‘Black Crimea’ tomato

At a Seedy Saturday in 2016, a lady came up to me and told me that her mother-in-law had a tomato variety called Mon Plaisir that stopped being available in seed catalogues for ages, but that she keeps growing year after year. We chat a bit and exchange contact informations. I end up forgetting about it until, a few months later, I receive a letter in the mail. Inside, a beautiful card containing a paper on which a dozen seeds were attached. The seeds of the lost Mon Plaisir tomato. This is what Mrs. Frappier told me when I reached out to her, after receiving her letter: "We use to order our seeds through the WHPerron catalogue, and another company. I think it was called Norseco. We were growing tomatoes in greenhouses in Abitibi, in Matamic close to Lasarre. It was the Frappier greenhouses (serres Frappier) in 1976. We grow a couple seedlings to sell, but it was mostly for vegetable production. I really like those tomatoes, they would make nice long cherry tomato trusses. We stopped producing in the early 2000s, and I had already been saving my own seeds for about 20 to 25 years because we couldn't find the variety in catalogues anymore. I really couldn't find it anywhere. I think it was replaced by either Sweet 100 or Sweet mignonne. I did taste it, but I definitely prefer Mon Plaisir." (Free translation) It is now our turn to share this discovery with you. A huge thanks to the Frappier family for preserving this variety.   Package: 30 seeds

Vigorous and prolific variety bearing fruits of 90/100 grams of a bright red. Thick skin, firm chair and intense color, ideal for cooking, peeled tomato and of course sauces. The cut and salted fruits can be dried in the sun. Envelope: 30 seeds  

Elongated paste tomato that is creamy white to pale yellow in color. The sweet flavor should be a hit with gourmet chefs. Determinated and quite productive. Perfect for sauce.

Envelope: 30 seeds

Determinate.

Plant approximately 1 meter tall. Round fruits with a diameter of approximately 8 cm. Rare tomato variety. Firm flesh with an exquisite taste. All red tomatoes wish they were Plourde.

 

Grown since 1925 in Saint-Alexandre de Kamouraska, Quebec, by Aurélius Plourde and his family. Handed to Jeannot Pelletier and then to René Paquet. The latter cultivated and selected it before introducing it in Seeds of Diversity Catalog. According to the man who saved this Quebec heirloom : « The Plourde is an old beauty who forgot its own identity ».

The smallest tomato you will ever eat! Currant tomatoes are cousins with the common tomato we all know, both originally from Central and South America. The plants grow clusters of several tiny sweet fruits. The seeds we are selling however have a peculiar story... Léon was a grumpy gardener who didn't like kids. Always a smoke between his lips, he would chase them with the back of his hand whenever they got too close to his parcel in Montreal community garden. Yet the kids couldn't help but want some of his tomatoes, which were shining under the sun just like rubies. Truth be told, Léon didn't really like anyone regardless of age... but how did we love his tomatoes! So, under the full moon (for real!), I sneaked into the garden, and stole a couple seeds. Ever since I've been growing them, and my kids love them!   Package: Around 35-40 seeds  

The farmer got confused and messed up, but in the process created this mix of different varieties of tomatoes grown on our farm. Includes: Mémé de Beauce, Oncle Tom, Petit Moineau, Sun Drop, Téton de Vénus, Poil Blanc, Savignac, Plourde, Black Cherry and Black Ruffle. For diversity fans.

Package: 35 seeds