Jersey Devil - Heirloom Tomato

Once upon a time, New Jersey was the heart of tomato country. Really.  As concrete took over the state, this local favorite almost disappeared, a loss for tomato lovers everywhere.

Jersey Devil is a paste tomato shaped like a chili pepper. The 5" red fruits are meaty with few seeds and have a wonderful flavor. They're perfect for canning, sauce or salsa, and are also great for sandwiches. Sliced lengthwise, they fit perfectly on a slice a bread.

Plants are extremely prolific producing a heavy crop over a long season, and they sail right through the heat and drought of late summer without complaining.

This once-variety is now rare in cultivation, but its versatility, practicality, and peculiar appearance kept it a favorite among obscure tomato collectors. Seeds are still scarce, but this winner is overdue for a comeback. Indeterminate. 90 days.

Germination:

Thoroughly moisten your seed-starting mix, and then fill your pots/containers to within 1/2" of the top.

Place two or three seeds into each small container or each cell of a seed starter. Cover the seed with about 1/4" of soil.

Water to ensure good seed-to-mix contact. You can use a plant mister or just dribble a stream of water over the top. You don't need to soak the soil, just moisten the top layer.
(You don't want to heavily water and "push" seeds to deep that they can't germinate.)

Keep the mix moist but not soaking wet. Lay some plastic kitchen wrap and a rubber band over pots to keep in heat and moisture.

Place the pots in a warm, sunny spot or on top of a heat mat. (Seeds won't germinate until the soil itself is 75-80 degrees.)

Check pots daily. As soon as you see sprouts, remove the covering and place the pots in a sunny window or under grow lights, keeping the lights just an inch or two above the tops of the plants.

15 seeds