The Amish Paste tomato is a popular variety used by gardeners and cooks for making sauces, pastes, and canned goods. This large, meaty fruit is known for its flavor and texture compared to commercial paste tomatoes. A common question among new growers is whether this cultivar qualifies as an heirloom variety. Understanding the criteria that define an heirloom tomato is key to classifying the Amish Paste.
Understanding Heirloom and Open-Pollinated Varieties
A tomato variety earns the designation of an heirloom when it meets two specific criteria: it must be an open-pollinated type, and its seed must have been passed down through multiple generations, generally for at least 50 years. Open-pollinated (OP) means the plants are pollinated naturally by wind, insects, or self-pollination, and the resulting seeds will grow true-to-type. This genetic stability allows gardeners to save the seeds from one season and grow the same tomato variety the following year.
This process stands in sharp contrast to modern F1 hybrid varieties, which are created by intentionally cross-pollinating two distinct parent lines. Although hybrids often offer desirable traits like increased uniformity or disease resistance, the seeds saved from a hybrid will not produce the same fruit in the next generation. Therefore, all true heirloom tomatoes are open-pollinated, but not all open-pollinated tomatoes are old enough to be considered heirlooms.
Characteristics of Amish Paste Tomatoes
The Amish Paste tomato is valued for its physical properties, which make it ideal for culinary processing. The fruit is large for a paste tomato, frequently weighing between six and twelve ounces, and its shape can vary from a deep plum to an elongated oxheart. Internally, the tomato possesses dense, meaty walls with a low moisture content and relatively few seeds. This composition is a major advantage when cooking down the fruit for thick sauces.
This pinkish-red tomato offers a rich, sweet-tart flavor profile that surpasses many modern paste varieties. Its texture and composition allow it to reduce quickly on the stove, yielding a concentrated, smooth sauce without the need for extensive straining or peeling. The combination of its size, texture, and flavor makes the Amish Paste a favorite for canning, purees, and gravies. The plant is an indeterminate type, meaning it will continue to grow and produce fruit throughout the entire season until the first frost.
The Historical Confirmation of Amish Paste’s Status
The historical record confirms that the Amish Paste is indeed a genuine heirloom variety, satisfying both the age and open-pollinated requirements. Its origins are traced back to the mid-1800s among Amish communities in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, or possibly in Wisconsin. The variety was preserved through the practice of seed saving, where generations of gardeners selected the best fruit and saved their seeds to plant the next year.
This continuous practice of selection and saving ensured the variety remained genetically stable and true-to-type. The Amish Paste tomato was introduced to a wider national audience in the 1980s when it was shared through the Seed Savers Exchange, an organization dedicated to preserving open-pollinated garden varieties. This documented history of cultivation and distribution firmly establishes the Amish Paste tomato as a confirmed heirloom.