Tomato varieties with few seeds?

Zana · October 29, 2009

Not sure if I'm posting this in the right area. (and if I am, would a moderator please move it as they see fit.)

A friend of mine asked me if there were any types or varieties of tomatoes that had no or very few seeds. She can't digest the seeds and has to remove them before she can eat any fresh tomatoes. Usually she's limited to using tinned tomato paste as the seeds have been removed.

I couldn't think of any specifically, so figured this would probably be the best forum to ask what you all would recommend. Some of the varieties in my seed bank I haven't grown yet, so I don't know personnally if they'd fit the bill, and I don't think I made a note in my database of which had allot of seeds or not. So, I'd appreciate any input you may have. Thanks.

Zana

**carolyn137** · October 29, 2009

Zana, the first thing I'd do is to ask your friend to consult a gastroenterologist who ise up to date.

Many years ago it was shown that small seeds such as strawberry, tomatoes, etc, were not strongly involved in diverticulitis which is the enteric condition that in the past has had such warnings re small seeds gettinginto the pouches in the gut wall.

But to answer your quiestion directly, I'd suggest some of the parthenocarpic varieties bred by Dr. James Baggett at OSU such as Oregon Spring. Parthenocapric varieties have practically no seeds with early fruits and not many more with later fruits b'c fruit formation occurs in the absence of normal pollination.

Then I'd suggest almost ANY heart variety b'c they are, for most of them, very low in seed content.

Then I'd suggest any meaty large beefsteak such as Red Penna, Chapman, and many others.

But do suggest to your friend about consulting another gastroenterologist b'c the whole bit with diverticulosis and diverticulitis has changed with more recent studies about the involvement of small seeds.

Wi-sunflower · October 29, 2009

I would also recommend Romas.

When saving seeds I only get about 1/10th the amount of seeds from the same volume of tomatoes.

Carol

eddie46 · October 29, 2009

Tomato Sweet Seedless Hybrid
NEW The world’s first seedless tomato!

Burpee is selling this one.

Ed

**carolyn137** · October 29, 2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by eddie46

Tomato Sweet Seedless Hybrid
NEW The world’s first seedless tomato!

Burpee is selling this one.

Ed

Ed, there's a thread here somewhere that shows sliuces of that tomato and it does have seeds, despite the Burpee claim. In addition, the other claims made for it are beyond what is real as was discussed by several folks in that thread. It was either here or at GW that the thread occurred and I didn't take the time to do a search at either place. Sorry.

Zana, I'd agree with using paste tomatoes b/c they have few seeds but if forced to do so I think there are just a few that have good taste and if one is trying to sub for the better tasting varieties I think I might suggest:

Heidi
Opalka
Mama Leone
Martino's Roma

....for starters

Again, I do wish your friend would look into her medical situation a bit more re small seeds and diverticulitis or even go online and read about it.

camochef · October 29, 2009

Lillian Maciejewski's Poland Pink had very few seeds and was not only meaty with very few seeds and gel, it was also very tasty! A 3/4 lb tomato only had 54 seeds, less than my opalka's or wessel's purple pride.
It also had the smallest core in any slicer I've seen. Add to that the thin skin and you have an ideal tomato that even beat cowlick's this year!
camo

eddie46 · October 29, 2009

I grow Opalka, very good and few seeds.

Ed

camochef · October 30, 2009

Zana,
Just wanted to mention that I grew Burpee's Sweet Seedless (hybrid) this year, and like Carolyn says, it does have seeds, they are very tiny, almost like small immature seeds but they could present a problem. It might be easier to eat a tomato like Shannon's South African Mystery Black which has very large seeds that would be easy to pick out.
Also, the Sweet Seedless is a small/medium sized tomato, and IMO just wasn't very tasty. Although it did produce a lot of tomatoes.
Camo

amideutch · October 30, 2009

ASHLEIGH!!!!First 8 off the vine had a total seed count of 15 and they were all in the 1lb range. Ami

**carolyn137** · October 30, 2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by amideutch

ASHLEIGH!!!!First 8 off the vine had a total seed count of 15 and they were all in the 1lb range. Ami

Absoluutely Ami. Ashleigh would go along with my Chapman and Red Penna mentioned above and even Russian Bogatyr and perhaps Milka's Red Bulgarian and even perhaps Neves Azorean Red , etc., as all having a low seed count.

travis · October 30, 2009

Grew Burpee Sweet Seedless this year. Depends on weather it seems. Some of the tomatoes were filled with large seeds early and then the later ones were nearly seedless with just a few, small, vestigal seeds.

