I don't think we can underestimate what Carolyn and Craig accomplished over 10 years ago by pulling out huge numbers of varieties out of the USDA and growing them out and comparing them to seed catalog descriptions and people's memories to see if they were the real thing or crosses.
It is hard for me to believe that a variety like Burpee's Matchless, which was their flagship tomato for many years, does not exist in pure form,
although Carolyn does document an "Austin strain" which seems "close" to seed catalog descriptions.
A lot of what's in the USDA was crossed but there were also some gems. And as Carolyn has told us, over 90% of the tomato varieties in the USDA are breeding parents and partners for commercial varieties and not particularly desirable as to flavor.
I think it is interesting that in the tomato world, when someone wants great flavor and exotic varieties, they reach for O.P.s (some of which are heirlooms
). But some of the biggest pepper fans grow mostly hybrids, especially for sweet peppers. That just seems to be where some of the best varieties lie. I am not saying that someone cannot be totally satisfied by O.P. pepper cultivars, but the popularity of Sun Gold tells me "grow what you like."
