Paul Robeson Heirloom Tomato
How to Grow and Eat Pretty Black Heritage Tomatoes
A smoky-sweet beefsteak heirloom tomato originating from Russia, Paul Robeson is a wonderful choice for Northern vegetable gardeners.
Named for the renowned human rights activist and opera signer, the heritage tomato Paul Robeson is a medium-sized black tomato. Developed in Russia, this tomato is recommended for vegetable gardeners in northern growing regions. Many seed catalogs declare that the fruit produced on Paul Robeson plants reach a size of seven to ten ounces, reaching roughly four inches in diameter.
Paul Robeson is an indeterminate tomato variety, which means that the plants will grow vines and continue to grow taller as the gardening season progresses. Without pruning, the plant will continue to grow longer. To allow the plant to focus on growing higher yields of fruit, pinch the suckers on the tomato vine, and stake the plant well.
Says Gary Ibsen, owner of TomatoFest® Garden Seeds and grower of 600 varieties of heritage tomatoes, "The purple/black colored heirloom tomatoes continue to rise in popularity at produce markets, with restaurant chefs, and with home gardeners for 5th year in a row.” An extremely popular variety in the heirloom tomato world, Paul Robeson made an appearance on the list of “Top Ten Heirloom Tomatoes of 2008” released by TomatoFest®. Indeed, three out of ten tomatoes on this 2008 list were of the black/purple variety.
Organizations such as Seeds of Diversity encourage gardeners to grow heirloom vegetables, including tomatoes such as Paul Robeson. These organizations have made it their mission to search out heirloom and endangered varieties, and to encourage and enable gardeners to grow these varieties in order to preserve them.
How to Grow Paul Robeson Tomatoes from Seed
Growing heirloom tomatoes from seed is not a difficult task, even for beginner vegetable gardeners. Sow Paul Robeson tomato seed indoors 4 to 6 weeks before the last frost. Seeds should be sown in the seed starting medium of choice 1/4” deep, placed in a seed starting tray and covered with a plastic dome or plastic cling film in a warm room out of direct sunlight until seedlings emerge. Use of a heating mat designed for seed starting may be useful in cooler climates.
When the Paul Robeson seedlings begin to emerge, remove the plastic cover and position the tray under a fluorescent light, 1 to 2” above the seedling. As the seedlings grow, keep the light about an inch from the top of the growing leaves. Regular fluorescent shop bulbs work just fine. After the first set of true leaves appears, fertilize the seedlings weekly with a diluted solution of 20-20-20 fertilizer. Transplant the seedlings into larger pots, if necessary, to facilitate root growth.
Young Paul Robeson tomato seedlings will need to be introduced gradually to the outdoor weather and sunshine, or they may be burned. Set the seedlings out for an hour or two at first, in filtered sunlight, and sheltered from the wind. Increase the time the seedlings spend outdoors each day, allowing them a chance to become accustomed to outdoor growing conditions.
How to Eat Paul Robeson Tomatoes
Paul Robeson will yield fruit 75 to 80 days after transplanting. When harvesting the heavy fruits, cut the stem above the fruit, rather than pulling, to avoid tearing the flesh.
The flesh of Paul Robeson is dense, smoky and exotic in taste. The fruit is blackish-purple, often exhibiting green shoulders. Laurel Garza, of Heirloom Tomato Plants accurately describes the flavour of Paul Robeson as an “intensely sweet earthy taste with a hint of tanginess, a luscious velvety smooth texture, beautiful skin, rich with juice.” It is the opinion of this writer and gardener that Paul Robeson is best eaten on its own, cut into thick slices or wedges, perhaps served with a sprinkling of freshly cracked pepper and salt.
Northern gardeners shouldn’t hesitate to try growing this wonderful black tomato in their vegetable garden this summer.
