The Authentic Jersey Tomato Seed Collection
The Authentic Jersey Tomato Seed Collection is a collection of tomatoes that were either bred, or introduced in New Jersey.
As the tomato canning industry grew, and Campbell’s Soup introduced condensed soup and built a market for it, the beefsteak tomato took a back seat to the need for a prolific, tasty, and early tomato.
Campbell’s with their experimental farm in Riverton, NJ, along with Rutgers University, and a few seed companies and tomato breeders, all contributed to local tomato biodiversity. The USDA got into the game and so did seed companies outside of Jersey.
This collection of seeds are a tribute to the history and the effort put forth, and is a tool for preserving the biodiversity of this iconic food.
Campbells 146
Let’s kick it off with the tomato that was likely in the cans that Warhol painted in 1962. Developed and introduced in the mid 1950’s, this tomato is tasty, prolific and deserves it place as the tomato that elevated the grilled cheese and tomato soup meal to its iconic comfort food status.
https://www.fedcoseeds.com/seeds/kc-146-organic-slicing-tomato-4052
Jersey Giant
This tomato was very rare earlier in the decade of 2010, but has been rediscovered by seed savers and growers. It’s still endangered, and should be grown out for the sake of preserving it.
Seed source:
https://www.tomatofest.com/Jersey_Giant_Paste_Heirloom_Tomato_Seeds_p/tf-0271g.htm
Rutgers
Developed by the NJ Agricultural Experiment Station in 1928, rereleased in 1943, what exists today -- Is a cross between Mariglobe and J.T.D. named for John Thompson Dorrance who invented the condensed soup.
Wonderful tomato, very prolific, closer to a bush variety
Seed source;
J.T.D - http://www.victoryseeds.com/tomato_jtd.html
Rutgers - http://www.victoryseeds.com/tomato_rutgers.html
Rutgers seeds are available from many seed sources,
Maule’s Success
Released in 1900
Seed source;
http://www.victoryseeds.com/tomato_maules-success.html
Golden Jubilee Tomato
Introduced in 1947, a yellow-orange tomato introduced by the Maule Seed Company of Philadelphia. Maule's seed farm was in Newfield, New Jersey.
Seed source;
http://www.ufseeds.com/Golden-Jubilee-Tomatoes.item
Marglobe
Stokes's catalog from 1926 boasts:
Our firm had the great honor of Ieading the commercial development of MargIobe -- Our present acreage for seed, although unusually heavy, it will scarcely be equal to the demands that are being made upon it. Advance sales are unprecedented.
Developed in 1917 by the USDA, and released in 1925 and is a parent for a lot of other varieties. It has strong disease resistance. Stokes Seed Company at the time they developed the Marglobe was in Moorestown, New Jersey.
Seed source;
http://www.victoryseeds.com/tomato_marglobe.html
Earliana
A very early tomato, developed by George Sparks of Salem, NJ and introduced in 1900 by Johnson and Stokes
Seed source;
https://www.victoryseeds.com/tomato_earliana.html
June Pink
A pink version of Earliana
Seed source;
https://www.tomatofest.com/June_Pink_Tomato_Seeds_p/tf-0273k.htm
Box Care Willie
Late season beefsteak, red/ orange color. Starts growing slow, 10 oz fruits. Very flavorful.
Seed source;
https://www.tomatofest.com/Boxcar_Willie_Tomato_Seeds_p/tf-0075.htm
Red Barn
Large red, beefsteak, very rare
Seed source;
https://www.restorationseeds.com/products/red-barn-tomato
Mule Team
Prolific with a long season
Seed source;
https://www.totallytomato.com/product/T00509/85
Big Zac
A pink tomato bred for its size can grow 4 pounds to 6 pounds, and still taste very good bred by Minnie Zaccaria.
Seed source;
https://seedsnsuch.com/products/big-zac-hybrid-tomato-seeds
Valiant
A variety developed by Stokes Seed Company in the 1930s.
Seed source, click the link, scroll down to the bottom of the page:
https://www.sandhillpreservation.com/red-tomatoesl
Purple Brandywine
Introduced in 1995, it's a stable cross of Brandywine and Marizol Purple.
Seed source;
https://www.tomatofest.com/Brandywine_Purple_p/tf-0082.htm
Jersey Devil
Paste type that was developed by Martin Sloan in Metuchen, NJ by the selecting process from seeds from tomatoes that a coworker brought in. The tomatoes were from one plant. Martin saved the seeds, grew and stabilized them. He released them in the early ‘80s through his The Tomato Seed Company,
Seed source:
https://www.tomatofest.com/Jersey_Devil_Tomato_Seeds_p/tf-0271d.htm
Trucker's Favorite
Originated in Burlington County, New Jersey by Burpee.
From Burpee's 1899 catalog:
The best of all main-crop purple-colored tomatoes. It originated in Burlington County, N.J."It is one of the largest tomatoes grown, and is most regular in shape and size. Color purplish-red, very solid, firm flesh, a good keeper, and not subject to rot or crack on the vines. It is an excellent shipper, and sold in Philadelphia markets at better prices than any other variety offered at the same time. Ripens evenly to the stem, is a strong, healthy grower, not subject to rust or blight, is an enormous cropper, and produces until the vines are killed by frost, holding its size exceedingly well until the last picking. The quality is of the very best, and for cooking and slicing purpose it cannot be excelled. It is in every way a most desirable variety for market gardeners, and hence the name, 'Trucker's Favorite'. ".
Seed source;
https://www.victoryseeds.com/tomato_truckers-favorite.html
White Rabbit
A small, currant type white tomato.
Seed source;
https://www.tomatofest.com/White_Rabbit_Tomato_Seeds_p/tf-0518.htm
Ramapo Tomato
A flavorful tomato introduced by Rutgers in 1968. Rutgers controls the distribution of the seeds.
Scroll down to order form.
https://breeding.rutgers.edu/tomatoes/
While not a variety developed locally, this tomato is a historic variety worth including on this list. Imagine if these plants were grown continually in New Jersey since 1870.
Paragon
Introduced in 1870 by the Livingston Seed Company of Ohio, Paragon was a mainstay of the NJ tomato industry.
Seed source;
https://www.tomatofest.com/Paragon_Livingston_Heirloom_Tomato_Seeds_p/tf-0371.htm