Tomato - Long-keeping Varieties
 

I noticed that Sandhill Preservation carries a few Long-Keeping tomato varieties. Does anyone have any experience growing any of this type of tomato? Are they worth growing (better than the market options)? If they are, then which is the best tasting variety?

Thanks for your help.

Cheers,

Angelique

I've never grown any OP storage types, but I've grown Burpee's Long Keeper and Red October hybrids.

I wasn't impressed with Long Keeper's taste.

Red October kept for a long time (over a month and a half) and they held up very nicely...[i]maybe a little too nicely.[/i] Taste was also so-so, but still better than breaker stage harvested, ethylene gas (C2H4) ripened ones.

I'm hoping that Burpee/Monsanto didn't go dipping into the animal kingdom gene pool to create this one. :shock:

Angelique....I have a basket of longkeepers, they are "Giraffe". Mine are just starting to turn red in storage and have been at room temp since Sept. I haven't been brave enough to slice one yet, as I really want to be tomato hungry when I do....Maybe another month...

Jeanne

Never had heard of Giraffe before but now I've seen it mentioned a few times lately (some recent posts, some archived ones I was looking at searching for other info. I doubt any long keeper would be able to compete with a fresh picked mid-late season beefsteak. That being said, I'd think most would taste better than the selection you have at the local grocery.

Giraffe is probably the only variety I've seen enough mention of and a postive comment here and there that leads me to consider giving a longkeeper a try and I wouldn't mind hearing some comments from those who have grown Giraffe regarding it's taste- especially compared to other longkeepers (or the 'maters from the local market).

I got Giraffe from Andrey 3-4 years ago and started passing them around. Click on link for picture.

[url]http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b7df20b3127cce8006d19e2b8c00000016108QYtGLNo0aO[/url]

Thanks for the info.

What is the history of Giraffe? Is it a Russian variety or from some nearby country?

Just curious...

[quote='mater]What is the history of Giraffe? Is it a Russian variety or from some nearby country?

Just curious...[/quote]

Giraf a.k.a. Giraffe (English translation) was bred by famous Russian Timirjazev Agricultural Academy (Moscow).

I've sent it to Earl 3 years ago and he was very impressed with it and started a massive distribution of Giraffe seeds in USA :D

There are also several other Russian long-keepers which I offer abroad. They are Novogodniy and Khutorskoy Zasolochnyi tomatoes. All three varieties (together with Giraf) can't ripen on the vine and should be stored for at least a month or two to be fully ripen. Usually their fruits can be stored for 2-5 months (depending on storing conditions).

Their taste is of course has nothing compared to the best late-ripening varieties, but anyway I like to eat them fresh during a New Year party and even later. We also use them for pickling.