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Tomatoes & Tomatilloes
What would a garden, a summer, a barbequed burger, or winter stew be
without tomatoes? The wonderful world of tomatoes opens right up
when you start to include heritage varieties in your garden and
kitchen. Lots of colours, shapes, tastes and textures add
diversity to your food, and the stories behind many of these varieties
below add food for thought.
Hope Seeds has both determinate (bush-habit, fruits tend to ripen all at once which is great for those who process or can a bunch at one time) and indeterminate
(climbers, generally good in greenhouses when trained on strings,
fruits ripening throughout the season) varieties. The former tend
to respond well to less
pruning (i.e. don't take out those suckers!) and don't necessarily need
support, while the latter produce more fruits when suckers
are trimmed out and really appreciate a cage or stake to keep them
off the ground.
We offer early varieties (Tribe's Tobique, Early Latah, Sasha's Altai), slicing varieties (Scotia, Quebec 5, Delicious, Brandywine, Longkeeper), paste varieties for canning, salads or sauce (Amish Paste, Italia, Opalka, San Marzano), cherry varieties (Sweetie), and non-red varieties (Golden Jubilee, Indian Moon, Mennonite Orange). Don't forget the tomatillo
- the green cousin of the tomato that grows inside a papery-husk and is
the main ingredient in salsa verde. There's the perfect tomato
for everyone!
Approximately 400 seeds/gram. Packs are 0.2g, approximately 100 seeds.
Early
Slicing
Paste
Cherry
Non-Red
Tomatillo
Early Tomatoes
TRIBE'S TOBIQUE (Determinate)
57 days from transplant.
Legend has it that Fred Tribe of Perth-Andover, NB (a renowned
local naturalist who celebrated his 95th birthday in 2007), was
paddling the Tobique river late June one year and caught a glimpse of
red along the banks of Spring greenery. Upon closer inspection,
he discovered a "wild" tomato plant sporting ripe fruits ready for
eating. Knowing this was a rare find in these parts of NB, Fred
collected some of the seeds which have since made their way through
local gardens and seed swaps, now in the hands of Hope Seeds thanks to
Mike Couper of Beechwood. Round, red-orange fruits about 2" across - a
great first taste of summer, from the wilds of NB!
Product code: 2412
Price: 0.2g = $2.75 |
EARLY LATAH
(Determinate)
Certified Organic
 A
favourite early variety of Hope Seeds' and Rawlinson's customers.
Early Latah takes the cold very well, and sports 2-3" round red
fruits from July till frost.
Product code: 2403-CO
Price: 0.2g = $2.75 |
SASHA'S ALTAI (Indeterminate)
 65 days
from transplant.
This is believed to be a Russian variety, making it's way to
Canada and eventually to Hope Seeds from Brian Parker of Fredericton,
NB. An early round red that produces well under less-than-ideal
conditions (not that we have any of those!). Despite dry spells
and rocky ground, Sasha out-produced most others.
Product code: 2410
Price: 0.2g = $2.75 |
Slicing Tomatoes
SCOTIA (Determinate)
 60 days from
transplant.
A very reliable producer, widely grown through the Maritimes.
These ones had some of the best flavour in our 2007 gardens.
Red 3" fruits sometimes sport green shoulders.
Product code: 2411
Price: 0.2g = $2.75 |
QUEBEC 5 (Indeterminate)
 60 days from
transplant.
Quebec 5 gets Hope Seeds' tomato-of-the-year award for 2007!
Lovely, smooth and firm red fruits are about 3-4" across, with a
wonderful fresh and vibrant flavour. I used these for canning,
fresh eating, and on almost every burger from August on.
Technically indeterminate, but they're not quite so viney as
others.
Product code: 2408
Price: 0.2g = $2.75 |
DELICIOUS / IMPROVED BEEFSTEAK
(Indeterminate)
90 days
from transplant.
Big plant, big fruit, big flavour.
Product code: 2414
Price: 0.2g = $2.75, 2g = $10.00 |
BRANDYWINE
(Indeterminate)
77 days from
transplant.
Not the prettiest tomato in the patch, but hands-down one of
the best heritage varieties for flavour. Pinkish colour, with
large fruits (up to 1 lb. each!) that ripen through the summer.
