The Tomato of the Month for March is the Old German Heirloom Tomato. This tomato was a favorite of Mennonite families from the Shenandoah Valley area of Virginia, and dates back to the mid-1800′s. It is in the beefsteak family and can grow to a robust size of almost 2 pounds. The Old German tomato is bi-colored, featuring golden yellow and reddish stripes.
The Old German tomato can be started indoors six to eight weeks before the last frost date (depending on your zone). It is an indeterminate tomato plant, and is not heralded as a heavy producer. The large size and excellent taste of this tomato more than makes up for its sometimes lack of production. These tomatoes are generally ready to pick about 75 to 80 days after the seeds germinate.
The Old German Heirloom tomato has more of a oblong shape rather than the typical round tomato. It is ideal for slicing and can be preserved by canning or freezing. The Old German Tomato would be a superb addition to any tomato garden!
Have you ever grown Old German Heirloom Tomatoes? If so, please tell us about it!
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What a gorgeous tomato! I’m planting heirloom tomatoes for the first time this year. I am still making a list of the maters I want to grow. This one looks so good. I think I’ll add it to my list. I’d love to see a list of heirloom tomatoes you recommend. I’m trying to grow enough to can/dry to have food over winter.
Jackie Lee´s last blog ..I’m A Home Bread Baking Fool
Hi Jackie, It is a great looking tomato! There are so many wonderful tomatoes to choose from it is difficult to pick just a few. Some of my favorite heirloom tomatoes are Brandywine (a popular variety), Cherokee Purple, Black Krim, Pink Caspian, Mortgage Lifter and Chocolate Cherry ( a cherry tomato variety). Please let me know what you decide to grow this year. I look forward to hearing about it! If you ever need anything, do not hesitate to contact me. I’ll be glad to help in any way I can.
Wow! I wouldn’t want to eat this one because it is so gorgeous. I haven’t seen a tomato this big and it is actually really cool to grow one like this. But I think it requires a lot of skills and talent. So two thumbs up to the one who grow this.