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Amish Paste

Amish Paste Stats

Height: 48 - 72" (1.22-1.83 m)
Plant Spacing: 24 - 36" (0.61-0.91 m)
Row Spacing: 36 - 72" (0.91-1.83 m)
Days to Maturity: 69 - 85
Growing Habit: Indeterminate
Sun: Full Sun
Color: Orange, Pink, Red
Size: Medium
Shape: Medium
Genetic Type: Heirloom
Variety Type: Paste/Canning, Slicers
Disease Resistance: N/A

Common Uses

Sauces, tomato paste, salsa, common salad ingredient, can be eaten fresh

Other Names

N/A

Information for Amish Paste

The Amish Paste tomato is an open-pollinated, heirloom type of plum tomato. Although it was believed that this type of tomato was discovered in Pennsylvania's Amish country of Lancaster, it actually originated in Wisconsin's city of Medford.

This variety of tomato was developed for its useful purposes: It is bred for processing, packing, and making paste and sauces. Amish Paste tomato became popular when Tom Hauch of the Heirloom Seeds organization brought its seeds from Lancaster's tomato farms in Pennsylvania.

In 1987, Thane Earle of Whitewater, Wisconsin of the Seed Savers Exchange, a non-profit organization that focuses on the preservation of heirloom tomato plants, first distributed it to be cultivated all over the country.

An Amish Paste tomato appears oval in shape with a tear-drop like semblance. It features a shiny pinkish to reddish color that turns red-orange when very ripe. It has fewer seeds compared to regular round tomatoes and has a high solid content that makes it ideal for processing.

The Amish Paste plant has an indeterminate growing habit. It's a perennial plant that thrives in temperate climates. The bright red fruits are exposed under full sunlight because of its sparse foliage, making them susceptible to cracking and sunscald. In fact, high temperatures cause the Amish Paste plants to droop.

Although Amish Paste tomatoes are preferred cooked and mixed with other ingredients, their taste is sweet and juicy when eaten fresh. It has a balance of acidity and sweetness that comes from their firm, meaty texture. Amish Paste tomatoes are often picked by cooks for use since they are usually manageable and readily available in stores even during tomato off-seasons. Some consider the tomato too moist to use for sauce and it is often preferred sliced.

Usually, Amish Paste tomatoes are often grown in various parts of the United States. California, Kentucky, and Pennsylvania are major producers of this type of tomato. They are easily found fresh or canned in most supermarkets and grocery stores nationwide.


Photo Credit: vigilant20
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