Product code: 2413
Price: 0.2g = $2.75, 2g = $10.00 |
LONGKEEPER (Indeterminate)
90 days from
transplant.
The perfect tomato for those of us who feel the threat from fall
frosts a little earlier than we'd like. Harvest unripe fruits (or
the whole plant and hang upside down in a sheltered shed/cold room) in
fall and store in a dark cool place. They'll continue to ripen
over the next 2-3 months to an orange-red colour, prolonging your
supply of fresh tomatoes long after Jack Frost nips the other plants in
the garden.
Product code: 2416
Price: 0.2g = $2.75, 2g = $10.00 |
Paste Tomatoes
AMISH PASTE (Indeterminate)
Certified Organic
 85 days from
transplant.
I had lost my faith in Amish Paste, but it ripened up at the last
second and ended up being the best canner last season. Not too
juicy, not too seedy - good for lazy sauce-makers like me who can't be
bothered to take out the seeds. Fruits are red, oval-shaped and
range in size from 2"-5" diameter. Of Amish origin from Wisconsin.
Product code: 2402-CO
Price: 0.2g = $2.75 |
ITALIA (Indeterminate)
85 days from
transplant.
Italia could almost be considered a large cherry tomato, but it's
not quite so "squirty-juicy". An Italian heirloom, plum-type that
bears a heavy
crop. 1-2" fruit tends to decrease in size as the season
progresses. Good tangy taste and thin skins make this an
excellent sauce tomato.
Product code: 2405
Price: 0.2g = $2.75 |
OPALKA (Indeterminate)
Certified Organic
85 days from transplant.
Originally from Poland, this is another tomato great for sauce
and salsa, but I like it as a slicer for salads. Fruits are long,
pepper-shaped with few seeds and meaty flesh. Said to be blight
resistant.
Product code: 2407-CO
Price: 0.2g = $2.75 |
SAN MARZANO (Semi-determinate) Certified Organic
75 days from transplant.
Grower Bob Wildfong from Seeds of Diversity Canada says "when you
crush the fruit to get the seeds outk, you nearly have tomato sauce
already!" San Marzano has been added to the Slow Food list of
Italian precidia foods, maintained for their local importance.
Fruits are 2-3" but a good plant could bear over 30 of
them. Doesn't need staking.
Product code: 2409-CO
Price: 0.2g = $2.75 |
Cherry Tomatoes
SWEETIE (Indeterminate)
65 days
from transplant.
Extra sweet, 100 or more small juicy snack-tomatoes per plant. Nice treats while you're working in the garden!
Product code: 2417
Price: 0.2g = $2.75, 2g = $10.00 |
Non-Red Tomatoes
INDIAN MOON (Indeterminate)
75 days from transplant.
Indian Moon is said to originate with a Native Navaho tribe from
New Mixico. Seeds of Diversity Canada lists this variety as
endangered. Fruits are large, yellow/orange in colour with
surprisingly few seeds for an early tomato. Grower Kim Edmondson
says the flavour is unique and these are a favourite in her family. This picture show Indian Moon (L) with Brandywine.
Product code: 2404
Price: 0.2g = $2.75 |
MENNONITE ORANGE (Indeterminate) Certified Organic
80 days from transplant.
This tomato comes from Old Order Mennonites in Pennsylvania, but
has been in Southern Ontario since 1910. Beautiful orange fruits
make this heritage tomato a beauty in the garden and on the dinner
plate. Ted Wiggans of Shepherd's Garden in Harvey Station, NB
says the Mennonite Orange was a great field tomato for his market
production, and customers came back for the flavour.
Product code: 2406-CO
Price: 0.2g = $2.75 |
GOLDEN JUBILEE (Semi-determinate)
60 days
from transplant. Vibrant yellow fruits are quite large, sweet and flavourful.
Product code: 2415
Price: 0.2g = $2.75, 2g = $10.00 |
Tomatilloes Approximately 700 seeds/gram.
TOMA VERDE (Determinate)
70 days from transplant. Green 1.5" fruits that grow inside a
papery husk (like the annual flower "Chinese Lanterns").
Tomatilloes are the main ingredient in salsa verde / green salsa.
Plants grow like tomatoes, very vigorous and somewhat frost
tolerant. Proficient self-seeder.
Product code: 2401
Price: 0.2g = $2.50, 2g = $7.00 |
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