Yellow Brandywine Tomato

Tuesday, 08 September 2009 12:18

With all of the Brandywine Tomato varieties, or rather tomatoes carrying the name of "Brandywine", there is a lot of confusion about the varying Brandywine Tomatoes and their origin. The Yellow Brandywine Tomato is often regarded as being a yellow version of the famous Brandywine Tomato and is often regarded as being an old Amish heirloom variety.   However, according to heirloom tomato specialist and author of  "101 Heirloom Tomatoes For The American Garden", Dr. Carolyn Male (pers. com.), contrary to what is often reported, Yellow Brandywine has no Amish roots and is not related to the traditional Brandywine Tomato variety. She goes on to say that the tomato was originally sourced in Ohio.   To go further in depth, tomato enthusiast Craig LeHoullier has written an article entitled: "Brandywine and Company: What We Know and What We Don’t (One Person’s Opinion)", (available on the web at Victory Seeds excellent site if you click here. And you'll be glad you read it too. Be sure to check out their excellent seed range, as well.).   LeHoullier states that he: "received seeds of Yellow Brandywine from Barbara Lund of Ohio in 1991 (who) claims (that) she received the variety from Charles Knoy of Indiana. I sent this variety to Rob Johnston, and that is the strain carried by Johnny’s Selected Seed." He goes on to note that during his research in old seed catalogues, the only tomato variety that he found that was similar to this Yellow Brandywine Tomato was a variety introduced by the famous seedsman Peter Henderson in 1890 which Henderson named the "Shah Tomato". Shah was a golden yellow colored sport of a popular tomato variety known as The Mikado. Whether Yellow Brandywine and Shah are one and the same tomato still remains to be seen and this is likely unmeasurable. This then, is the basic history of the Yellow Brandywine Tomato, in that contrary to what is often said of it, the variety appeared on the scene only a decade ago and has no known Amish roots. But that's history, for you! (It should also be noted that there is another type of Yellow Brandywine that is commonly referred to as the "Platfoot Strain" which is of a different origin than the latter.) The strain of Yellow Brandywine that we offer is one and the same as described by LeHoullier. In 2005, we also hope to offer seeds of the Platfoot Strain so that our many customers can grow these two side by side and choose their favorite. Yellow Brandywine is a large yellow beefsteak type tomato with an excellent flavor and a creamy texture that reaches weights from 1 to 2 pounds. These nice yellow tomatoes are produced in adequate numbers upon an Indeterminate vine which features potato type leaves. The plants are hardy and do exceptionally well in climates subject to drought.   Indeterminate. Matures about 100 days. Go to table of tomato varietes