Long Keeping Storage Tomato varieties

[remy]

I have a friend who wants to grow a long keeper type tomato to be able to make fried green tomatoes into winter. I know there is a variety called Long Keeper and also I know of Giraffe. Are there any others? One you would recommend?
Thanks,
Remy

[Mudman]

I thought the long keepers stayed good in the ripe stage longer not green. I might be wrong about that but one of the varieties that I have seen listed as a longkeeper is Garden Peach. Probably not what your friend is looking for.

[Elizabeth]

I grew Long Keeper a number of years ago and only recently found the seeds again. I have a few going for this Fall. It's a late season tomato (90 days) so it's pretty late for your friend to get it going for this year.

When I grew them before I picked them green or slightly colored (better) and stored them in the insulated garage (it got cool/cold in there, but never freezing). They gradually ripened up over a few months, I would check over the ones that were most ripe and bring them into the kitchen to finish coloring up. I only had space to grow one plant, but I had a fairly good sized crop.

When they ripened up I found them to be on the sweet side, but they were fresh tomatoes and were welcome in the winter for sure. It's possible the sweet flavor was being stored in such a cool environment, but I'm not sure.

I'm also growing Ruby Treasure this year which is also supposed to be a keeper (picked green, also a late season variety at 85 days). I've never grown this one before so have no opinions yet.

I don't have any tomatoes on the plants yet, they are still young but our first frost date isn't until Nov 21 (when we get frost at all) so I have a bit more leeway on Fall tomatoes than most.

[Suze]

Remy, let me start off by saying I don't know that much about long keeper varieties.

I've grown two - Giraf and ?? (think it was Long Keeper)

The ?? was many years ago, and it was not that good, either picked when ripe or picked when green w/white star at blossom end (what is considered "mature green", I believe) and allowed to ripen on the counter for later.

Same experience with Giraf(fe) - which is a small-med tomato (saladette) - honestly I did not care for it too much either way. It does keep a very long time when picked at the mature green stage, though. I do have a few seed I saved from 07 for Giraf if you want some for your friend.

Maybe others will have better suggestions/ideas, though.

Adding a little more here - Momotaro F1 is one I sometimes grow for fall crop, and although it is not technically a long keeper, it holds a long time on the counter IME, especially if picked mature green or with just a very slight blush at blossom end. I've sometimes had Momotaro's to eat up to mid-Feb from tomatoes that were picked in mid/late Nov, and they tasted pretty good.

[carolyn137]

Remy, Glenn Drowns has a separate list of long keeper varieties and here's what he has on his list:

Green Paint
Green Thumb
Old Fashioned Garden Peach, which he distinguishes from Garden Peach b'c he says this one really is a longkeeper and doesn't have fuzzy skin

Ruby Treasure
Winterkeeper
Yellow Out Red In

And years ago I remember that Organic Gardening tested quite a few of this type and one called Red October was the best one they found.

I'v not been interested in growing these kinds and to be honest, when I see feedback it usually isn't very good, but then I've never seen any feedback on at least the first three on Glenn's list.

I remember now that I did grow Giraffe, and was not impressed.

[b54red]

Last year I had a fair number of fall tomatoes that had to be picked green and a few of them kept really good. The one that was outstanding in both its ability to slowly ripen and still taste very good was Red Siberian. Another that kept well and also had good flavor was Eva Purple Ball.

[remy]

Thanks for the info so far everyone. I know they are not known for tasting that great, but I figured since she wanted to cook with them, they might be better.
Remy

[carolyn137]

Originally Posted by remy

Thanks for the info so far everyone. I know they are not known for tasting that great, but I figured since she wanted to cook with them, they might be better.
Remy

Better than what Remy?

Sorry, I just can't help myself this morning.

I mean why go to the work of starting tomatoes from seed, growing them, harvesting them and more when one can get some pretty darn good on the vine ones in places, well, like Wegman's, as well as some darn good shipped in hydroponic ones from Canada.

Yes? I mean as far as using the longkeeper ones just for cooking.

