Dester Tomato
Price: $3.95
SKU: 340291192 days, indeterminate — The regular leaf plants of 'Dester' produce large (six to twenty-four ounce), pink, beefsteak-type, oblate shaped fruit. It is an excellent, tasty slicing tomato.
Its history is one that was fun to research. Like all true heirlooms, that is, varieties that families have grown, protected and handed down through the generations, 'Dester's' story revealed the life of a very interesting man.
Its name is a tribute to the late Dr. Herbert Edgar Dester, M.D. of Berne, Indiana. He was many things; a medical doctor (from 1926 to 1974),[3] a devout Christian, and a Mennonite missionary to India (providing medical missionary services).[1]
The story behind his tomato is that the variety originated in Germany and was brought to America by Dr. Dester's ancestors. Sometime in the 1970s it was shared with the Dester's Amish housekeeper, Anna. She eventually relocated with her community to Missouri and continued to raise the variety there. At some point, Anna gave it to a local farmer, Larry Pierce, who then submitted it to the SSE. We received it from our friend and heirloom tomato collector, Dr. Carolyn Male (NY MA C) in the winter of 2014.
Each packet contains approximately 20 seeds.
Fruit Color: Purple
Special Groups: "Epic" Tomatoes
Harvest Timing: Late Season
Sources:
- The Freeman Courier, Freeman, South Dakota, February 27, 1947.
- The Mennonite Library and Archives, Photo Collection.
- LicenseDirect.com - Dr. Dester's medical license file.
Customer Reviews:
By Brian Mitchell on September 24, 2021
Dester puts out large, pink fruit that averaged about 12+ ounces in weight (though growers with better conditions than I have should see even larger tomatoes). They are lightly ribbed at the shoulders and very slightly oblate. The interior flesh is very meaty with small seed locules. For me, this makes Dester ideal for sandwiches as the slices hold their shape. And the flavor... simply put, is excellent, intense, and balanced. This is one variety that with will certainly be placed into my personal rotation. Highly recommended.
By Shawn Conant on January 9, 2018
I grow hundreds of varieties each year, and one must be consistently wonderful to make my must-grow list. Dester easily earns its place on that list. It is a solid, reeliable producer of attractive fruits, but more importantly they always taste wonderful, never bland or mealy. If I want a BLT, I find a Dester.
