Amish Paste

Described as somewhat seedier and sweeter than normal paste cultivars, with catalogs calling the flavor excellent and the flesh meaty and large for a sauce tomato. This is the recurring catalog and grower description, not a measured claim.

Traced to Amish communities, with one account placing its origin in the 1870s near Medford, Wisconsin. It was first distributed nationally in the 1987 edition of Seed Savers Magazine by Thane Earle.

• Indeterminate vine. It keeps growing and setting fruit right up to frost, so plan on a tall stake or cage and regular pruning through the season.
• Late to ripen, past 80 days, so it wants a long warm season or a head start indoors.
• A moderate grow, no special tricks but worth steady attention.
• Wants real summer warmth and is slow to set when nights stay cool.

Sold out, or after a change? The closest alternatives, and how they differ.

Romabut Roma is a smaller, determinate paste with milder flavorSan Marzanobut San Marzano is a classic Italian sauce plum with thicker, less seedy flesh

• Johnny's Selected Seeds
• Hudson Valley Seed Company

• How to Save Tomato Seeds From Your Best Plants
• Buried in Tomatoes? What to Do With a Mid-Summer Glut
• When Are Tomatoes Ripe? A Variety-by-Variety Guide
• Heirloom vs Hybrid Tomatoes

Is Amish Paste determinate or indeterminate?

Amish Paste is an indeterminate variety. Indeterminate vine. It keeps growing and setting fruit right up to frost, so plan on a tall stake or cage and regular pruning through the season.

How long does Amish Paste take to ripen?

Amish Paste ripens in about 85 days from transplant. Late to ripen, past 80 days, so it wants a long warm season or a head start indoors.

Is Amish Paste an heirloom or a hybrid?

Amish Paste is an heirloom, an open-pollinated variety with a documented history, so seed saved from it comes back true to type.

What can I grow instead of Amish Paste?

A close swap is Roma, but Roma is a smaller, determinate paste with milder flavor.