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green_go

Looking for: Smallish toms, hard as a rock with tough skins

Yes, I'm looking for this type of tomato. And I don't care about the taste as long as it produces well.
I love tomatoes canned whole. For this type of canning, I need to grow a few plants of smaller-sized tomatoes (not cherry, somewhere from golf ball to tennis ball size) and they should have tough skins and firm flesh. I will not eat them fresh, so the taste does not matter much for this type of canning. However, good production is the must (space is precious)
Any recommendations?

This post was edited by green_go on Fri, Nov 22, 13 at 14:13

Comments (19)

  • labradors_gw
    10 years ago

    At first I thought these were not to be eaten, but maybe used as ammo! (LOL) and then I read further.....

    I wonder if Kumato might fit the bill. These are the brown tomatoes that you can find in grocery stores in the winter. From what I hear, they come true from saved seed. They have tough skins and are about the size of a golf ball.

    Linda

  • digdirt2
    10 years ago

    There is a frequently used response over on the Harvest (canning forum here): "Junk into the jar = junk out of the jar."

    In other words, canning something isn't going to improve it in any way.

    While there are many great tomato varieties used for canning whole - Roma being one of the most common ones - tough skins isn't normally one of the requirements. They are peeled before canning anyway.

    So what varieties have you tried that don't meet your requirements?

    Dave

  • carolyn137
    10 years ago

    First, Linda, Kumato is an F1 hybrid so it doesn't come true from seed.

    Now about rock hard who cares what they taste like varieties for canning.

    And I agree completely with what Dave said above, so I reviewed my spitters that were rock hard and came up with Sandpoint:

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

    More to the point if you REALLY want what you say you want then look at the longkeeper varieties which of course do have tough skins, and not outstanding taste and I've linked to Tania's listing of them below.

    You might consider Zhiraf, commonly known as Giraffe, as well as the Old Fashioned Peach one.

    Good Luck from Carolyn who helped her mother can hundreds of jars of tomatoes and those were the ones known back then and still today as superb canners. Ones like Rutgers, New Yorker and friends. Ste Pierre is also a wonderful canner. And there are many many threads here at GW about ones for cannning and sauce, to be found by doing a search, at the bottom of the page.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Longkeepers

  • fusion_power
    10 years ago

    Picardy, Eva Purple Ball, Druzba, and Lyuda's Mom's Red Ukraine. Those are my first choice canning tomatoes because they have all the right traits. Picardy in particular is an exceptionally good canned tomato.

    Only one problem, don't bother going bowling with them, they aren't much use after smacking into 10 pins a few times.

  • labradors_gw
    10 years ago

    Carolyn,

    Yes I realize that the Kumato is "supposed" to be F1, but I read (in another forum) that people had success in growing them without getting any variation, and for more than one generation.

    When someone says the words "rock hard tomato", I always think first of the store-bought ones (LOL).

    Linda

  • seysonn
    10 years ago

    Generally a lot of Italian tomatoes are suited for canning. There are various kinds of ROMA and SAN MARZANO.

    And, yes, one of the characteristics of canning tomatoes is small size. The other is to be more meaty than juicy.

    So, you can do a google search on "tomatoes for canning"

  • patsyann
    10 years ago

    Try Juanne Flamme. They are golf ball size, prolific, have a great taste (because I like an acidic old fashioned taste) and have a tough skin, which turns some people off.

  • carolyn137
    10 years ago

    Try Juanne Flamme. They are golf ball size, prolific, have a great taste (because I like an acidic old fashioned taste) and have a tough skin, which turns some people off.

    %%%%%

    I was the person who got Jaunne Flammee from Norbert in France in 1992 in a trade that involved 3 others here in the US and I do think it's a great variety, but I've not heard anyone say it had tough skins until you just did. LOL

    And so it goes, different opinions from different folks.

    Another small one with not tough skins but super taste is Earl of Edgecombe,

    Carolyn

  • digdirt2
    10 years ago

    Given the original post, the lack of reply, and no other posts, me thinks the OP is likely yanking our chains anyway. :)

    Dave

  • green_go (Canada, Ontario, z 5a)
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Thank you for all your suggestions. I grew San Marzano Nano variety and I was not impressed: the production was so-so and when I canned them whole, they sort of⦠deflated? Probably, because of the big hollow cavities inside? So, I am looking for something thick-fleshed and preferably without cavities, so they will keep their shape once canned.
    I have seeds of Juanne Flamme and I will give it a try next year. I will try to get some of the varieties mentioned in this thread.

    Thank you all!

  • barrie2m_(6a, central PA)
    10 years ago

    My vote would go to Juliet, a saladette type. It has drawn a lot of criticism for being tough skinned but many prefer it b/c of that quality. It is very productive throughout the season.
    Another variety that might fit your demand is Mountain Magic, a cocktail tomato that is extremely productive even if faced with Late Blight pressure.
    Both of these are on the small side but I'd imagine either being quite attractive stuffed whole into a canning jar.

  • aloha10
    10 years ago

    Another vote for Mountain Magic. They produced until our first hard freeze. Had the last in a salad a few days ago. And they are tasty!

  • dickiefickle
    10 years ago

    julliette very productive ,keeps long time,taste is lousy

  • pennypond USDA 10 Sunset 21 CA
    10 years ago

    I love my dehydrated Juliet. The plant is productive, peeling is easy, and the peeled fruit holds its shape well. It seems to have all the characteristics for a good canner.

  • green_go (Canada, Ontario, z 5a)
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Thank you, guys! I've just orderered Juliet and Mountain Magic seeds online.
    As to OP varieties you listed here, I hope to get at least few of them through Tomato swap.

    You are great!

  • seysonn
    10 years ago

    I wonder if Kumato might fit the bill. These are the brown tomatoes that you can find in grocery stores in the winter. From what I hear, they come true from saved seed. They have tough skins and are about the size of a golf ball.

    Linda
    ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
    wikipeda says that it is a heirloom, originally from Spain (under different names ).
    The company that grows KUMAO and distributes fruits won't sell the seeds. BECAUSE, they want to sell the fruits . Trader Joe's sells them. I Bough a package ($3.79/lb).

    Dave's garden says: that the fruits are sterile and seedless !! That is nonsense. They are loaded with seeds.

    So I will grow one plant.

  • sada
    10 years ago

    Rio Grande paste tomato - taste better with cooking and hold together well for whole canned tomatoes.

    Old Brooks - hard & acidy - cans up great in 1/4s and in sauce

  • donna_in_sask
    10 years ago

    Which member joked about using Juliet tomatoes for batting practice? ;)

  • Natures_Nature
    10 years ago

    Ammo is expensive! You mean i can just grow tomatoes? No more breathing in lead dust when going to the range? I'm sold..

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