🍅 Quick take: Ozark Sunset is an indeterminate anthocyanin variety originally bred by Mark McCaslin (Frogsleap Farm). It delivers round, striking purple-pink saladette-sized fruits up to 3.5 oz (100 g) on long clusters. Growers in challenging climates report excellent disease resistance, sweet fruity flavor, and impressive stamina, pumping out tomatoes well into October even on multi-stem setups in cold northern regions. Full summary ↓
Growers’ Notes and Photos (USDA Zones 3-7 Experience)
The fruits are gorgeous, wearing a stunning purple-pink blush with a fine, sweet flavor. Round, medium density, sizing up to 3.5 oz (100 g). Each cluster loads up with 7 to 9 fruits. Shows solid disease resistance across the board.
Edited March 3, 2018 by Drosera
Lana_s_Kavkaza said:
The fruits are gorgeous, wearing a stunning purple-pink blush with a fine, sweet flavor. Round, medium density, sizing up to 3.5 oz (100 g). Each cluster loads up with 7 to 9 fruits. Shows solid disease resistance across the board.
I absolutely loved this variety for its flashy looks, rich fruity taste, and heavy production.
Ran it in a polycarb greenhouse, tucked into a side bed that did not even get full sun. Handled 3 main stems without breaking a sweat. Turned out to be quite early too, definitely the earliest among all my anthocyanin types. Resilient, healthy vine that kept setting fruit right into October.
Huge shoutout to @galka68 for the seeds! 😘
Full Summary: Plant, Yield, Taste and Hardiness
- 🌿 Plant: Indeterminate vine, reaching about 6.5 ft (2 m) under cover. Highly adaptable, can easily carry 3 main stems without dropping production. Produces trusses holding 7-9 round saladette-style tomatoes up to 3.5 oz (100 g).
- 📈 Yield: Heavy producer. Proved early-ripening compared to most anthocyanin cultivars and continued setting fruit well into October.
- 👅 Taste: Sweet with distinct fruity undertones and balanced medium firmness.
- 🛡️ Hardiness & Disease Resistance: Reported as very robust and disease-resistant. Performed exceptionally well even in partially shaded beds inside a Siberian high tunnel.
- 🌎 Who Reviewed It: Gardeners from USDA Zone 7 (southern Russia) and USDA Zone 3 (Western Siberia, representing short-season continental conditions similar to Minnesota or the Canadian Prairies).
Ozark Sunset was bred in Minnesota by Mark McCaslin of Frogsleap Farm, cross-breeding heirloom lines with wild anthocyanin genetics (*Solanum chilense* / OSU lines). It is noteworthy how well this line performs when planted back in short-season, high-latitude climates like Western Siberia, maintaining early fruit set and flavor even in lower light conditions inside unheated polycarbonate structures.
