{"title":"Low Acid Tomatoes","description":"\u003cp\u003eBacked by research from the USDA, the University of Florida, and others, these tomatoes have been shown to have significantly less acid than the average tomato variety.  For more info on acid levels in tomatoes, please visit our blog.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"rutgers","title":"Rutgers Tomato","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe Rutgers tomato is a beloved open-pollinated variety prized for its reliability and rich, old-fashioned flavor. Sturdy, indeterminate plants produce heavy, consistent harvests throughout the season, yielding uniform, round fruits that average 6-8 ounces each. Rutgers tomatoes ripen to a deep red color and boast an intense, classic tomato taste with a firm texture that holds up beautifully in canning, sauces, and salads.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eReleased in 1934, Rutgers was developed from a stabilized cross between Marglobe and J.T.D., an older variety from the Campbell Soup Company. The breeding work was carried out by Dr. Lyman G. Schermerhorn at the New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station. Originally bred for New Jersey’s tomato processing industry, Rutgers remained a popular choice through the mid-twentieth century, with several re-selections released over the years. These emerging strains have varied in growth habit and fruit characteristics, often trending toward more determinate plants and smaller, very firm tomatoes. The strain we offer stays truer to the original descriptions, featuring semi-determinate to indeterminate vines and larger, softer fruit.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThough it was eventually replaced in commercial production by newer processing varieties, the Rutgers tomato has retained a strong following among home gardeners, thanks to its robust yields, proven reliability, and familiar, homegrown taste. Many gardeners who grew up with parents or grandparents tending Rutgers plants still feel a special affection for this timeless favorite. If you’re looking for an all-around excellent tomato, Rutgers is a superb choice.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSemi-determinate. 75 days from transplant. Each packet contains a minimum of 50 seeds.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rutgers","offers":[{"title":"Packet (50 Seeds)","offer_id":44071992918265,"sku":"TO-SL-010","price":3.69,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0955\/4450\/products\/rutgers-tomato-seeds-38117385208057.jpg?v=1700328131"},{"product_id":"cherokee-purple-tomato","title":"Cherokee Purple Tomato","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe Cherokee Purple tomato is an heirloom rumored to have originated from the Cherokee tribe. Many gardeners would identify Cherokee Purple as the gateway heirloom leading them into their heirloom gardening addiction and it's easy to understand why.  These beautiful, uniquely colored, bursting-with-flavor tomatoes bring to attention the striking lack of diversity and absence of flavor that is our current selection of grocery store tomatoes.  With their deeply rich, sweet, and subtly smoky flavor, Cherokee Purple tomatoes are renowned by chefs and tomato connoisseurs alike.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIntroduced to Seed Savers Exchange in 1990, this now famous heirloom burst onto the scene with very little info in the way of historical provenance.  The seeds had been collected by John D. Green of Sevierville, Tennessee, who had received them from a woman who, in turn, had received them from a neighbor.  They had reportedly been grown by the neighbor's family for more than 100 years and the seeds were originally of Cherokee origin. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCherokee Purple's easy-to-grow, vigorous plants produce an abundance of deep purple tomatoes weighing up to one pound each.  Their juicy interiors are filled with an exceptional flavor that is full and complex with a sweet aftertaste.  Our strain was received courtesy of the USDA National Genetic Resources Program.  Indeterminate.  80 days from transplant.  50 seeds per packet.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Cherokee Purple","offers":[{"title":"Packet (50 Seeds)","offer_id":44071012827385,"sku":"TO-SL-026","price":3.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0955\/4450\/products\/cherokee-purple-heirloom-slicing-tomato-seeds-38268628730105.jpg?v=1700354762"},{"product_id":"japanese-trifele-black","title":"Japanese Black Trifele Tomato","description":"\u003cp\u003eJapanese Black Trifele is a Russian open-pollinated variety that produces excellent yields of 4 to 7-ounce, pear-shaped paste tomatoes.  