Raya Rey

Fred Hempel · January 2, 2021

We have decided to release a new OP Beefsteak called Raya Rey for the New Year!

We have been growing this tomato for a long time. It has been a staple in our mixed medium and mixed "heirloom" boxes for years.

In the winter of 2014/2015 the line was still segregating and we were able to select plants that were TYLCV resistant in the field of our collaborators at Heirloom Farms near Todos Santos, Mexico.

Additional selections for plant performance (disease resistance and vigor) were made at The Chef's Garden in Ohio in open field trials, where it has also been used in their "Toybox" mix.

This tomato was named yesterday -- and the name is a tip of the hat to both Heirloom Farms and The Chef's Garden, as we consider them both tomato-growing royalty. Without them, this variety would not exist.

Raya Rey is an indeterminate OP variety that produces slightly flattened medium-sized fruits starting about 70 days after transplant.

KarenO · January 2, 2021

It’s a gorgeous colour! Stripe King

That’s you
And so My list gets longer ...
Happy new year Fred!
KarenO

biscuitridge · January 2, 2021

Thanks Fred, I'll have to add it to my grow list!

Fred Hempel · January 2, 2021

Quote:

Originally Posted by KarenO

It’s a gorgeous colour! Stripe King

That’s you
And so My list gets longer ...
Happy new year Fred!
KarenO

Happy New Year!

Fred Hempel · July 3, 2021

Early returns on Raya Rey are good. Growing well in southeast and it is a monster again in our field. The Raya Rey row is one you would think is a hybrid at first glance because of the vigor.

KarenO · October 2, 2021

A Beauty of a tomato Fred,
We really enjoyed it. Nice firm fruit, great taste, healthy productive plant and just a beautiful colour
“ king of stripes”
KarenO

Fred Hempel · October 8, 2021

Very nice photo!

Fred Hempel · October 8, 2021

I don't think Raya Rey is a beefsteak.

More of a flattened medium. Also does not have the dispersed locules that I consider a key beefsteak trait.

But flavor is great, and works well cut into quarters or eighths used in salads.

Sorry for any confusion.

DK2021 · September 1, 2024

I had a packet of Raya Rey 2021 seed from Fred Hempel. I'd grown this before, and this year I decided to grow out the last seeds in order to have fresh seed. I planted three seeds and two germinated; I transplanted just the strongest seedling (of course in retrospect I wish I had planted out both).

This grew into a vigorous plant that is still producing heavily (most of my other tomatoes are done), but instead of giving me the fruit with the expected coloring (red with green stripes), the fruit are yellow/yellow-orange with green stripes. The fruit are produced in clusters, each 1-3/4 to 2" in diameter (smaller than I recall Raya Ray to be), about perfectly round (not flattened, no ribbing), and very sweet. Most fruit have 2 locules; a few have 3 or 4. The interior is chartreuse green. They look sort of like Green Zebra, but don't have quite the striping, and I think are sweeter. I brought a whole bunch of tomatoes to work, including this not-Raya-Ray (also Orange Caprese, Maglia Rosa, Purple, Green Honey, Stump of the World, Whittemore Heirloom, Taiga, and Bugtussle Buttermilk Wonder), and this was the hands-down favourite.

I have no idea what this is. Is it a contaminant? Is it a mutant or throw-back to some ancestor in its breeding? I have saved a bunch of seed, hoping this will grow true, and have labelled them "Not Raya Rey" for now.

I wish Fred were around to ask.

DK2021 · September 1, 2024

"Not Raya Rey"

hl2601 · September 3, 2024

Loving your Not Raya Rey! Is it a firm tomato that holds well both on and off the vine like many of Fred's others?

DK2021 · September 4, 2024

It's firm with some give when ripe (yellow), but does eventually soften when it reaches what I would consider past prime ripeness. It holds well in clusters on the plant, and shows little tendency to split, even with all the rains we have had. I love Lucky Tiger but dislike its talent for splitting, so perhaps this Not Raya Rey is a gift to me.
I have a lot of seed saved and will pick more fruit tomorrow. Nights have dipped into the low 50's and this is the last tomato plant still bearing good fruit.

Not that the other varieties didn't perform. Stump of the World produced an astoundingly vast amount of fruit, as did Whittemore Heirloom--both will return next year. Enjoyed Taiga, Cowboy, and Midnight Sun, as well as Alice's Dream and Rebel Starfighter Prime. But Not Raya Rey is my winner this year.

Labradors2 · September 4, 2024

DK2021's Raya Rey sounds like a winner!

I'm thinking about trying RR next year, but nervous that it won't taste amazing. I love Fred's Blush, Maglia Rosa, Lucky Tiger and Taste Patio.

DK2021 · September 5, 2024

Picked another 40 fruit from my Not Raya Rey plant. It's still got several green clusters hanging. Some of the fruit had a little splitting from rain a few days ago, but interestingly the fruit doesn't go soft/mushy the way Lucky Tiger does when it splits, so it's easy to trim off damaged bits. Ate half the fruit with dinner; I trimmed off the split areas where necessary, removed most of the seed to ferment, and ate the remaining flesh. This is a delightful tomato, very sweet and tangy enough to keep it interesting. I've got at least a couple more salads' worth of tomatoes.

I really, REALLY hope this will come true next year.