Romeo giant paste tomato has been the tomato with the fewest seeds, less than 20 per tomato, and with the most dense meat for me.

Wi-sunflower · October 31, 2009

even perhaps Neves Azorean Red

I got lots of seed out of the bucket of tomatoes I processed, so that's one I wouldn't put too high on the list of few seeds.

Carol

October 29, 2009	#1
Zana Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Southwestern Ontario, Canada Posts: 4,521	Tomato varieties with few seeds? Not sure if I'm posting this in the right area. (and if I am, would a moderator please move it as they see fit.) A friend of mine asked me if there were any types or varieties of tomatoes that had no or very few seeds. She can't digest the seeds and has to remove them before she can eat any fresh tomatoes. Usually she's limited to using tinned tomato paste as the seeds have been removed. I couldn't think of any specifically, so figured this would probably be the best forum to ask what you all would recommend. Some of the varieties in my seed bank I haven't grown yet, so I don't know personnally if they'd fit the bill, and I don't think I made a note in my database of which had allot of seeds or not. So, I'd appreciate any input you may have. Thanks. Zana

October 29, 2009	#2
carolyn137 Moderator Emeritus Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Upstate NY, zone 4b/5a Posts: 21,169	Zana, the first thing I'd do is to ask your friend to consult a gastroenterologist who ise up to date. Many years ago it was shown that small seeds such as strawberry, tomatoes, etc, were not strongly involved in diverticulitis which is the enteric condition that in the past has had such warnings re small seeds gettinginto the pouches in the gut wall. But to answer your quiestion directly, I'd suggest some of the parthenocarpic varieties bred by Dr. James Baggett at OSU such as Oregon Spring. Parthenocapric varieties have practically no seeds with early fruits and not many more with later fruits b'c fruit formation occurs in the absence of normal pollination. Then I'd suggest almost ANY heart variety b'c they are, for most of them, very low in seed content. Then I'd suggest any meaty large beefsteak such as Red Penna, Chapman, and many others. But do suggest to your friend about consulting another gastroenterologist b'c the whole bit with diverticulosis and diverticulitis has changed with more recent studies about the involvement of small seeds. __________________ Carolyn

October 29, 2009	#4
eddie46 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: SW PA Posts: 160	Tomato Sweet Seedless Hybrid NEW The world’s first seedless tomato! Burpee is selling this one. Ed Last edited by eddie46; October 29, 2009 at 03:43 PM. Reason: Spacing was off

October 30, 2009	#9
amideutch Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Germany 49°26"N 07°36"E Posts: 5,041	ASHLEIGH!!!!First 8 off the vine had a total seed count of 15 and they were all in the 1lb range. 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!'

October 29, 2009	#3
Wi-sunflower Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Wisconsin Posts: 2,591	I would also recommend Romas. When saving seeds I only get about 1/10th the amount of seeds from the same volume of tomatoes. Carol

October 29, 2009	#6
camochef Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Gettysburg, Pennsylvania Posts: 707	Lillian Maciejewski's Poland Pink had very few seeds and was not only meaty with very few seeds and gel, it was also very tasty! A 3/4 lb tomato only had 54 seeds, less than my opalka's or wessel's purple pride. It also had the smallest core in any slicer I've seen. Add to that the thin skin and you have an ideal tomato that even beat cowlick's this year! camo

October 30, 2009	#11
travis Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Evansville, IN Posts: 2,984	Grew Burpee Sweet Seedless this year. Depends on weather it seems. Some of the tomatoes were filled with large seeds early and then the later ones were nearly seedless with just a few, small, vestigal seeds. Romeo giant paste tomato has been the tomato with the fewest seeds, less than 20 per tomato, and with the most dense meat for me.

October 31, 2009	#12
Wi-sunflower Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Wisconsin Posts: 2,591	even perhaps Neves Azorean Red I got lots of seed out of the bucket of tomatoes I processed, so that's one I wouldn't put too high on the list of few seeds. Carol