Photo author: Radomila.
The Ultimate 6-Variety Survival Shortlist
Hey everyone.
Can you imagine, it just dawned on me today that I could easily get away with growing just 6 tomato varieties in total. I don’t know how it will actually play out (I highly doubt I’ll be able to stop myself), but I started writing down my “must-repeat” list and here is what I got:
- Marmeladnaya Lampochka (Marmalade Bulb) — for salads and canning. It is a very successful variety for me. Tastes just like Borisovna’s Black Heart. I plant it in the hottest spot in the greenhouse.
- Chernoe s Nosikom ot Borisovny (Borisovna’s Black with a Beak) — absolutely gorgeous and incredibly delicious (salads, tomato paste). Goes on the south-facing side.
- Blush from Remko — pure deliciousness. 2 bushes.
- Malakhitovaya Shkatulka (Malachite Box) — a dessert variety. Super tasty, loves a cooler, slightly shaded spot. 2 bushes.
- Etyud (Etude) — a 3.5 to 7 oz (100-200 g) all-purpose tomato with short internodes. Excellent for canning, freezing, and salads. I’m already growing my F3 saved seeds of it.
- Kiparis (Cypress) — my choice for an early determinate. Delicious. Good for freezing, canning, and salads.
And that’s it! 😲 I am actually shocked. And all of these varieties are delicious and completely resistant to my local nasty weather conditions (I have very high humidity and massive swings between day and night temperatures).
I might pick up a couple of new hybrids just to have something for long-term winter storage and dehydrating. From my wishlist, I only have Dedushkiny M… * left to try. And that would completely satisfy all of my family’s tomato needs.
If I actually stop at this list, it will be an absolute miracle 😁
Canning Meaty Heirlooms: Will They Turn to Mush?
On 12/7/2021 at 2:05 PM, Radomila said:
Marmeladnaya Lampochka (Marmalade Bulb) — for salads and canning.
Vera, does it hold its shape well when canned? Doesn’t it turn to mush? For some reason, I always thought it was strictly a fresh-eating slicing tomato.
On 12/7/2021 at 2:11 PM, SvetaR said:
Vera, does it hold its shape well when canned? Doesn’t it turn to mush?
It doesn’t turn to mush at all. I use all the smaller fruits for jars. The tomato is very meaty. By the way, it even tastes pleasant when ripened indoors off the vine. Actually, Olya (Zolushka) also mentioned the “Bulb” as a great canning option too.
👨🌾 Editor’s Notes:
Dedushkiny M… : The author politely trails off the name of this famous Russian heirloom. The full name is Dedushkiny Mudi, which translates directly to “Grandpa’s Balls” (due to the distinct, elongated heart shape of the fruit). It is a highly sought-after, heavy-yielding red paste/heart tomato, though growers on polite forums usually abbreviate the cheeky name.
