No. 010 · heirloom
Mortgage Lifter
Mortgage Lifter is an indeterminate heirloom beefsteak with pinkish red fruit. It ripens in about 80 days.
Flavor
Described in catalogs and growing guides as mild and sweet, with rich flavor when fully ripe and a meaty texture. Flavor is subjective, so treat this as the recurring catalog and grower description rather than a measured fact for your garden.
Origin
The story goes that M.C. Byles, known as Radiator Charlie, of Logan, West Virginia developed it in the 1930s by crossing four tomatoes over several years, then sold the plants for enough to pay off his mortgage. Wikipedia notes a separate cultivar of the same name was registered by William Estler of Barboursville, West Virginia in 1932, so the name has more than one claim.
What it does well
- Very large meaty fruit
- Few seeds and good slicing texture
- Sets fruit continuously through the season
Where it frustrates
- Tall vines of 7 to 9 feet need sturdy support
- Large fruit can be slow to ripen
- Excess nitrogen promotes foliage over fruit
Like Mortgage Lifter, but...
Sold out, or after a change? The closest alternatives, and how they differ.
Where to buy seed
Sources
- Mortgage Lifter · Wikipedia
- Mortgage Lifter Tomato (Heirloom, 77 Days) · Pinetree Garden Seeds
- Growing Mortgage Lifter Tomatoes · Gardening Know How