Tomato – ‘Thorburns Terra Cotta’

Description

I am so pleased to be able to offer this hard to find heirloom! This unique tomato was a real thrill to grow with its gorgeous glow and simply outstanding flavours!  Highly recommended! Makes a really interesting coloured (in a good way) sauce especially mixed in with some darker coloured varieties and looks stunning on a mixed tomato plate, sliced to show off its colours. The tomatoes are a small slicer, not as large as a beefsteak, at least  not in my garden this past year.

“Incredible flavour, colour and history! Introduced in 1893 by James Thorburn of New York, this is one of the most sensational tomatoes we have ever grown. With honey-brown skin, orange-pink flesh, and green seed mass, this is an eye-catching slicer with an out-of-this-world flavor. The tomato produces heavily during mid-season and then drops off quickly once cool weather sets in. As a cooker it will yield a pumpkin-orange sauce with a floral aroma. We are excited to have this tomato that was painted in colour in Thorburn’s 1893 catalogue.  From the collection of Dr. William Woys Weaver.”

“The Terracotta was first advertised in the 1893 JM Thorburn & Company seed catalogue. It resulted from a cross between other tomato hybrids developed by the grower. The “grandmother” variety was “Peach,” a fuzzy, orange tomato. It was crossed with a number of other favourites, and a subsequent cross of the best of the hybrids produced Terracotta.
Thorburn’s terracotta tomato plant is one to consider for your veggie garden. It’s a super-productive vine that grows golden-brown tomatoes, a very unusual shade. The skin doesn’t shine at all, but is lustreless and slightly downy like grandmother “Peach.” The form of Thorburn’s terracotta tomato is unusual as well. Don’t expect to see deep lobes or seams in this fruit. Rather, look for gentle waves in the tomato surface.
Of course, that’s not the sole way in which this heritage tomato is unique. When you slice a Terracotta, you’ll find the inside looks different from any other tomato you’ve ever seen. The seeds are all located just below the skin. Once you get beyond the pulp cell layer that holds the seeds, you come to the centre of the fruit. It’s solid, tender flesh so mild that it’s delicious raw. But it’s fun to cook too, since it turns a sauce into a pumpkin orange.”
“Amazing flavor and flair. A real winner! With a rich and sweet flavor, Terra-Cotta is great as a slicer or cooker. It is also a looker: copper brown skin, pink flesh, and shimmering green innards. A big producer in the early season, this was one of the first slicing varieties to ripen in the field. This beautiful heirloom was first introduced in 1893 in full colour on the cover of the J.M. Thorburn & Company seed catalogue in New York. This variety was revived by William Woys Weaver after he received seed from a lecture attendee in South Jersey in the early 1990s.
Days to maturity: 75

approx 30 seeds