Longkeeper is an excellent storage tomato. It comes from the collection of a long-time seedsaver, the late Steve Airhart of Stirling, Ontario (via the seed savers at Terra Edibles). It is a beautiful salmon/peach colour. Although it does look similar to Mystery Keeper, we are keeping them as separate varieties. In particular, we are keen to offer this strain because it comes from an individual seedsaver who had been preserving the seeds for personal use, and we are thinking, would have selected the best, longest-lasting tomatoes. In contrast, many commercial vendors of storage tomatoes might not have the patience to wait the 4 to 6 months after harvest to collect seeds.
When to pick Longkeeper? Pick unripe at the end of summer and then store in a cool, dry place. Longkeeper is ripe when the exterior is a salmon/peach colour (they won’t get red). Fruit will be firm. Robust, easy to manage 2.5 foot plants.
We collect seed from our storage tomatoes 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.
