Mystery Keeper is an excellent storage tomato that gives you a burst of freshness in winter. We love having fresh tomatoes from our garden to use when we look out the window and see everything is covered in snow. So fun!
Pick unripe at the end of summer and then store in a cool, dry place. 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 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.
