Harrowsmith Jr. – Emma’s Tomato Patch

I first grew Reisetomate in the summer of 2017, and it quickly became one of my favourites. Why was it one of my favourites? Because it surprised me. I didn’t expect this tomato to look the way it did. It’s always great to find an unfamiliar wonder in your garden, and this tomato came as a complete surprise. No Knife Required This glossy, weird beauty of a tomato looks like a whole bunch of red cherry tomatoes fused together. You can rip off a section, no knife required. How’s that for a picnic? Sometimes the segments don’t all ripen at the same time, so you can enjoy each segment when it’s ready, and not have to wait for the whole thing to ripen. The name comes from when people used to take this tomato along on their travels, pulling off pieces as needed. The name, Reisetomate, is German, “reise” meaning travel. In Spanish, it’s known as De Viajero, which means journey tomato. In the Kitchen It’s a super-juicy tomato. Seedy too. It won’t be winning any awards for sweetness – it just might for its unique ugliness! – it has a tangy flavour, making it good for sauces. And it’s […]

By Emma Biggs

No Knife Required

This glossy, weird beauty of a tomato looks like a whole bunch of red cherry tomatoes fused together. You can rip off a section, no knife required. How’s that for a picnic?

Sometimes the segments don’t all ripen at the same time, so you can enjoy each segment when it’s ready, and not have to wait for the whole thing to ripen.

The name comes from when people used to take this tomato along on their travels, pulling off pieces as needed. The name, Reisetomate, is German, “reise” meaning travel. In Spanish, it’s known as De Viajero, which means journey tomato.

In the Kitchen

It’s a super-juicy tomato. Seedy too. It won’t be winning any awards for sweetness – it just might for its unique ugliness! – it has a tangy flavour, making it good for sauces. And it’s great for impressing guests and friends. Don’t forget, next time you decide to go for a hike, take one of these along for a snack.

Grow Your Own!

I got the seeds for this tomato from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds I love this seed company because they have so many unique varieties. They also have a great seed catalogue called the ‘Whole Seed Catalogue’.

Emma Biggs

Emma Biggs is a gardener and garden communicator who has raised over 130 tomato varieties. Her Toronto garden is the source of many of her stories and the produce that she sells in her neighbourhood. She hosts kids gardening videos and her latest book, Gardening with Emma, helps kids and adults find the fun in growing.

www.emmabiggs.ca