Description
If you’re tired of watery sauces and are looking for the ultimate “processing” tomato, Amish Paste is the gold standard. Dating back to the 1870s from the Amish communities of Wisconsin, this heirloom has survived the test of time because it simply outperforms almost every other paste tomato on the market.
Amish Paste is frequently cited by gardening experts as one of the best-tasting paste tomatoes in existence. Unlike the standard ‘Roma’ which can sometimes be a bit bland, Amish Paste carries a high sugar content that makes it delicious enough to eat fresh off the vine. The fruits are heavy, acorn-shaped, and incredibly “meaty”—meaning they are packed with flesh and have very few seed cavities. They are one of the largest, if not the largest, plum tomatoes in the world.
Because these fruits are significantly larger and denser than standard plum tomatoes, they need a little extra help to reach their full potential in the UK.
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Greenhouse is Best: In the UK, Amish Paste performs significantly better under glass or plastic. While it can grow outdoors in a very sheltered, sun-drenched spot in the South, the extra heat of a greenhouse ensures the heavy fruits ripen before the first frost.
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Consistent Watering: This variety can be prone to Blossom End Rot (where the bottom of the fruit turns black) if the watering is erratic. In the UK summer, try to water at the same time every day to keep the calcium flow steady.
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Heavy-Duty Support: These aren’t dainty tomatoes. A single plant can produce a massive weight of fruit. Use a thick wooden stake or a high-quality “tomato spiral” to prevent the plant from collapsing.
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Pollination: If growing in a greenhouse, give the plants a gentle shake every morning to help the pollen move, as the UK’s lack of wind indoors can sometimes result in “missed” fruit on the lower trusses.
Usage & Culinary Notes
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The Sauce Shortcut: Because this variety has so much “meat” and so little water, you don’t have to boil your sauce for hours to get it thick. It reaches a perfect consistency in half the time of standard tomatoes.
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Salad Surprise: Most “paste” tomatoes are too dry for salads, but Amish Paste is an exception. It’s sweet enough to be sliced into a sandwich without making the bread soggy.
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Freezing: If you have a bumper crop (which you likely will), these freeze exceptionally well. Just pop them in a bag whole; the skins will slip right off when they defrost!
