Shop Products
Houzz Logo Print
mjhuntingtonbeach

Unknown pear shaped tomato - ID?

mjhuntingtonbeach
10 years ago

I found this tomato at a farmer's market, lumped in with a lot of varieties under the heading of "heirloom tomato" I thought it looked interesting, so I picked one up to maybe save some seeds. Pear shaped, large, pointed tip at the wide end, red. Cut it open and there was very little gel, almost like a stuffer tomato, so I suppose it is meant to be a paste tomato.

I tried to find something looking like this online, noticed one tomato called "Etoile" that was similar, Tomatofest had one called "New Zealand Pink Pear" that looks similar but this one is not pink.

Any ideas what this variety is?

Thanks.

Picture from the outside first, will attached a picture of the tomato halved next.

Comments (16)

  • mjhuntingtonbeach
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    A view cut open.

  • digdirt2
    10 years ago

    As we tell everyone else who ask for an ID from a photo - it's impossible to do. Best we can do is narrow it down to 20-30 possible varieties (that's how many Tatiana's list) and then guess. Looks like one of the many stuffer varieties, is red, and pear shaped so my guess is....Italian Red Pear or...Ukrainain Pear or...Red Stuffer or....

    But there is no way you can ever know for sure much less prove it. So just grow it and enjoy and don't try to slap a name on it because it would likely be incorrect.

    Dave

  • edweather USDA 9a, HZ 9, Sunset 28
    10 years ago

    Could be a pear, but the insides look misformed to me. Might be a misshapen round or oblate.

  • annabs
    9 years ago

    Did you find the name of the pear shaped tomato you questioned in July 2013? I, in August 2014, bought a couple at the farmers market in Hyannis, MA. My searching leads me to double helix farm in Arkansas and a variety, 100 pounds. They are delicious and I hope we can find seed to grow them in Vermont.
    Is this similar to the one you posted?

    Here is a link that might be useful: image and description of the tomato 100 pounds

  • carolyn137
    9 years ago

    What Steve shows at his website called 100 lbs is typical of many varieties that are called piriform shaped and I'll try to link to just one quiclly.

    Link at the bottom.

    Big bottom with ribbed sides tapering towards the top.

    There are many of them known, both reds and pinks, with more specific names than just piriform/

    A lot of them have Albengo as part of the name and mosr originated in Italy or Spain.

    Carolyn

    Here is a link that might be useful: Red Piriform

  • mjhuntingtonbeach
    Original Author
    7 years ago

    Carolyn,

    Just seeing the 2014 responses to this post today. And yes, I'd say the tomato I found is definitely in this family. I saved seeds and in 2015 I grew out 1 plant, very productive, and very solid fruit, without the cavities in the greenhouse grown specimen I found back in 2013.

    As an FYI, I crossed my ribbed red cherry with this variety last year, and have 4 F1 seedlings growing now. Should be an interesting cross.

    Link to pictures of my ribbed red for those who don't know what it looks like:

    http://forums.gardenweb.com/discussions/2232783/a-unique-cherry-tomato-that-i-grow


  • carolyn137
    7 years ago
    last modified: 7 years ago

    Mike, I have a problem seeing yours as being a piriform,which is pretty much a shape classification and just looking at the link above in my post,the one from Liguria which is bottom heavy and yes,sometimes ribbed, I'm not so sure.

    http://t.tatianastomatobase.com:88/wiki/Cuneo_Giant_Pear

    When most folks think of pear shaped they are thinking of the common red and yellow pears, the small ones,.The true piriforms are much bigger than yours and much more bottom heavy,but if you want to call it a small piriform, not from Italy or France where the piriforms are found that's fine,but still it's the heavy bottom, kind of an upside down heart that for me defines this group of large pears.

    It's all good,whatever it is. <G>

    Carolyn


  • rhoder551 zone 9b-10
    7 years ago

    Looks very similar to the Canestrino I grow except mine does not have the empty cavity around the seeds....

  • rhoder551 zone 9b-10
    7 years ago

    Some on my plant look like the original pic above but most look like this:

    I got the original plant from my Italian friend who's father brought the seeds from Italy on one of his visits to CA. He has grown it for years and I've grown it for 5 or so. Probably crossed all over the place but still a great tomato.

  • gorbelly
    7 years ago

    I've noticed that these large Mediterranean pear varieties can vary quite a bit in shape, even on the same plant. I don't think photo identification is possible with these types (not that it's ever entirely possible with any type).

    I also wonder how much the various names given to them are indicative of actual genetic differences vs. differences imparted by terroir. The idea that a tomato named something specific = a genetic identity is a more American idea and not really compatible with the way people think about food products in many parts of Europe, IMO.

  • carolyn137
    7 years ago

    Look at the Costolutos from Italy, no way to do DNA restriction analyses for genetic purposes,and not terroir,rather,named for the city area where they came from ,I suppose one could argue terroir but I won't and since I could only remember two of them I fetched Tania's page and look at the see also list.

    http://t.tatianastomatobase.com:88/wiki/Costoluto_Fiorentino


    Note also the comment about sometimes not being ribbed.


    Carolyn




  • gorbelly
    7 years ago

    I don't understand your comment, Carolyn. Are you agreeing with me or disagreeing with me? I think I'm confused about "not terroir, rather, named for the city area", since terroir basically means that people prize the local characteristics created by microclimate, soil, local cultural practices, etc. and therefore always make the geographic origin of the product--often down to the town--a big part of identity of a food product, and often above the genetic code of the food.

  • rhoder551 zone 9b-10
    7 years ago
    last modified: 7 years ago

    I don't have pics of any I have grown but here is another good one from the internet:

    I'll get a few like this off of my plant and usually very large. I don't know why seeds are hard to find for Canestrino. Very strong and productive plant....delicious tomato.

  • carolyn137
    7 years ago

    Gorbelly, for some reason I couldn't make a comment after your post,so I will here.

    I said above that one COULD argue for terrior,but that I wasn't going to.I have no idea of what the immediate soil conditions,weather, etc, are where the named Costolutos were from,so obviously I can't comment on that either.I have been to Italy and have visisted Genoa and Florence and actually many other places in Italy,but not to the point where I could discuss local terroir.

    I've been an SSE member since 1989 and have all the Yearboks back to 1975 when SSE started and find them very valuable in terms of where a variety comes from since one of my main interests has always been origins of varieties,but I'd say that for over half the listings,no one knows the origin at all. And I spoke to that in my heirloom tomato book as well.


    Since I can no longer grow my own tomatoes, and all the other stuff I used to grow now being homebound and having to use a walker ,there have been many who have encouraged me to write a book about tomato histories, but that just isn't going to happen.I'm busy enough being a Global Mod at two places,sourcing new varieties from all over the place, and a week ago just finished sending seeds out to my now 7 seed producers.


    At this point I just want to relax,read the several hundreds of books here that I haven't read, play my music vids, read the many magazines I sub to,and that includes 5 different archaeology ones, and that's one of the reasons I made so many trips overseas,viz,to see those archaeology sites,whether it was the Parthenon or the island of Crete for Knossos in Greece, etc.,or the fabulous sites in Israel,same for Gerrmany, even the Scandinavian countries,and I am 1/4 Swedish you know,no doubt decended from a Celtic priestess, which explains my love of nature,<G>

    Now looking out the low panel of windows in front of me and seeing a herd of deer in the upper field here.

    Carolyn


Sponsored
Grow Landscapes
Average rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars8 Reviews
Planning Your Outdoor Space in Loundon County?