Tasty Evergreen Tomato
Item Details
(aka Evergreen) A favorite of Ben Quisenberry, a tomato collector from Syracuse, Ohio. Originally introduced by Gleckler Seedmen of Metamora, Ohio, in 1956. A green-when-ripe variety with medium-sized beefsteak fruits. Grapefruit yellow when fully ripe; flesh and gel remain green inside. Luscious and tender, strong sweet flavor. Very productive.
- 75 days from transplant
- Organic
- Very productive
- Green-when-ripe variety
- Medium size beefsteak fruits
- Fruits ripen to grapefruit yellow with green flesh
- Strong sweet flavor
This variety works for:
- Fresh eating
- Sauce
- Roasting
- Canning
Store your tomatoes at room temperature. The flavor and texture of tomatoes suffer when the fruit is chilled.
Heirloom tomatoes are bred for their flavor and simple preparation best allows that intense flavor to shine through. Tomatoes can be sliced and drizzled with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and salt and pepper or layer slices with basil and mozzarella for a Caprese salad.
Roasted tomatoes have a richer, concentrated flavor.
There are hundreds of salsa recipes to try and most are dramatically improved with the use of heirloom tomatoes. Tomatoes are also the main ingredient in Gazpacho, a cold soup that is perfect for summer.
Growing Instructions
Instructions - Sow seeds indoors ¼" deep. Tomatoes are sensitive to freezing temperatures, so wait to transplant outdoors until the soil is warm. Plant in full sun.
- Start Indoors: 6 weeks before last frost
- Germination: 7-14 Days
- Plant Outdoors: 24-36” Apart
- Support: Cage, stake, or trellis
Ratings & Reviews
5 reviews
Not A One
by Michael
Did not harvest one tomato off of four single stem plants.
A great tomato need not be red
by Scott
I started indoors from seed with great success. I'm in zone 4b, Minneapolis, MN, and I picked up these Seed Savers seeds from a local coop. I had so many varieties in 2020, I largely ignored these until I finally gave one a try. Tasty is right! Being green, it's hard to tell when ripe just eyeing your garden, so keep testing the feel, and look for them to be a good sized slicer with a bold and sweet flavor. Plants were fairly prolific but did succumb to blight, which I have a bit of trouble with in my soil. Most of my tomatoes do eventually get blight to one degree or another. I shared some Tasty Evergreen plants for a friend's garden who insisted they only liked red tomatoes (which I find silly). The friend was duly impressed in the end.
Ben was right... This one is the best!
by Peter G
I have been growing heirloom tomatos since the 80's and have tried every type, shape and color. Now perhaps the ghost on Ben Quisenberry haunts me, but this is my hands down favorite. Not that I don't love many others, but this is the perfect blend of flavors and acidity and the color when you slice it is to die for. It literally glows. (and it confuses the straights as well) Too many people think green tomatoes are ones you eat not ripe, or they are not safe or don't taste good etc... That's all wrong. This is just like any other, only it stays a green color when ripe. (with yellowish undertones) If well cared for the yields are good and it has never shown a tendency to any diseases or major year ending die offs. Try it, you'll be glad you did.
Not all tomatoes are created equal
by Samantha
This tomato made me realize I don’t hate tomatoes! Very mild tomato flavor, while still being very juicy and meaty, as a beefsteak variety. In the right conditions, this plant will perform very well. The first year (2019) I grew these, I had so many and didn’t feel like canning, so I threw them in the freezer and we are still using them. I am in zone 6b, so started indoors 8 weeks prior to our last frost and they have been prolific producers for the last two years. I love the yellowish-green they ripen to, they stand out beautifully among the reds and pinks in the tomato bed.
My Favorite Tomato
by Jennifer
I first ordered these seeds in 2017, along with many other heirloom tomato seeds. These Tasty Evergreens were, without a doubt, the best tasting tomato of the lot. They are flavorful while still being mild, not too acidic, and somehow have a hearty almost meaty flavor. I have recommended them to everyone over the years. I wouldn't say they are super prolific, but the tomatoes are large and delicious, and the highlight of tomato season for me.