I read a report that amish paste were much more sensitive to disease pressures. Did you have any issues in your garden with blights this year or any indication at all that the Amish paste was a less robust plant to disease or environmental pressures?

And if paste types is what you want to grow for some reason there are other varieties that even better than Amish Paste although none of the paste types are really noted for their flavor when compared to non-paste types.

Dave

I haven't had any issues with disease in any of my tomatoes. I planted Opalka and Viva Italia paste tomatoes as well, but they are in a new bed with heavy clay soil so they haven't grown much or ripened yet.

The on issue I noticed with Amish Paste was that it almost wilted during long stretches of heat and drought. It turned its leaves upside down, very odd looking. I should have taken pictures.. I just watered it every few days and it grew fine. It's plenty vigorous in my garden, and a really lovely flavor.

I have never considered Amish Paste to be a paste variety for the same reason you mentioned, that it's juicy, it also has a lot of seeds and true paste varieties should have dense flesh with few seeds. It's an example of several varieties that are not paste varieties that were named for shape only. Another one is Lillian's Kansas Red Paste which isn't a paste variety either.

There are lots of threads here where folks have shared what their best paste varieties have been, if its paste/sauce varieties you're looking for. I could do the same once again here at GW but to be honest most of my long time tomato friends long ago have switched to making paste and sauce from the best tasting varieties they grow in antone season, regardless of color or shape.

That makes for some interesting colored sauce on pasta but who cares since the sauce is usually wonderfully tasty.

Romas? not for me with few exceptions. ( smile)

Carolyn

I'm not planning on making tomato paste, but I'd love to can stewed tomatoes for my winter stews and casseroles. I don't particularly care if they are paste varieties or not, I'll pur�e whatever I have extra and can or freeze it.

I'm still loving the flavor of the Amish Paste, I'll have to plant more next year!

I tried Amish paste last year and some others but after putting a lot of tomatoes through the food mill for sauce I think you should try San Marzano Redorta, big tomatoes, good taste very little seeds and juice. IMO good luck and enjoy!

Amish paste is a very tasty tomato but after growing it for 2 years in a row, I have to say it's not the most robust of tomatoes. It tends to fall over and it has small leaves. As Dr Male mentioned in her book, it's wimpy.

Carolyn, I went looking for your book this morning since I'm a researcher, and want to plan what varieties of tomatoes to grow next year. It's not available in print, as I'm sure you're aware. (And people are asking some astonishing prices for good condition used books.) Have you thought about making it an ebook? My husband is a computer guy, and says self-publishing is very easy now.

Luckily, my library has a copy. But if I like it, I'd want to add it to my collection.

I'm growing Super San marzano and I find it looks wimpy too! I thought something was wrong with it. Carolyn, you have a book? I'm new to GW.

Second the recommendation for San Marzano Redorta. Much more vigorous than Amish Paste or any other good tasting sauce tomato I've ever grown. This is one decidedly not wimpy tomato. Yield and taste are both great and it has only a minimum amount of BER here.

San Marzano is definitely on my list for next year. Hmm, I wonder if my local nurseries carry that one. I might have to try starting plants from seed, if not. I had bad luck with peppers this spring, but if I get a grow light, the seedlings grow better.

I have seen regular San Marzano seedlings at the nursery but don't think I've seen any special strains of it such as super San Marzano or Redorta.

I have grown Amish Paste 2 years in a row. Last year it didn't do so well, but I think that was my fault. Too close to the cukes & they took over the area. This year it did great! The fruit was very large, meaty, and great taste. They also did well in the really hot weather. Really did not have much seeds, or pulp. They weren't sloppy, juicy like some varieties, but neither were they dry or tasteless like a Roma. They looked like Roma's on major doses of steroids, lol. Most of them were as large, or larger than my whole hand. They were great on sandwiches & held up well in freezing & canning. No doubt I will grow more next year.

Have been growing "Super Marzanos" for years. I find the entire line of San Marzanos rather susceptable to blossom end rot. Have switched over to Amish Paste and shall see how they perform. I realize that the blossom end rot is a calcium problem but none of the other varitals in the garden displayed the problems with it as did the Marzano types. I grow in Sacramento, CA.

I have always had problems with blossom end rot and San Marzano tomatoes even after making sure the calcium is ok. They are doing better this year but I stil have some BER. None with Amish paste or any of the other varieties.