Longkeepers are the future of food security. These two pictures of Golden Treasure were taken in January (that is snow in the background)!
This lovely and practical storage tomato is a Tim Peters variety. Tim Peters is a master tomato breeder who created several excellent storage varieties. This is how Tim described Golden Treasure in the 1999 Garden Seed Inventory:
Golden Treasure—70 days-First long-keeping tomato with gold skin color, ripens from green to golden in about 1-1.5 months, can keep for up to 4 months. Vigorous indeterminate vines, 2.5 inches diameter [fruits], 2.5oz-4oz, acidic tomato flavor becomes more mild in storage.
Pick unripe at the end of summer, store in a cool, dry place.
Colour when Ripe: Golden Treasure will turn golden yellow (exterior) when ripe. It will be firm.
We collect seed from our longkeepers in January; so, you will be able to store yours until November/December.
How to Store: In their classic how-to book, Root Cellaring, food storage experts Mike and Nancy Bubel suggest storing tomatoes at 13 to 18 C (55 to 65 F) to keep them on “hold” for a while. A spot in your basement would do or a colder room in your house. On the other hand, the Bubels also suggest you can store tomatoes at room temperature (15 to 21 C / 60 to 70 F)–on your kitchen counter, for instance, but it will speed up the ripening process a bit. Keep it simple, and do whatever works for you.
How to Plant: Start seeds indoors 6-8 weeks before the last frost. Plant seed 5mm (¼ inch) deep. Keep moist. When true leaves appear, transplant to a larger container if needed. Transplant outside after the danger of frost has passed/later spring.
