Kiev tomato (p.146 in Carolyn's Book)

ddsack · June 24, 2023

I was moving stuff around near my computer bookshelf, and picked up her book "100 Heirloom Tomatoes for the American Garden" and while randomly flipping through it, fell open to the page for Kiev. I love Prue, and this one sounds like it could be similar with the irregular shape and thinner leaf cover. A brief search online shows Novy Kyiv and Kyiv 139 but neither description sounds like Carolyn's tomato.
Sand Hill Preservation used to carry it according to Tania's tomatobase, but I can't see it under their current Red Tomatoes listing.
Is anyone still growing this irregular shaped old version?

ddsack · June 24, 2023

Well, I checked again in Sand Hill's page - their website is a bit hard to use depending on how you get in to which list.

They do have it under pastes - Kiev, their description says up to 1 lb. tomatoes, which larger than I expected, but within the book's 10 oz to 1 lb. The tomato pictures in the book look smaller, more like 3 to 6 oz so was not expecting pastes that large. I will put them on my list for next year. If anyone has grown them, I would still like to hear reviews!

KarenO · June 24, 2023

What do you think its advantages are Dee?
Curious why you are interested in it as opposed to other pastes?
KarenO

ddsack · June 25, 2023

Karen, I am not interested in pastes per se, but one of the best tasting tomatoes I grow is Prue, can't really call that a paste either. Spindly RL growth habit, somewhat irregular shapes, tries to be something between a heart and bomb shaped. When I come across a variety with similar characteristics I am curious to see if the flavor is there as well. I keep thinking a lot of these older similar heirloom tomatoes probably had a common ancestor in some locality before they dispersed under other names, since no one at that time would see any need to keep track.

Tormato · June 26, 2023

My experience is with the smaller (4-8 ounce) pointed/nippled Kiev. There is more than one tomato called Kiev.

Red tomatoes in my garden are usually bland, and this Kiev lived up to the billing.

ddsack · June 27, 2023

Thank you for the report! Do you still have any seeds around for it for the next swap?

June 24, 2023	#1
ddsack Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Northern Minnesota - zone 3 Posts: 3,231	Kiev tomato (p.146 in Carolyn's Book) I was moving stuff around near my computer bookshelf, and picked up her book "100 Heirloom Tomatoes for the American Garden" and while randomly flipping through it, fell open to the page for Kiev. I love Prue, and this one sounds like it could be similar with the irregular shape and thinner leaf cover. A brief search online shows Novy Kyiv and Kyiv 139 but neither description sounds like Carolyn's tomato. Sand Hill Preservation used to carry it according to Tania's tomatobase, but I can't see it under their current Red Tomatoes listing. Is anyone still growing this irregular shaped old version? __________________ Dee **************

June 24, 2023	#2
ddsack Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Northern Minnesota - zone 3 Posts: 3,231	Well, I checked again in Sand Hill's page - their website is a bit hard to use depending on how you get in to which list. They do have it under pastes - Kiev, their description says up to 1 lb. tomatoes, which larger than I expected, but within the book's 10 oz to 1 lb. The tomato pictures in the book look smaller, more like 3 to 6 oz so was not expecting pastes that large. I will put them on my list for next year. If anyone has grown them, I would still like to hear reviews! __________________ Dee **************

June 25, 2023	#4
ddsack Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Northern Minnesota - zone 3 Posts: 3,231	Karen, I am not interested in pastes per se, but one of the best tasting tomatoes I grow is Prue, can't really call that a paste either. Spindly RL growth habit, somewhat irregular shapes, tries to be something between a heart and bomb shaped. When I come across a variety with similar characteristics I am curious to see if the flavor is there as well. I keep thinking a lot of these older similar heirloom tomatoes probably had a common ancestor in some locality before they dispersed under other names, since no one at that time would see any need to keep track. __________________ Dee **************

June 27, 2023	#6
ddsack Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Northern Minnesota - zone 3 Posts: 3,231	Thank you for the report! Do you still have any seeds around for it for the next swap? __________________ Dee **************

June 24, 2023	#3
KarenO Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Vancouver Island Posts: 5,931	What do you think its advantages are Dee? Curious why you are interested in it as opposed to other pastes? KarenO

June 26, 2023	#5
Tormato Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: MA Posts: 4,971	My experience is with the smaller (4-8 ounce) pointed/nippled Kiev. There is more than one tomato called Kiev. Red tomatoes in my garden are usually bland, and this Kiev lived up to the billing.