Burpee's Long Keeper (Longkeeper) Tomato
Burpee's Long Keeper (Longkeeper) Tomato
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LongKeeper
(Burpee's Long Keeper)
78 days, semi-determinate — 'Long Keeper,' originally named 'Long-Keeper' and sometimes marketed as 'Longkeeper,' is a serious candidate for filling your extra garden space to provide good tasting, vine fresh, out of season tomatoes for your table. It has very unique ripening properties.
The fruit are harvested late in the season, just prior to your first frost, when they reach a light, orange-red color. The skin matures to a medium-red color with red flesh, when stored properly. Select only perfect, unblemished and undamaged fruit and store in a cool, dark place. Do not wrap them in paper but store so they are not touching. They will stay fresh in storage for six to twelve weeks.
Another method was sent to us by a gardening friend in Wyoming. She uprooted her plants before the first frost in September and hung them in her basement. Using this method, she enjoyed fresh tomatoes as they ripened on the vines all through the fall and well into winter. The picture she sent above was taken on January 5th and she noted that, "They taste so REAL."
'Long Keeper' was introduced by W. Atlee Burpee in 1891. Their 1892 seed annual described that it was bred by famed plant breeder and editor of "The Rural New Yorker," E. S. Carman." In 1890, Mr. Carman described it as follows:
"About thirteen years ago I raised all the kinds of Tomatoes popular at that time. Six of each were selected the same day, of apparently the same stage of maturity, and of a bright red color, as well as of the largest size and shapeliest form. These were kept in a darkened room until all were more or less decayed.
From the last one to decay I selected seeds, which were planted the next year. Careful selections have been made every year since, always with a view to increasing their longkeeping qualities, uniformity in shape, earliness in ripening, as well as the productiveness of the vines."
Each packet contains approximately 20 seeds.
From the last one to decay I selected seeds, which were planted the next year. Careful selections have been made every year since, always with a view to increasing their longkeeping qualities, uniformity in shape, earliness in ripening, as well as the productiveness of the vines."
Although the name or description of this variety refers to a modern company's name, the seed we are offering is in no way sourced from, "owned by" or connected with that company. The name is simply the historically accurate, common name for the variety giving credit to the seedsmen that originally released it.
Informational References:
- "Burpee's Farm Annual for 1892," W. A. Burpee, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
- "Biography of Elbert S. Carman," Seedsman Hall of Fame.
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