Thank you to everyone who has participated in our Citizen Science Initiative! See the 2021 CSI data and 2022 CSI DATA.
What is an "heirloom" tomato? There is no legal definition of an heirloom cultivar. Anyone can call anything an heirloom if they want to. However, we loosely define an heirloom as "old" and open pollinated (i.e. seeds from the fruit breed true). Everyone loves the taste of their favorite "heirloom" tomato. But let's be honest, heirlooms are really cultivars that have been superseded by something better. Passionate individuals save these cultivars because they have great flavor. They are willing to put up with plants that have low yield or are susceptible to multiple diseases because the fruit have fabulous taste or are visually appealing.
We've taken a step back to explore the natural diversity in heirloom tomatoes in order to understand the chemistry of a great tasting tomato. We've grown hundreds of them – some going back to the 19th Century. Kind people have sent us seeds of cultivars they love. Others we've purchased from various sources. In our large-scale consumer trials, many do not do well. Some don't give us enough fruit for 100 people to taste them. A few even leave us wondering why someone bothered to save them at all, but a few just shine. They make you realize what a tomato should taste like. Inevitably, the plants aren't easy to grow, so we asked ourselves whether we could capture the best of both worlds - flavor and performance. The answer to that question is an emphatic yes.
We screened hundreds of heirloom tomatoes, using a large consumer taste panel run by our colleagues in the UF Food Science & Human Nutrition department to identify the varieties with the best taste. We screened modern lines that have high productivity and shelf life, but just didn't excite our taste buds. We produced and extensively tested dozens of hybrids for performance and flavor. The taste panels told us that they were just as good or even better than the heirloom parents. Yields far exceed those of the heirlooms in our North Florida fields. While yields are not quite good enough for large scale commercial producers to adopt them, they are ideally suited for home gardeners. Heirloom taste without the heirloom challenges. We think they epitomize what breeders call hybrid vigor; the best of both worlds. They're not true "heirlooms" and yes, because they’re hybrids, you will need to buy new seeds each year. We hope that you'll think they are worth it.
Want to get seeds? Choose to donate to our project and become a part of the data collection.
Please note that we cannot send seeds to Australia, New Zealand or Germany due to customs restrictions. Please allow a minimum of 2 weeks for delivery in the continental United States, since a week can pass between the time a donation is made and we receive your information.
Donate to Our Citizen Science Initiative
For a minimum $15 donation, you will receive Improved Garden Gem, Improved Garden Treasure, Improved Garden Ruby, and Improved BW Hybrid.
This cultivar produces massive numbers of delicious oval fruits that average 50 grams (2-2.5 ounces). Taste panels rated it statistically identical to its heirloom parent with twice the yield. It is an early producer, giving ripe fruits about 60-65 days after transplanting. Its size makes it perfect for salads or just popping in your mouth. And it really shines in marinara. The personal chef for the University of Florida, Dean Cacciatore, produced a sauce that blew away high-end $9 a jar commercial sauces in a consumer preference panel. This is truly a versatile tomato. Over the last five years it has consistently been the most popular of our three releases.
This plant is indeterminate, producing large round, red 8 oz fruits right up to frost. The first fruits ripen about 70-75 days after transplanting. Plants are resistant to gray leaf spot, Fusarium wilt Races 1 & 2, and Phytophthora Races 2 & 3.
This plant is determinate, producing abundant large round deep red 6-ounce fruits. The first fruits ripen about 70-75 days after transplanting. The plants are resistant to gray leaf spot, Fusarium wilt Races 1 & 2, and Phytophthora (late blight) Races 2 & 3.
This plant is indeterminate, producing a large amount of red eight ounce fruit over 5-6 weeks. It’s a late bearer with first fruits ripening 90-100 days after transplanting. Plants are resistant to gray leaf spot and Fusarium wilt Races 1 and 2, and Phythophora Race 2 &3. This fruit also has exceptional flavor, ranking similarly to Garden Gem in taste panels.
We have distributed our first hybrids to over 14,000 individuals in all 50 U.S. states and over 40 countries since 2015. Many of you have provided us with your evaluations and the feedback has been both immensely useful and incredibly rewarding. That feedback made us realize that we should be using this network of gardeners to help us develop even better hybrids. We’re excited to launch a new program to evaluate the next generation of varieties. We love them but they haven't been widely grown outside of Florida. We want you to participate in our citizen science initiative. Become an amateur horticulturist and help us evaluate our best candidates.
In order to submit data, you will visit an online survey and enter a password that you will receive through email where you can then enter your results from the season. If you prefer, you can print out the Data Collection Sheet Example and mail it to us at the address below:
By submitting your data, you will be able to tell us how our varieties did in your part of the world. We’ll use that information to decide whether each variety deserves to be released. If the variety is popular enough to be released, you can suggest a name and vote in a naming contest.
First and foremost, we want to acknowledge the support of the National Science Foundation that was essential in putting together the framework of this citizen science initiative. Educating our citizens about the importance of science in our lives has long been a part of their mission and we’re excited to involve you in our work. To support the recurring costs of making and distributing the seeds, we ask for a $10 donation. Every penny goes back into our research and your donation is tax deductible. Because these varieties are experimental and not yet released, we have to ask that you agree to certain terms before you can make your donation. In a nutshell, the agreement says you won’t sell the material, and you won’t use it in your own breeding program. UF requires that we have this agreement to maintain ownership of our varieties. You can still plant extra seeds and give them to your friends. In fact, the more data you and your friends and relatives can generate, the better the experiment.
