Rutgers offers seeds for juicier tomato
Nothing says New Jersey like a plump homegrown tomato. Researchers at Rutgers University say they have perfected an improved and juicier version, not found in supermarkets, that will delight discerning taste buds of tomato lovers.
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Nothing says New Jersey like a plump homegrown tomato.
Researchers at Rutgers University say they have perfected an improved and juicier version, not found in supermarkets, that will delight discerning taste buds of tomato lovers.
Home gardeners have a chance this spring to grow a new version of the famous, classic "Rutgers" variety, which became synonymous with the Jersey tomato for decades after it was released to the public in 1934.
The Rutgers New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station (NJAES) in Cumberland County has released the new "Rutgers 250" tomato seeds for sale.
The Rutgers 250 tomato will add a burst of flavor and juiciness to salads and sandwiches, researchers say. It has the perfect balance of sweetness and acidity, they say.
"It's what you think of when you think back to the tomatoes you had when you were younger, and they came right off the vine into your house and you cut into them, and they were red and the flavor was bursting," horticulturist Tom Orton told Rutgers Today, a university newsletter.
Orton and a team of researchers have spent years breeding a better version of the Jersey tomato, cross-pollinating, cultivating, and evaluating the fruit of 230 "breeding lines."
"I truly believe this is a better tomato," Orton said Wednesday. "It's an old-time tomato with a modern quality."
Researchers believe they have met their goal to create a more modern tomato that has the structure and firmness of the fruit and a taste that says Jersey.
"The Rutgers 250 has that traditional Jersey tomato flavor with a little bit of bite and complexity," Peter Nitzsche, an associate professor and agricultural agent for the Rutgers Cooperative Extension, told Rutgers Today. "We are hoping it mimics the same flavor people remember from the original Rutgers tomato, but from a new variety with a better plant and fruit quality."
The new variety was named Rutgers 250 in celebration of the university's 250th anniversary this year. Researchers held blind taste tests to narrow their choice from three finalists.
A limited supply of about 2,000 seed packets of the new Rutgers 250 are available this year for purchase. Packets start at $3 each. There is a limit of one packet per order.
"We're probably going to sell out," Orton said. "The response has been very strong and may be even overwhelming."
Anticipating a sellout, Rutgers decided to offer a nearly identical second new tomato variety, the Rutgers250 Schermerhorn (named for Lyman Schermerhorn, the breeder of the original Rutgers tomato).
Rutgers 250 seeds will be more widely available for sale next spring. Researchers also are working on a new version of the new Rutgers tomato for large-scale commercial farmers that should be ready in 2018.
For more information on how to order the Rutgers 250 tomato seeds, visit: http://bit.ly/1QdQeSA
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