Bag tomato

[Ken B]

One of the many neat things about working for a seed company (in my case, Southern Exposure Seed Exchange) = folks who send in seed samples.

I talked to a woman from SW Virginia last week who called to ask if we'd be interested in her family's heirloom tomato. From the way she described it, it sounded similar to Yellow Bell, which is one I love and which we already carry -- http://www.southernexposure.com/yell...-g-p-1259.html -- but she said she didn't think it was the same.

She very nicely sent in seeds and a letter describing the tomato with a couple drawings. It does look pretty similar to Yellow Bell (flattened, wider at the bottom than the top). She'd gotten the seed from her mother-in-law -- "She called it Bag tomato because its shape reminded her of a man's scrotum. (No vulgarity intended.)"

It's too late to plant it to get a good look at it this year, but of course now I'm VERY curious to grow it out next year to see if it is more anatomically pronounced than Yellow Bell...

(I don't know of many variety names that make fun of guys -- Peter pepper is the only one I know -- but there's more when it comes to women -- Drunken Woman lettuce, Lazy Wife Greasy bean, Lazy Housewife bean...)

[carolyn137]

Originally Posted by Ken B

One of the many neat things about working for a seed company (in my case, Southern Exposure Seed Exchange) = folks who send in seed samples.

I talked to a woman from SW Virginia last week who called to ask if we'd be interested in her family's heirloom tomato. From the way she described it, it sounded similar to Yellow Bell, which is one I love and which we already carry -- http://www.southernexposure.com/yell...-g-p-1259.html -- but she said she didn't think it was the same.

She very nicely sent in seeds and a letter describing the tomato with a couple drawings. It does look pretty similar to Yellow Bell (flattened, wider at the bottom than the top). She'd gotten the seed from her mother-in-law -- "She called it Bag tomato because its shape reminded her of a man's scrotum. (No vulgarity intended.)"

It's too late to plant it to get a good look at it this year, but of course now I'm VERY curious to grow it out next year to see if it is more anatomically pronounced than Yellow Bell...

(I don't know of many variety names that make fun of guys -- Peter pepper is the only one I know -- but there's more when it comes to women -- Drunken Woman lettuce, Lazy Wife Greasy bean, Lazy Housewife bean...)

Ken, when I look at your Yellow Bell variety what I see is Medovaya Kaplya:

http://tatianastomatobase.com/wiki/Medovaya_Kaplya

Small at the bottom tapering to a small top which I usually describe as the shape of a string bag tied at the top.

Yes, few that make fun of guys but Goat Bag would be right up there, Tania doesn't list it so here's a Google search;

https://www.google.com/?gws_rd=ssl#q=Goat+Bag+tomato

Then there's Gold Ball, ahem, well you get the picture.

It what she sent you turns out to be different from what you know, ask her about her ancestry to see if there's any Euopean/Russian/Ukranian links there and if any of them were known to immigarate to the VA or WVA area as many did in the late 1800's onward.

Your choice, but I wouldn't call it Bag, I'd ask her what family name she would like to have it named after and if her relatives agreed, and that, b'c I know of some serious kerfuffles that occurred when a family heirloom was to be named.

Carolyn

[Mischka]

Originally Posted by Ken B

She'd gotten the seed from her mother-in-law -- "She called it Bag tomato because its shape reminded her of a man's scrotum. (No vulgarity intended.)"

HAHAHAHA! I almost spilled my java all over the coffee table! Thanks for the laugh! Not sure I want a garden full of hanging scrotums, though!

[shelleybean]

Too funny! If this tomato is ever included in the SESE catalog, I'll be very eager to read the description!

BTW, I love that Drunken Woman lettuce!

[shelleybean]

Oh, and what would be running through your mind while you're chewing your Bag Tomato??? Ewwww!

[Ken B]

We could call it Rocky Mountain Oysters... er, Appalachian Mountain Oysters...

[carolyn137]

Originally Posted by Ken B

We could call it Rocky Mountain Oysters... er, Appalachian Mountain Oysters...

I'm so glad you found out the last name of the folks who gave you that variety, so why not call it Oyster Bag and let the collective imaginations of many run wild.

Carolyn, who sampled the RMO's when she was in Colorado along with the specialty plate that also had buffalo, prairie dog, some kind of snake, and thank heavens she can't remember what else.

[Ken B]

Looking at the photos of Medovaya Kaplya, I think Yellow Bell has bigger and more bumpy fruit. But sometime should grow all these out at the same time to compare...