DK2021 · September 5, 2024

Here are a couple of recent articles about Fred Hempel:

https://edibleeastbay.com/2024/08/17...-hall-of-fame/
https://heyfruitqueen.com/blogs/feat...tomato-breeder

January 2, 2021	#1
Fred Hempel Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Sunol, CA Posts: 2,723	Raya Rey We have decided to release a new OP Beefsteak called Raya Rey for the New Year! We have been growing this tomato for a long time. It has been a staple in our mixed medium and mixed "heirloom" boxes for years. In the winter of 2014/2015 the line was still segregating and we were able to select plants that were TYLCV resistant in the field of our collaborators at Heirloom Farms near Todos Santos, Mexico. Additional selections for plant performance (disease resistance and vigor) were made at The Chef's Garden in Ohio in open field trials, where it has also been used in their "Toybox" mix. This tomato was named yesterday -- and the name is a tip of the hat to both Heirloom Farms and The Chef's Garden, as we consider them both tomato-growing royalty. Without them, this variety would not exist. Raya Rey is an indeterminate OP variety that produces slightly flattened medium-sized fruits starting about 70 days after transplant. __________________ Artisan Seeds -- www.growartisan.com

July 3, 2021	#5
Fred Hempel Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Sunol, CA Posts: 2,723	Early returns on Raya Rey are good. Growing well in southeast and it is a monster again in our field. The Raya Rey row is one you would think is a hybrid at first glance because of the vigor. __________________ Artisan Seeds -- www.growartisan.com

October 8, 2021	#7
Fred Hempel Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Sunol, CA Posts: 2,723	Very nice photo! __________________ Artisan Seeds -- www.growartisan.com

October 8, 2021	#8
Fred Hempel Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Sunol, CA Posts: 2,723	I don't think Raya Rey is a beefsteak. More of a flattened medium. Also does not have the dispersed locules that I consider a key beefsteak trait. But flavor is great, and works well cut into quarters or eighths used in salads. Sorry for any confusion. __________________ Artisan Seeds -- www.growartisan.com

January 2, 2021	#2
KarenO Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Vancouver Island Posts: 5,931	It’s a gorgeous colour! Stripe King That’s you And so My list gets longer ... Happy new year Fred! KarenO

January 2, 2021	#3
biscuitridge Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: washington Posts: 498	Thanks Fred, I'll have to add it to my grow list!

September 1, 2024	#9
DK2021 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2021 Location: Coastal CT, zone 7a Posts: 181	I had a packet of Raya Rey 2021 seed from Fred Hempel. I'd grown this before, and this year I decided to grow out the last seeds in order to have fresh seed. I planted three seeds and two germinated; I transplanted just the strongest seedling (of course in retrospect I wish I had planted out both). This grew into a vigorous plant that is still producing heavily (most of my other tomatoes are done), but instead of giving me the fruit with the expected coloring (red with green stripes), the fruit are yellow/yellow-orange with green stripes. The fruit are produced in clusters, each 1-3/4 to 2" in diameter (smaller than I recall Raya Ray to be), about perfectly round (not flattened, no ribbing), and very sweet. Most fruit have 2 locules; a few have 3 or 4. The interior is chartreuse green. They look sort of like Green Zebra, but don't have quite the striping, and I think are sweeter. I brought a whole bunch of tomatoes to work, including this not-Raya-Ray (also Orange Caprese, Maglia Rosa, Purple, Green Honey, Stump of the World, Whittemore Heirloom, Taiga, and Bugtussle Buttermilk Wonder), and this was the hands-down favourite. I have no idea what this is. Is it a contaminant? Is it a mutant or throw-back to some ancestor in its breeding? I have saved a bunch of seed, hoping this will grow true, and have labelled them "Not Raya Rey" for now. I wish Fred were around to ask.

September 3, 2024	#11
hl2601 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2017 Location: Metro Denver Posts: 769	Loving your Not Raya Rey! Is it a firm tomato that holds well both on and off the vine like many of Fred's others?

September 4, 2024	#12
DK2021 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2021 Location: Coastal CT, zone 7a Posts: 181	It's firm with some give when ripe (yellow), but does eventually soften when it reaches what I would consider past prime ripeness. It holds well in clusters on the plant, and shows little tendency to split, even with all the rains we have had. I love Lucky Tiger but dislike its talent for splitting, so perhaps this Not Raya Rey is a gift to me. I have a lot of seed saved and will pick more fruit tomorrow. Nights have dipped into the low 50's and this is the last tomato plant still bearing good fruit. Not that the other varieties didn't perform. Stump of the World produced an astoundingly vast amount of fruit, as did Whittemore Heirloom--both will return next year. Enjoyed Taiga, Cowboy, and Midnight Sun, as well as Alice's Dream and Rebel Starfighter Prime. But Not Raya Rey is my winner this year.

September 4, 2024	#13
Labradors2 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: Ontario Posts: 3,895	DK2021's Raya Rey sounds like a winner! I'm thinking about trying RR next year, but nervous that it won't taste amazing. I love Fred's Blush, Maglia Rosa, Lucky Tiger and Taste Patio.

September 5, 2024	#14
DK2021 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2021 Location: Coastal CT, zone 7a Posts: 181	Picked another 40 fruit from my Not Raya Rey plant. It's still got several green clusters hanging. Some of the fruit had a little splitting from rain a few days ago, but interestingly the fruit doesn't go soft/mushy the way Lucky Tiger does when it splits, so it's easy to trim off damaged bits. Ate half the fruit with dinner; I trimmed off the split areas where necessary, removed most of the seed to ferment, and ate the remaining flesh. This is a delightful tomato, very sweet and tangy enough to keep it interesting. I've got at least a couple more salads' worth of tomatoes. I really, REALLY hope this will come true next year.