Growers’ Notes and Photos (USDA Zones 4-6 Experience)
This variety left me with mixed feelings. Grew it outdoors in the dirt, though it was planted late. I really loved the taste of the fruits, the size, and the shape. In fact, all the tomatoes had roughly the same shape as in the photo – maybe it does look a bit like a claw, but it’s much closer to an oxheart.
What I didn’t like was that it only set 1-2 fruits per truss. Sure, they were huge, but still. Then again, maybe it was just the weird weather we had this year. It’s an interesting variety, I’ll probably have to plant it again just to see.
I planted it in the greenhouse, in the second row right by the aisle. The vine grew about 5-6 ft (1.5-1.8 m) tall, mid-season. Good yield for me. The fruits are pink, round-pear shaped with slight ribbing, extremely meaty, sweet, and juicy, weighing up to 28 oz (800 g). They are prone to yellow shoulders if it gets too hot.
Full Summary: Plant, Yield, Taste and Flaws
- 🌿 Plant: Indeterminate vine, mid-season. Reaches 5-6 ft (1.5-1.8 m) tall in a greenhouse environment.
- 📈 Yield: Inconsistent. While one grower had good overall yields, another struggled with poor fruit set, getting only 1-2 fruits per truss outdoors.
- 👅 Taste & Texture: Universally praised as being extremely meaty, juicy, and sweet.
- 🍅 Fruit Size & Shape: Giant pink fruits weighing up to 28 oz (800 g). The shape is unique: a blend between an oxheart and a pear, featuring distinct, slightly ruffled shoulders (resembling knuckles or a “claw”).
- 🛡️ Drawbacks: Highly susceptible to “yellow shoulders” (sun scald / uneven ripening at the stem end) when exposed to intense summer heat inside a greenhouse.
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