Mrs. Benson

[fortyonenorth]

While perusing Marianne's online tomato listings, Mrs. Benson caught my eye - she raves about it. I poked around the Internet and found that it was a family heirloom from "Mrs. Benson of Oswego, IL."

Does anyone know anything more about its provenance? Oswego is a pretty small town about an hour west of Chicago. I grew up close by and, ironically, my sister married a Benson to become a "Mrs. Benson of Oswego, IL."

Thanks!

[camochef]

fortyonenorth,
I cannot tell you much about its history but I grew it last year and found it to be:
A thin skinned red tomato thats very solid meaty center has a ring of seed cavities around the perimeter. A very tasty solid red tomato! Very little core, great taste. A better red! Ranking #8
Camo

[beefyboy]

I only know what it tastes like and how well it produces! I can say that a tomato from her called Italian purple is better producing and as far as flavor, they are neck and neck.

[beefyboy]

hey Camo! you beat me on here!! lol I was writing and then had to make a few food orders at my restaurant. My Jersey girl will laugh when I tell her you beat me on this thread. You will have to write Linda on one of your threads! she just put in her first garden with five earthboxes which I set up for her. She needs a little note from you wishing her good luck with her 8 tomato plants. She has Wapsi peach, brandy OTV, Aunt ginny, garden peach, Peche Blanche, Jersey Devil, and forgot the other two!. Our new gardens are all in now!

Chuck

[carolyn137]

Originally Posted by fortyonenorth

While perusing Marianne's online tomato listings, Mrs. Benson caught my eye - she raves about it. I poked around the Internet and found that it was a family heirloom from "Mrs. Benson of Oswego, IL."

Does anyone know anything more about its provenance? Oswego is a pretty small town about an hour west of Chicago. I grew up close by and, ironically, my sister married a Benson to become a "Mrs. Benson of Oswego, IL."

Thanks!

I say this in the kindest way but I've known Marianne for about 20 years now, before she ever started selling seeds online and you tell me just ONE variety that she doesn't rave about with succulent adjectives galore.

It's something I kid her about all the time.

Camo, Mrs. Benson should be a 1-2 # PINK PL variety which I mention since you said red. Sometimes dark pink fruits can look almost red and a good way to tell the difference is to peel off a bit of the thin epidermis and hold it up to the light. If it's yellow the fruit is red, if clear the fruit is pink. I like to use a known pink and red at the same time to be sure.

And yes, I've goofed on color as well. The first time I listed Anna Russian in the SSE Yearbook back in the early 90's I listed it in the red section, b'c it looked red to me but that's before I knew about looking at the epidermis to be sure of fruit color.

[camochef]

Carolyn,
I stand corrected! I have to admit it looked red to me at the time but I was probably more concerned with eating it than describing it at the time. They were quite large, potato-leafed, and I thought rather tasty. I was impressed with the small amount of seeds and the great amount of tasty flesh.
Then too, I'm always getting in trouble with Mrs Camo for color disagreements on just about everything. Even when I remind her that she's legally blind, I still lose the arguement!
Camo

[camochef]

Originally Posted by beefyboy

hey Camo! you beat me on here!! lol I was writing and then had to make a few food orders at my restaurant. My Jersey girl will laugh when I tell her you beat me on this thread. You will have to write Linda on one of your threads! she just put in her first garden with five earthboxes which I set up for her. She needs a little note from you wishing her good luck with her 8 tomato plants. She has Wapsi peach, brandy OTV, Aunt ginny, garden peach, Peche Blanche, Jersey Devil, and forgot the other two!. Our new gardens are all in now!

Chuck

Chuck,

Tell Linda I wish her a lot of luck and question why there isn't a good ole Jersey beefsteak in that listing. Have her PM me and I'll suggest some tomatoes that have done well for me up here and for my Grand-daughter in Florida.
I wish both of you a successful growing season and a prosperous year ahead!
Camo

[Suze]

I grew Mrs. Benson in '08 - nice tomato, worth growing. PL pink (clear epidermis)

It does look almost red, though - especially in the second picture I've attached.

[montanamato]

For northern gardens Mrs. Benson is a good choice....It is one of 2 pink varieties that yield well here, the other one being County Agent....And I have tried hundreds...

Jeanne