AAS-winning tomatoes

Looking to add something new to your indoor production? Consider these eight tomato varieties.

Tomato Pink Delicious

This early maturing tomato supports the trend of having heirloom look, flavor and texture with hybrid disease resistance and improved germination meaning it is much easier for home gardeners to grow. When grown next to the comparisons, this variety is definitely earlier with a higher yield and a uniform fruit size. The beautiful big fruits do not crack as much. What really sets this variety apart is the excellent flavor and a high Brix for a sweeter than normal pink tomato. Bonus: Much better disease resistance than controls in both the Southeast and Heartland regions.

Tomato Sunset Torch F1

You might just carry a lifelong torch for this cute new tomato. Sunset Torch has strong, dramatic striping from stem to tip. This is a vigorous grower and was the first to ripen in multiple regions. As one judge explains the appeal, “The open growth habit displays fruit that pleases the eye before reaching the mouth!” Overall better performance, less splitting, good yields, a mildly sweet, fruity flavor and disease resistance make this cutie a winner. Sunset-colored fruits are produced on easy-to-harvest trusses. High disease resistance to ToMV, Verticillium Wilt Va/Vd, Fusarium Wilt Races 1 and 2 and intermediate resistance to TYLCV and TSWV.

Tomato Purple Zebra F1

Purple Zebra tomato is a fun new addition to striped tomatoes, producing tomatoes that are rich with complex flavors and a moderately firm texture. Dark red fruits with green stripes and a deep mahogany red interior do not produce muddy coloration like other tomatoes of this type. The taste is sweet and acidic leaning to sweet. Overall, this tomato has a better taste and thinner skin than comparisons with excellent disease resistance. Judges in the know say this is a very marketable fruit for farmers’ market growers. High disease resistance to ToMV, Verticillium Wilt Va/Vd, Fusarium Wilt Race 1, Leaf Mold A-E, Late Blight PH2/PH3, and intermediate resistance to TYLCV and TSWV.

Tomato Galahad F1

Galahad is a brave new tomato variety that has a high level of Late Blight resistance because both parents are resistant. In this case, one plus one equals a very strong two. Galahad is a high-yielding, great tasting tomato that grows on a strong sturdy plant. Judges agreed that the sweet, meaty flavor is better than that of the comparison varieties and boasts of being crack resistant. Broad shoulders (just like Sir Galahad?) and large, clean fruits grow on a highly productive, disease-resistant plant. Certainly, a variety you’ll want to use in your battle for tomato greatness.

Tomato Buffalosun F1

All that an heirloom has to offer but better. Buffalosun shone in the trials with fruit that had a better texture than the comparisons (Margold and Striped German), a higher yield and less cracking. It also outlasted the comparisons when disease hit in late summer, notably thanks to its late blight resistance.

Tomato Apple Yellow F1

This AAS winner offers incredible garden performance, a uniquely dimpled apple-shaped fruit with a deliciously sweet citrusy taste and firm, meaty texture. Indeterminate 5’ tall vines produce abundantly in clusters, resulting in up to 1,000 fruits per plant. Judges were excited that a non-splitting, long-holding, uniformly shaped tomato had such good eating quality.

Tomato Crokini F1

This rockin’ winner has a very sweet (Brix of 8.5), light acidic taste giving it the perfect sweet/acid balance. Crokini’s round fruits are small and firm with a crunchy texture. This winner gets high marks for durability because fruits do not crack on the vine, yielding up to 10-12 fruits per cluster. Overall, the yield was better than comparisons because of the in-bred late blight resistance well into September.

Tomato Celano F1

Celano is a patio type grape tomato with a strong bushy habit. It is best grown with some support. This semi-determinate hybrid tomato is an early producer of sweet oblong fruits weighing about 0.6 oz. each. Plants grow to 40” in height and spread to 24” and have excellent late blight tolerance.

October 2022
Explore the October 2022 Issue

Check out more from this issue and find your next story to read.