Sue kayaking at Ocracoke Island at sunset in 2010.

We made it to #500 - this is a great set of tomatoes, including some key varieties from Carolyn Male, as well as the first releases from High Altitude. 500 is a nice round number - I think I’ll pause this series (which is a lot of fun and provides great memories) and pick it back up early in 2023.

_____________

Tomato #476 - Nepal - the seed source for this was Heirloom Seeds in 1991. I never did grow this version - Nepal was extensively discussed as tomato #31 in this blog series.

Tomato #477 - Soldacki - Carolyn Male sent me seeds for this family heirloom in 1991. I am sure that she wrote about it in her book - it is supposedly a Polish family heirloom originally from Krakow Poland, who came to Cleveland Ohio in 1900. This was one of Carolyn’s favorite tomatoes. I grew it in 1991 - my description is of a smooth large pink oblate tomato on an indeterminate plant with potato leaf foliage - the flavor was excellent.

Tomato #478 - Parker Hatlee - this was also sent to me by Carolyn in 1991. Appears to be an Italian heirloom from Parker Hatlee to Carolyn. I grew it in 1991 and found a long, red paste type similar to Opalka and Gallo Plum.

Tomato #479 - Opalka - This is one of Carolyn’s best obtained heirlooms, given to her by co-worker Carl Swidorski - it originated in Poland. I actually got to meet a family member, Chet Opalka, interviewing for a job in Albany many years ago! It is probably the best of the long scarlet plum tomatoes that look more like a frying pepper. It is quite delicious for a paste type, and very productive, growing on an indeterminate regular leaf plant with very wispy foliage.

Tomato #480 - Cancer - This is one of the Branscomb varieties that he sent to me and I sent to Carolyn - she grew it out. It is listed in the SSE - all I’ve got for info is that it is pink.

Tomato #481 - Anna Russian - This sample is from Carolyn Male, sent in 1991. I didn’t grow out the seed she saved from what I sent her - the variety is described in full earlier in my seed sample review.

Tomato #482 - Tiny Tim - this was from Ted Telsch in 1991. This 1945 New Hampshire bred variety is one of the first micro dwarf types - a red cherry on a very short plant. I never grew this from the Telsch seed sample.

Tomato #483 - Row Pac - this is also from Ted Telsch in 1991. All I know is that it ended up in the SSE yearbook in the 1980s. I know nothing about it.

Tomato #484 - Rutgers - sent to me by Ted Telsch in 1991. I didn’t grow this from the Telsch sample - it is historically important, produced by crossing Marglobe with JTD and selecting for medium red fruit of high quality.

Tomato #485 - San Marzano - also from Ted Telsch in 1991. I didn’t grow this, but it is the classic Italian indeterminate paste tomato.

Tomato #486 - McClintock - from SSE member MT EV J in 1991. I did grow it in 1991 and found the medium sized red tomatoes on an indeterminate plant to be quite good. It was developed by Edith McClintock in Montana in the late 1960s.

Tomato #487 - Landry’s Russian - also from SSE member MT EV J in 1991. I described this variety earlier - it is a Canadian variety bred for earliness with medium red fruit on indeterminate plants. I never grew it.

Tomato #488 - Carnival - sent to me by Barney Laman in 1991. It appears to be an older commercial variety that has medium red fruit. I never did grow it.

Tomato #489 - Jackpot - also from Barney Laman in 1991, I assume this to be a red commercial variety - perhaps even a hybrid. I never grew it.

Tomato #490 - Springset - from Ted Telsch in 1991, I assume this to be a red commercial variety. I never did grow it and can find nothing about it.

Tomato #491 - Glasnost - here begins the start of a series of acquisitions from the new High Altitude Seed company of Bill McDormand, which I believe is now known as Seeds Trust. This is another of such releases with an apparent identity or stability problem. This was supposed to be quite large and delicious, but my trial showed an indeterminate plant with medium red, firm, bland tomatoes.

Tomato #492 - Perestroika - Yup - a 1991 High Altitude release from Siberia - it is described as a medium or larger tomato but my trial showed an indeterminate plant with small, seedy red fruit that didn’t taste particularly good. There clearly are some stability issues with this one.

Tomato #493 - Gregori’s Altai - this is my favorite of the 1991 High Altitude releases. From the Altai region, it is an indeterminate plant that bears medium to large pink fruit quite early in the season. The flavor is particularly sweet. I must give it a try again soon.

Tomato #494 - DeBarrao - There is an additional spelling of this - De Barao - but it seems to be the same tomato, acquired from 1991 from High Altitude. It is a typical red determinate paste type - prolific, but not great eating qualities to my palate.

Tomato #495 - Mikarda Sweet - here is a High Altitude 1991 introduction that I actually like quite a lot. It is an indeterminate, wispy leaf variety with medium sized long pink paste fruit, quite firm, but quite sweet as well. There is no further historical info. Victory seeds sells it, thanks to me!

Tomato #496 - Galina - a High Altitude 1991 introduction, this unique variety is a potato leaf indeterminate bright yellow cherry with very good flavor. Aside from its Siberian origin, there isn’t much additional background info. It is one of the better High Altitude tomatoes.

Tomato #497 - Grandpa’s Cock’s Plume - another High Altitude 1991 intro from Siberia, this one did quite well for me. It was a spindly indeterminate plant with large pink hearts that had a typically sweet, mild flavor. Recent listings show that it may no longer be stable.

Tomato #498 - Grushovka - a High Altitude 1991 introduction, this grew for me as a determinate variety with medium small pink egg shaped tomatoes with a very bland flavor. No extensive history except it is from the former USSR - and is another overrated introduction.

Tomato #499 - Sasha’s Altai - another of the initial set of Siberian tomatoes introduced by High Altitude in 1991. The story on this one is that it was collected in Itkutsk from a woman named Sasha who claimed it to be the best tomato in Siberia. I grew it in 1991 - it seemed to be a short indeterminate tomato providing small oblate red tomatoes with average flavor at best. Much ado about nothing for this one.

Tomato #500 - Hunt Family Favorite - sent to me by SSE member MI RA R in 1991 - I’ve discussed this several times in my collection. This particular sample gave me a medium to large oblate red with good flavor - nice, but not the pink tomato I hoped for.

_____________________

There are two sets of important tomatoes here - a few from Carolyn, and the new releases from High Altitude Seeds. Soldacki and Opalka are the most distinct and interesting from the first set. Gregori’s Altai, Mikarda Sweet, Galina, Grandpa’s Cock’s Plume and Grushovka are the best of the latter grouping.

Here ends the first part of my tomato collection review - the first 500 varieties, which takes me deep into 1991 acquisitions. I probably won’t carry this through for every tomato going forward (starting in early 2023), but will likely select the most important or interesting ones to focus on for future blogs.