Crack-resistant skins are a rich, deep red color sometimes with a darker cast over the stem end.  Indeterminate, potato-leaved plants produce prolifically, especially throughout fall.  The untranslated Russian name is Yaponskiy Trufel Chernyi.  80 days from transplant.  Each packet contains a minimum of 50 seeds.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Japanese Black Trifele","offers":[{"title":"Packet (50 Seeds)","offer_id":44071586136313,"sku":"TO-PA-005","price":3.69,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0955\/4450\/products\/japanese-trifele-black-heirloom-plum-tomato-seeds-38277596578041.jpg?v=1700350625"},{"product_id":"costoluto-genovese","title":"Costoluto Genovese Tomato","description":"\u003cp\u003eDating back to the 19th century, this popular Italian tomato has long been a favorite for both canning and slicing.  Costoluto Genovese's vigorous, indeterminate vines are steady producers of flattened, deeply ribbed tomatoes with glossy, vibrant red skins.  Uniquely shaped fruit have an intense, classic tomato flavor that is well-suited to sauce making.  We especially like them for making roasted pasta sauce.  A scientifically documented low-acid variety. Harvests begin 75 days after transplant and continue until the first frost.  A packet contains a minimum of 50 seeds.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Costoluto Genovese","offers":[{"title":"Packet (50 Seeds)","offer_id":44071074267385,"sku":"TO-SL-028","price":3.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0955\/4450\/products\/costoluto-genovese-heirloom-fluted-tomato-seeds-38277904269561.jpg?v=1700350457"},{"product_id":"hillbilly-tomato","title":"Hillbilly Tomato","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe Hillbilly Tomato, also known as \u003cem\u003eHillbilly Potato Leaf\u003c\/em\u003e, is an heirloom bicolor variety that produces beautiful, yellow tomatoes with fuchsia streaks emanating from the blossom end.  Named for its lush, dark green foliage that resembles that of a potato plant, Hillbilly Potato Leaf is a reliable and consistent producer of large tomatoes weighing around 1 pound each.  The fruit are very juicy and have an excellent, sweet flavor and measurably lower amounts of acidity.  A dependable, indeterminate tomato for the garden or homestead with steady yields all season long.  Harvests begin approximately 85 days after transplant.  Each packet contains a minimum of 50 seeds.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Hillbilly Potato Leaf","offers":[{"title":"Packet (50 Seeds)","offer_id":44071580565753,"sku":"TO-SL-031","price":3.69,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0955\/4450\/products\/hillbilly-potato-leaf-seeds-38298185105657.jpg?v=1700326518"},{"product_id":"san-marzano-heirloom-roma-tomato","title":"San Marzano Tomato","description":"\u003cp\u003eSan Marzano is a historic Italian heirloom traditionally grown in the volcanic soils surrounding Mount Vesuvius near Naples. Celebrated for generations as one of the finest Italian tomatoes for sauce, this elongated, thick-walled tomato has long been associated with classic Neapolitan cooking. After centuries of Italian cultivation, the beloved variety found its way into American gardens, becoming one of the parent lines used to develop the now-famous Roma tomato.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSan Marzano's tomatoes are slender and meaty with few seeds and balanced juice content, making them ideal for sauce, paste, and canning. Often cited as a low-acid tomato, San Marzano recorded one of the highest average pH readings (approximately 4.68) in a 1977 study comparing the acidity of common cultivars—making it one of the least acidic tomatoes in that particular trial.  Perhaps one of the many reasons why San Marzano remains one of the most popular heirloom paste tomatoes grown today. Matures approximately 80 days from transplant.  Each packet contains a minimum of 50 seeds.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"San Marzano","offers":[{"title":"Packet (50 Seeds)","offer_id":44071993508089,"sku":"TO-PA-006","price":3.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0955\/4450\/files\/san-marzano-heirloom-roma-tomato-seeds-39700039237881.jpg?v=1700358554"},{"product_id":"big-rainbow-tomato","title":"Big Rainbow Tomato","description":"\u003cp\u003eBig Rainbow is an old-fashioned heirloom that produces beautiful, bicolored tomatoes with a sweet, sometimes fruity flavor.  