Trying to find a heritage tomato variety, can anyone name it for me?

[mothergoose]

Last year we were given some heritage tomato plants, from a friend, but he could'nt remember its name, he has a nursery and saves seeds from all over the world. Naturally, not being a experienced gardener, I never thought to save seeds or take photos.
Here is a basic description, I have not found any photos on the internet that come close.

They are slow to mature, develop HUGE red fruits that are ridged from top to bottom and the bottoms are pointed. They are very meaty. The plant leaf is different too, not sure how to describe it. When the fruits were ripe sometimes the top ridges on the tomato still had a green to yellow tinge. THey were some of the best tomatoes I have ever eaten and huge easily 24 oz sizes.
I call them a ridge tomato but I am sure they have a real name. I thought maybe oxheart, but I have not found any that look even close to what we had.
Any gueses? If I am lucky enough to get some from my friend, I will save seeds this year!!!
Thanks for your help,
Christie

 

[vfem]

Hi

The way you speak of the shape and the leaves I'm taking a stab its a type of Brandywine?! I had a pink brandywine last year and the leaves were HUGE and oddly shaped compared to all my other tomatoes. I'm not sure about these' ridges' you speak of? You mean actual skeletal bumps? Or lines that appear to be raised, but are just markings?

Linnie's Oxheart

More colors and types of red Brandywine here where I found these:
http://www.victoryseeds.com/catalog/vegetable/tomato/tomato.html#Brandywine Red

 

[journey11]

mothergoose! Try looking here for pics to see if you can match it up:

http://rareseeds.com/cart/catalog/Red-33-1.html
or
http://www.seedsavers.org/Items.aspx?hierId=43

 

[Broke Down Ranch]

Sounds like perhaps a Giant Oxheart or maybe a Mr Stripey?

 

[digitS']

Tatiana's TOMATOBase is the best resource I know for identifying tomatoes. That link takes you to "Heart-Shaped Tomatoes by Color" page. You can step back from there to the color categories and to the main page where you will find the seeds for the varieties she's offering in 2010. It is a very impressive list but does not include all of the ones for which she provides information.

Tatiana is very well organized and she provides information and photo's from other growers, really covering the stages of growth for each variety. And, there are so many!! If she doesn't offer them, often, she will tell you where to find them. A gardener can spend happy hours just looking at these pages !

Words like frilled and ox-heart soon become comfortable. Heirlooms are often potato-leafed varieties and ox-heart tomatoes have wispy foliage, I've read.

The world of tomatoes . . .

Steve

 

[mothergoose]

Thank you for all the great links.

Crystal, I think the giant oxheart could be it, it does'nt seem to have the ridges, but I am going to try it and see. It does have the same leaf type, size, and similar fruit shape.
Thanks,
Christie

 

[Catalina]

What about this one? Ridges and green shoulders.
http://rareseeds.com/cart/products/Goldman_s_Italian_American_Tomato-1683-33.html

 

[mothergoose]

It had ridges like that, very pronounced especially while green, but they were heart shaped like the oxhearts, but still maintained slight ridges once rippened and they were huge!
Those are a pretty neat looking tomato too though!
Christie