Although it’s easy to tell that it’s a tomato, describing its color is much more complicated. Its color varies depending on growing conditions—the fruit takes on slightly different shades when grown under cover versus in open fields. A ripe tomato can feature a mix of red, mahogany, brown, and even shades of green, which means a single fruit displays many colors at once. Within a cluster, the fruits may vary in color, making it difficult to describe them unambiguously. It may not be a striking, dazzling appearance, but it is definitely intriguing. The skin of the fruit is thin, and its shape resembles that of
Amish Paste or the elongated fruits of
Opalka and
Lima. These tomatoes have a high dry matter content, making them ideal for canning. Additionally, the plant is characterized by exceptionally high yields. It is a dwarf variety that can be grown both on a trellis and as a ground-cover plant. The fruits ripen approximately 75 days after transplanting.
Dwarf Almandine was selected by Susan Oliverson from the Leggy breeding family as part of the Dwarf Tomato Project. This is a modern effort to combine a compact plant with an elongated, fleshy fruit.