Among the most popular of the bicolored tomatoes, Big Rainbow features dense regular-leaved foliage that protects the fruit from sunscald and from becoming prematurely soft (a common affliction among bicolors).  The large fruit typically range from one to two pounds each with their golden undertones highlighted by pink blushing.  A mixture of smooth and ribbed fruit may be present on the same plant.  Interestingly, the blushing is most pronounced inside the ribs, which is curious because color development in plants is often enhanced by exposure to sunlight.  Whatever the mechanism, the color pattern of this variety is one of the more beautiful we've seen.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMuch debate surrounds bicolor tomatoes in the heirloom tomato community, with some disparaging their flavor as bland and others touting it as uniquely sweet and fruity.  Whatever side of the debate you fall on, there's no arguing that these tomatoes are truly unique in appearance, and that beauty serves as a useful tool in recruiting new gardeners to the heirloom tomato movement.  For those wishing to grow bicolor tomatoes, we strongly encourage you to give them a try.  However, one drawback that even we staunch defenders will concede is that their soft flesh doesn't keep well.  These beauties are best enjoyed straight out of the garden.  Big Rainbow matures approximately 80-85 days from transplant.  Each packet contains a minimum of 50 seeds.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Big Rainbow","offers":[{"title":"Packet (50 Seeds)","offer_id":45502886543609,"sku":"TO-SL-049","price":3.69,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0955\/4450\/files\/big-rainbow-tomato-seeds-43406733967609.jpg?v=1726788134"},{"product_id":"beefsteak-tomato","title":"Beefsteak Tomato","description":"\u003cp\u003eA true classic, the Beefsteak Tomato is an old-fashioned heirloom variety prized for its enormous, juicy red fruits that average 1–2 pounds each. Dating back to at least the late 1800s, this timeless tomato has long been a favorite in Northeastern gardens but performs beautifully across the entire country.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBeefsteak's vigorous, indeterminate vines produce heavy yields of meaty, flavorful tomatoes perfect for slicing, sandwiches, and summer salads. The fruit have soft skins that let you feel their heft and juice even before you slice into them—and those tender skins also make them easier to cut cleanly without crushing.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIf you’re looking for that quintessential, homegrown tomato flavor—rich, balanced, and bursting with juice—Beefsteak is the one that defines the name. A documented low-acid tomato.  Matures approximately 85 days after transplant. Each packet contains a minimum of 50 seeds.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Beefsteak","offers":[{"title":"Packet (25 Seeds)","offer_id":46918493536505,"sku":"TO-SL-056","price":3.69,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0955\/4450\/files\/beefsteak-tomato-seeds-1196499930.jpg?v=1761585650"},{"product_id":"german-johnson-tomato","title":"German Johnson Tomato","description":"\u003cp\u003eA beloved German tomato of Appalachian origin, the German Johnson is a highly productive, pink heirloom variety prized for its excellent yields and beautiful, meaty fruit. Believed to have originated in either North Carolina or Virginia, this old Southern favorite likely contributed to Ray Byle’s famous \u003cem\u003eMortgage Lifter\u003c\/em\u003e tomato.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePlants produce an abundance of large, 8–16 ounce pink fruits with well ripened shoulders and virtually no core—ideal for slicing, sandwiches, or fresh eating. The tomatoes have a mild, balanced flavor that’s juicy and low in acidity, making them one of the best all-purpose slicing types you can grow.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eExpect strong, indeterminate vines that thrive in a variety of climates and continue producing throughout the season. Matures in about 80 days from transplant.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"German Johnson","offers":[{"title":"Packet (25 Seeds)","offer_id":46918531842297,"sku":"TO-SL-055","price":3.69,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0955\/4450\/files\/german-johnson-tomato-seeds-1196499926.jpg?v=1761585569"}],"url":"https:\/\/www.threshseed.com\/collections\/low-acid-tomatoes.oembed","provider":"Thresh Seed Co.","version":"1.0","type":"link"}