Green Zebra Tomato

Beefsteak or "cuor di bue" is the name of several tomato cultivars of Italian origin. The original Beefsteak is a variety of large tomato whose shape reminiscent of a bovine heart. Can reach a weight of 500 to 600 grams. Envelope: 30 seeds  

Indeterminate.

Plant approximately 2 to 2,5 meters tall. Fruits weigh between 180 and 300 grams and have a diameter of approximately 10 cm. Smooth red-rose skin, sweet and juicy flesh. Performs well in cool climates and short seasons.

 

Discovered in the 1930s in the Joliette area by a farmer named Dufresne. It was given to Armand Savignac of the Clerics of Saint Viator. Due to chronic digestive disorders and a rare malformation, Savignac became a vegetarian and began to grow vegetables. Among different varieties cultivated in his garden was the Savignac 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

Indeterminate. Italian red tomato. Heart-shaped fruit with a pointed tip, which inspired its name. Flavorful and dense flesh, perfect for sauces and sandwichs. Very good yields, although it is a late season variety. It is resistant to diseases and will handle transportation and manipulation, I would recommend it for vegetable markets. One of our top 3! Package : 35 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 ».

Indeterminate tomato giving multiple burgundy fruits, each barely bigger than a golf ball. The taste is well-balanced in terms of sweetness and acidity, making this variety one of our favorite cherry tomato. Perfect to eat straight from the plant as we stroll around the garden! The skin is thin and the flesh is very juicy. We've found this treasure during a trip in Ontario, at a seed farm (Antique Edibles).   Package: 40 seeds