catalogs. So I mailed away, and I ended up with a few heirloom varieties. The one that I knew I was on the right path was Prudens Purple.
A few years later, when the internet was small, a place popped up called GardenWeb. It only had a few forums at the time, and one was for tomatoes. I got to know some people there including Carolyn, more I knew them than me as I lurked a lot back then. They helped a lot in my quest for flavor.
Then a book came out called 100 Heirloom Tomatoes for the American Garden. I saw it and looked at the back cover and though something like, "This lady lives in NYS. I bet this will be really good info." A little while later on, I realized it was the same lady from the tomato forum!
The closest I've come to the tomato taste I remember is Stump of the World.
Remy

[Alfredo]

I enjoyed this thread, and in the hopes that more tomatovillians can hopefully add some more varieties that they remember having that "Old time Tomato taste" from their youth, I've put the growing list below for others to add to.

So far the ones being remembered/mentioned are the following:

Marion
Rutgers
Homestead
Marglobe
Beefsteak a.k.a. Red Ponderosa, Crimson Cushion
Jersey Beefsteak
Stone
Globe
Bonny Best
Break O'Day
Better Boy
Big Boy
Ramapo
Mozark Cross
Pruden's Purple
Any others anyone can remember?

[loulac]

Thank you for giving us an opportunity to dream for a while !
French growers would immediately say "Marmande" and "Saint Pierre". They have been grown for a very long time and still are.They can be found on the catalogues of most American seed sellers.
I'll go on dreaming : I was astonished to discover in these catalogues so many "French" tomatoes totally unheard of in their mother country.

[Labradors2]

I am English and my mother was a keen gardener who always bought her tomato plants from Woolworths! She discovered that the varieties of salad-type tomatoes that she bought were Moneymaker (100 years old this year) and Alicante (which I cannot find anything about).

When I moved to Canada, she sent me seeds so that I could grow my own. I didn't realize for many years that they are both OP varieties, but I grew them for many years and was happy with the taste until I discovered Brandywine, Cherokee Purple and Black Krim. Now I am not so sure that I will be reserving a spot for Moneymaker just for old tymes sake .....

Linda

[joseph]

For me, the list of favorite tomatoes from my youth would include:

Rutgers,
A sub-strain of Moscow called DX52-12,
Yellow Pear

[MissS]

Thank you Alfredo for making this list. Hopefully I can find the tomato taste that I grew up with. Perhaps I never will though. As we age our taste buds do change. I wonder if my grandpa's tomato would still taste the same to me with my aged taste buds.

Perhaps we will see.

Patti

[riceke]

Originally Posted by Alfredo

I enjoyed this thread, and in the hopes that more tomatovillians can hopefully add some more varieties that they remember having that "Old time Tomato taste" from their youth, I've put the growing list below for others to add to.

So far the ones being remembered/mentioned are the following:

Marion
Rutgers
Homestead
Marglobe
Beefsteak a.k.a. Red Ponderosa, Crimson Cushion
Jersey Beefsteak
Stone
Globe
Bonny Best
Break O'Day
Better Boy
Big Boy
Ramapo
Mozark Cross
Pruden's Purple
Any others anyone can remember?

Alfredo, I can remember another called Ponderosa which was a popular beefsteak back then and still think it's available from some seed companies.

[Alfredo]

Thanks for adding some to the list Loulac, Labradors2, Joseph, and Riceke .
It's very interesting to see what other tomatovillians in other countries remember were grown from their youth, I've never heard of those varieties loulac, thanks again...I'm a big fan of the French heirloom Jaune Flamme, so I'm going to check those two you mentioned out since it appears they're readily available over here in America.

Labradors2 wow you took me back to my youth in mentioning Woolworths! I remember their fried chicken being really good. I don't remember them selling seeds though as I was only a child...wa waa.... That Alicante variety sounds like it's a spanish variety with that name. Not sure though

Joseph, I've also never heard of that sub-strain of Moscow DX52-12...and here I thought the Campbell's soup company tomato variety KC-146 had a technical sounding name, yours sounds serious. Thanks.

Riceke is that Ponderosa variety similar or the same as the Beefsteak/Red Ponderosa/Crimson Cushion variety?

MissS do you remember the tomato variety that your Grandpa grew?

The updated growing list below for others to add to:

Marion
Rutgers
Homestead
Marglobe
Beefsteak a.k.a. Red Ponderosa, Crimson Cushion
Jersey Beefsteak
Stone
Globe
Bonny Best
Break O'Day
Better Boy
Big Boy
Ramapo
Mozark Cross
Pruden's Purple
Marmande
Saint Pierre
Moneymaker
Alicante
DX52-12
Yellow Pear
Ponderosa
Any others anyone can remember?

[joseph]

Originally Posted by Alfredo

Joseph, I've also never heard of that sub-strain of Moscow DX52-12...and here I thought the Campbell's soup company tomato variety KC-146 had a technical sounding name, yours sounds serious.

DX52-12 was also developed for the Campbell's soup company. It was tailored specifically to our climate in a cold mountain valley. Seed is still available, but not planted commercially. Production of canned tomatoes has moved to California. Locally DX52-12 was replaced by Celebrity.

I remember vast fields of DX52-12 about 40 years ago. We used to go and pick for making tomato juice.

[Alfredo]

Originally Posted by joseph

DX52-12 was also developed for the Campbell's soup company. It was tailored specifically to our climate in a cold mountain valley. Seed is still available, but not planted commercially. Production of canned tomatoes has moved to California. Locally DX52-12 has been replaced by Celebrity.

I remember vast fields of DX52-12 about 40 years ago. We used to go and pick for making tomato juice.

Hey Joseph,
Ah no wonder it reminded me of KC-146, same company named it! Very interesting background info, thanks.

[Doug9345]

I don't think my parents where big tomato eaters. I remember growing Ponderosa as a kid. What I do remember is that we were somewhere where the people had a large garden or farm. It must of been around Utica, NY and I think I was 8 or 9. That was the first time I'd ever had a yellow tomato or a Granny Smith apple and I loved both of them. I have no idea what variety of tomato it was. I remember it being quite large. Translated into adult terms, that would be 5 oz more or less. That tomato is one that inspires me to grow tomatoes today, particularly non red ones.

[MissS]

Alfredo you already have them in the list as I am one who replied to this thread.

Thank,

Patti

[Alfredo]

Originally Posted by MissS

Alfredo you already have them in the list as I am one who replied to this thread.

Thank,

Patti

Ah you're right Patti, my apologies, you responded earlier in the thread (post #28) and mentioned several, Big Boy, Rutgers, Red Ponderosa and a a Pink Ponderosa.

[pondgardener]

Originally Posted by Labradors2

I am English and my mother was a keen gardener who always bought her tomato plants from Woolworths! She discovered that the varieties of salad-type tomatoes that she bought were Moneymaker (100 years old this year) and Alicante (which I cannot find anything about).

When I moved to Canada, she sent me seeds so that I could grow my own. I didn't realize for many years that they are both OP varieties, but I grew them for many years and was happy with the taste until I discovered Brandywine, Cherokee Purple and Black Krim. Now I am not so sure that I will be reserving a spot for Moneymaker just for old tymes sake .....

Linda

Linda and Alfredo,

When you mentioned the name "Alicante" I remembered a packet of seeds that my cousin had brought back from Ireland where she had visited in 2012. The package lists the following information:

Large crops of medium-sized, tasty fruits. Indeterminate, outdoors or greenhouse.

If you are interested Linda, you are welcome to the unopened package if you send me your address.

George