[remy]

Very funny! True about getting decent tomatoes at Wegmans in the winter. Fortistar greenhouse is 15 minutes away and they deliver right to the store. Two things though. She wants to make fried GREEN tomatoes during the winter. You can not get green ones then. Also she lives out in the country half way between here and Rochester so she's far from any Wegmans.
Remy

[carolyn137]

Originally Posted by remy

Very funny! True about getting decent tomatoes at Wegmans in the winter. Fortistar greenhouse is 15 minutes away and they deliver right to the store. Two things though. She wants to make fried GREEN tomatoes during the winter. You can not get green ones then. Also she lives out in the country half way between here and Rochester so she's far from any Wegmans.
Remy

Well you didn't SAY green tomatoes, as in unripe ones, you said she wants to cook with them and if it's using those for fried green tomatoes, then I don't call that cooking, I call it frying.

There was a Wegman's at the top of the street I lived on when I lived in Rochester and of course there's the one you work at.

Now consider this.

The Seneca Indians played lacrosse, an early form, and one goal was in Syracuse and the other goal in Rochester.

Now if they were that dedicated to the simple game of lacrosse, then your friend might be similarly dedicated to driving to Rochester or Buffalo in pursuit of winter green tomatoes by opening the boxes of shipped in gassed ones from Florida or Mexico.

Or as you asked in the beginning, what varieties could she grow herself and get them to store into the winter. I used to pick greenies when frost was imminent, wrap them in newspaper, check them all the time for rotten ones but gave that up years ago.

For everything there is a season, as the words go, and for me tomatoes are a summer crop.

I was just thinking of that other one that Petoseed introduced a few years back, something like Granny Apple or the like, which was developed to be used for fried green tomatoes and salsa. Maybe someone here will remember the name but I don't know if seeds are still available although I did see them somewhere not too long ago.

http://www.tradewindsfruitstore.com/...oes/Categories

I just found it at Tradewinds and it's called Granny Smith. And while they say OK for fresh eating the feedback was best for frying and salsa.

[Tom C zone 4/5]

Originally Posted by remy

I have a friend who wants to grow a long keeper type tomato to be able to make fried green tomatoes into winter. I know there is a variety called Long Keeper and also I know of Giraffe. Are there any others? One you would recommend?
Thanks, Remy

Burpee's old offering, 'Longkeeper', will be inaquate to her need. It holds longer ripe. Not a fried green tomato prospect--IMO.

[remy]

Originally Posted by carolyn137

Well you didn't SAY green tomatoes, as in unripe ones, you said she wants to cook with them and if it's using those for fried green tomatoes, then I don't call that cooking, I call it frying.

There was a Wegman's at the top of the street I lived on when I lived in Rochester and of course there's the one you work at.

Now consider this.

The Seneca Indians played lacrosse, an early form, and one goal was in Syracuse and the other goal in Rochester.

Now if they were that dedicated to the simple game of lacrosse, then your friend might be similarly dedicated to driving to Rochester or Buffalo in pursuit of winter green tomatoes by opening the boxes of shipped in gassed ones from Florida or Mexico.

Or as you asked in the beginning, what varieties could she grow herself and get them to store into the winter. I used to pick greenies when frost was imminent, wrap them in newspaper, check them all the time for rotten ones but gave that up years ago.

For everything there is a season, as the words go, and for me tomatoes are a summer crop.

I was just thinking of that other one that Petoseed introduced a few years back, something like Granny Apple or the like, which was developed to be used for fried green tomatoes and salsa. Maybe someone here will remember the name but I don't know if seeds are still available although I did see them somewhere not too long ago.

http://www.tradewindsfruitstore.com/...oes/Categories

I just found it at Tradewinds and it's called Granny Smith. And while they say OK for fresh eating the feedback was best for frying and salsa.

You crack me up. Ok, She needs them for frying .
Rochester to Syracuse! That's one big playing field.
I forgot you taught in Rochester. She's out in Batavia. You might remember there. If she drove out to a Wegmans even when they first arrive though, the tomatoes are red and too soft for frying. It would be nice if the green houses sold green ones for frying. I was hoping to find a storage variety that could be picked green and be slow to ripen in storage thus lengthening her ability to fry them in to the winter.

Originally Posted by Tom C zone 4/5

Burpee's old offering, 'Longkeeper', will be inaquate to her need. It holds longer ripe. Not a fried green tomato prospect--IMO.

Thanks for the info Tom.
Remy

[dice]

Totally Tomatoes has a Granny Smith hybrid:
http://www.totallytomato.com/dp.asp?...+Hybrid+Tomato

They also have this one:
http://www.totallytomato.com/dp.asp?...+Hybrid+Tomato