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Old September 30, 2016   #1
Fred Hempel
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Default Now for something completely different!

Over the past few years we have been surprised to find "rin" lines with exceptional flavor. We did not expect this when we started working with rin plants, but it has been fun to discover just how much flavor can be packed into a rin homozygous tomato that never softens.

We are now releasing a hybrid with great flavor and very nice plant vigor (and disease resistance), and calling it Firma Verde (shown below).



The new variety will be available in February, and you can read more about it it here.

An important note: Our best flavored rin lines have been developed in collaboration with Frogsleap Farm, and without the collaboration this new tomato would not have been developed.
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Old September 30, 2016   #2
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Firma Verde in a mixed tomato salad at Boulevard restaurant (San Francisco).
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Old September 30, 2016   #3
Fred Hempel
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Saladette size Firma Verde -- lightly sauted -- paired with seared duck at Sabio (Pleasanton, CA). This particular Firma Verde will be available to our collaborating members next year. We need to trial it one more year before releasing it generally.
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Old October 1, 2016   #4
Fred Hempel
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I understand everyone's skepticism. I would have never guessed that a firm green tomato could taste this good either.

They amazing thing is, they can hang for weeks on the vine, in suspended high-flavor animation, and never soften. And people that eat them taste hints of plums.
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Old October 1, 2016   #5
salix
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Well Fred, you haven't steered me wrong yet - I'll be trying them once they are released.
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Old October 1, 2016   #6
Fred Hempel
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Well, that should be next summer!
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Old October 1, 2016   #7
oakley
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I'm glad you brought this up as i was going to ask about it. I saw FirmaVerde on your Artisan site last week. And will be ordering.
I had such a great tomato season this year and many grapes and cherries. I have had many mixed varieties, 'Artisan' mixes they are called, in clam shell packs at groceries we are served at work. And actually not that good. Usually just tossed on platters whole with olives and mixed cheese platters with some sliced meats/proscuitto/salami....not very good tomatoes. They taste refrigerated and often over-ripe. I actually have had some spitters over the summer season. Literally spit them. Maybe hot house grown.

I've had some crips greens in the mix and some tart/lemony ones that are really tasty like GWR. I did rub one tiny tasty one on a napkin and put it in my pocket, then dried it in my hotel room...(i was working in the Hamptons all week. Southampton.) I'm guessing the caterers picked them up locally but I don't think they were grown locally.
They also don't know to not keep in refrigeration.

They taste like stamps. ....they best way i can describe a neutral flavorless slightly and minimally sweet flavor. Stamp glue,

I'm a good cook. We have an annual tomato tasting menu every year and often a few times during harvest. One big party for a hundred and a few smaller ones.

The crisp green i just had would be fantastic like you posted...yours looks like a larger plum tom size. (the trial one with the duck)

This pic is a crisp large green grape but the seeds are pale and seem immature. I saved seeds, (on that napkin), from the tiny green one, about the size of a smaller SunGold. (i doubt i will grow it out next year but it was very good).

We have not been at all smaller tomato obsessed in the 20 year growing, until this past couple of years with such great varieties to try, so thank you for digging into those varieties and creating good solid ones.
I'm on board having the room to trial so many...
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Old October 1, 2016   #8
Fred Hempel
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Interesting observations, Oakley.

A few years ago I started noticing that unripe green tomatoes (green with immature seeds) varied widely in flavor. Some taste really good. We have noticed that this really depends on the variety. Speckled Roman has a pleasing flavor when it is green, and so do some of the tomatoes we developed from it (Maglia Rosa, Blush, Lucky Tiger).

I think this is what may have influenced me to try to select for flavor in rin/rin plants we were developing. What was a surprise, though, was how much flavor the rin/rin lines could have. Much more than a "good" unripe green tomato.

You are right, the tomatoes shown with the duck are saladette sized. Right now we have 3 lines that are performing well enough to warrant release at some point. Two are the sizes of large cherry tomatoes (we will be releasing one of those).

The saladette-sized one needs a bit more work. One of the parents still needs to be selected a couple more generations, but we are going to trial it next summer with our Collaborating Members.
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Old October 1, 2016   #9
Fred Hempel
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Our kickstarter page (where seeds can be pre-ordered) is here.
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Old October 1, 2016   #10
MendozaMark
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Really interesting Fred ! What is the relative DTM on Firma Verde ? Is it problematic to know when to pick them at the ideal stage ? Lastly, is there potential for being a winter storage candidate ?

Cheers !

Mark
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Old October 1, 2016   #11
Fred Hempel
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60-70 days

No problem picking them because they hang at the ideal stage for weeks. They have subtle color changes (yellow and or slight pink) that indicate they are ripe.

Yes. These things keep a long, long time. Haven't figured out how many months, but they must be at least as good as the ones the Italians hang upside down for long term storage.
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Old October 1, 2016   #12
KarenO
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Certainly sounds like you have created another excellent and unique tomato. Best wishes with your trials. Will be interested to hear more about this one
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Old October 1, 2016   #13
MendozaMark
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Fred Hempel View Post
60-70 days

No problem picking them because they hang at the ideal stage for weeks. They have subtle color changes (yellow and or slight pink) that indicate they are ripe.

Yes. These things keep a long, long time. Haven't figured out how many months, but they must be at least as good as the ones the Italians hang upside down for long term storage.
Sounds ideal, count me in sometime in the near future.

Thanks for the info.
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Old October 1, 2016   #14
Fred Hempel
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Thanks! This one has been trialed. It is ready to go. Just trying to defray some of the costs of production this winter with what amounts to pre-payment...

Quote:
Originally Posted by KarenO View Post
Certainly sounds like you have created another excellent and unique tomato. Best wishes with your trials. Will be interested to hear more about this one
KarenO
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Old October 1, 2016   #15
Barb_FL
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MendozaMark View Post
... is there potential for being a winter storage candidate ?

Mark
And in areas where it gets too hot for fruit set, we could still have homegrown tomatoes almost year round?

Example: last fruit set is May, possibly early June on a cool month,
then time to grow and ripen,
pick July ??
Shelf life 3 months ???
...Eat through October.

Earlier fall tomatoes are ready by December 1.
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