Info on Tennessee Surprise

Zana · November 1, 2007

I finally decided to haul in most everything still on the vines. I still have some plants loaded with tomatoes that are still showing no signs of frost, but they're also sitting against the house and under the windows.

However, I have a about 3lbs worth of Tennessee Surprise tomatoes that I'm not sure how close they're to being ripe. Right now all but one are showing a bit of a heart shape to them and have slightly fluted shoulders, so I'm wondering if this is what they're supposed to be. Or whether I've got an accidental cross...but they're from 2 different plants, so not as sure about the cross aspect or whether I got the right thing in the first place. I can't seem to locate a picture online of the variety. What notes I could find (after the computer crashed this spring) was that they were supposed to be 12 to 16oz yellow. Is this correct? Anybody got a picture?

Thanks.

**carolyn137** · November 1, 2007

There are two listings for TN Surpise in the SSE 2007 Yearbook and both describe it as a typical gold/red bicolor and beefsteak shaped.

So size ( around a pound or two) and coloration both inside and out should be similar to any of the other now over 100 known gold/red bicolors, such as Big Rainbow, Burracker's Favorite, Pineapple and on and on.

History says it was found by road crew workers in the garden of an elderly lady who had grown it as long as she could remember.

MikeH · November 1, 2007

Was I the source of the seed,Zana?If so,sounds like I sent you a cross out of MY garden

.As Carolyn said it should be a bi-colored beefsteak in the pound range and shouldn't show any heart shapes.German Red Strawberry was in the same general location if I remember right....hmmm..

Well,I'll grow out a few plants next season to see if I get the same results.Dang bee's

!

Zana · November 5, 2007

Sorry for the delay in getting back to you Mike. And yes, you were the source for the seeds. I finally got around to growing them this year. I arrived home a little while ago after a weekend up north at the lake. Found the "Tennessee Surprise" toms are now blushing - appear to be a bit "streaky", and half are a regular beefsteak shape and half seem to have more of a "heart shape". Go figure. I had to pick everything before I left on Thursday. So none of them were fully ripe at that time, but seem to be now that they're inside.

If you want, I'll send you some of the seeds from the "hearts", Mike. LOL and you can compare them to what you grow out.

MikeH · November 7, 2007

Have any of them turned ripe enough to taste Zana?If so,what did you think of the heart shaped one?If it's a cross and not a seed mixup(I'm very careful when sorting seeds after fermentation,but I suppose it could of happened somehow)it might be a good one.Might be be fun to grow out the F2(?)seed to see what you get next season.If you do save seed,sure I'll try a few if you don't mind sending some my way.I'll put a couple of plants up on the north 40 and see what happens

.

I hope at least one of the beefsteak toms are the real deal for you!

November 1, 2007	#1
Zana Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Southwestern Ontario, Canada Posts: 4,521	Info on Tennessee Surprise I finally decided to haul in most everything still on the vines. I still have some plants loaded with tomatoes that are still showing no signs of frost, but they're also sitting against the house and under the windows. However, I have a about 3lbs worth of Tennessee Surprise tomatoes that I'm not sure how close they're to being ripe. Right now all but one are showing a bit of a heart shape to them and have slightly fluted shoulders, so I'm wondering if this is what they're supposed to be. Or whether I've got an accidental cross...but they're from 2 different plants, so not as sure about the cross aspect or whether I got the right thing in the first place. I can't seem to locate a picture online of the variety. What notes I could find (after the computer crashed this spring) was that they were supposed to be 12 to 16oz yellow. Is this correct? Anybody got a picture? Thanks.

November 1, 2007	#2
carolyn137 Moderator Emeritus Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Upstate NY, zone 4b/5a Posts: 21,169	There are two listings for TN Surpise in the SSE 2007 Yearbook and both describe it as a typical gold/red bicolor and beefsteak shaped. So size ( around a pound or two) and coloration both inside and out should be similar to any of the other now over 100 known gold/red bicolors, such as Big Rainbow, Burracker's Favorite, Pineapple and on and on. History says it was found by road crew workers in the garden of an elderly lady who had grown it as long as she could remember. __________________ Carolyn

November 1, 2007	#3
MikeH Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: West Central Illinois Posts: 47	Was I the source of the seed,Zana?If so,sounds like I sent you a cross out of MY garden .As Carolyn said it should be a bi-colored beefsteak in the pound range and shouldn't show any heart shapes.German Red Strawberry was in the same general location if I remember right....hmmm.. Well,I'll grow out a few plants next season to see if I get the same results.Dang bee's ! __________________ Mike

November 7, 2007	#5
MikeH Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: West Central Illinois Posts: 47	Have any of them turned ripe enough to taste Zana?If so,what did you think of the heart shaped one?If it's a cross and not a seed mixup(I'm very careful when sorting seeds after fermentation,but I suppose it could of happened somehow)it might be a good one.Might be be fun to grow out the F2(?)seed to see what you get next season.If you do save seed,sure I'll try a few if you don't mind sending some my way.I'll put a couple of plants up on the north 40 and see what happens . I hope at least one of the beefsteak toms are the real deal for you! __________________ Mike

November 5, 2007	#4
Zana Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Southwestern Ontario, Canada Posts: 4,521	Sorry for the delay in getting back to you Mike. And yes, you were the source for the seeds. I finally got around to growing them this year. I arrived home a little while ago after a weekend up north at the lake. Found the "Tennessee Surprise" toms are now blushing - appear to be a bit "streaky", and half are a regular beefsteak shape and half seem to have more of a "heart shape". Go figure. I had to pick everything before I left on Thursday. So none of them were fully ripe at that time, but seem to be now that they're inside. If you want, I'll send you some of the seeds from the "hearts", Mike. LOL and you can compare them to what you grow out.