Tomato, Altai Orange (Organic)
Solanum lycopersicum. 65-70 days. Indet.
This gorgeous tomato was love at first sight when we trialed it – well, maybe it was love at first taste. And that wasn’t just because it was the first big tomato we tasted that season, although it was among the earliest to mature. Giant beefsteak fruit ripen early and shine like bright orange suns against the hedge of green tomato foliage and the underripe fruit of other, later varieties. Fruit is meaty with smooth texture, lightly fruity aroma, and relatively few seeds. With an average weight of 12 oz – 1 lb, they are large enough that a slice fills out an entire piece of bread, making it the perfect candidate for summer’s daily tomato sandwich. Resists cracking. With tomatoes you can often have two out of three: early maturity, great flavor, and large fruit. Somehow Altai Orange delivers on all three. Originally from Russia, Aka, Altaiskiy Oranzhevyi.
Sow indoors in flats with good potting soil as early as February, but no later than April. Keep warm and well-watered. Up pot seedlings into 4” pots once they have two true leaves. Transplant into the garden once danger of frost has passed.
Seed Saving
Collect seeds from ripe fruit by squeezing into a jar and add 25% more water. Wait a few days for mold to form. When seeds sink and gel-sac is gone, stir, add water, then decant and rinse to clean. Dry thoroughly. Tomatoes are mostly self-pollinating; isolation is not usually needed for seeds to be true to type.
bhoffman3 (verified owner) –
Where did you grow this variety? California
This was a standout among the few dozen tomatoes I trialed this year. While not especially prolific and a little bit late, the tomatoes had excellent smoky flavor, grew large, and the plants seemed more impervious to fungal infections than most tomatoes in a very cool, damp, and generally tough tomato year here in coastal norcal in 2025. Probably my favorite tomato for eating raw, a very rich, distinctive and savory flavor. Will definitely plant again.
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