The Rutgers Tomato by Any Other Name

Back in 1934, Rutgers introduced its eponymous tomato to the world. Uniformly round, bright red inside, and bursting with flavor, the tomato quickly became synonymous with garden-fresh taste and  New Jersey produce. Now, the original Rutgers tomato has been redeveloped by scientists at the university and named the Rutgers 250 in honor of, well, take a guess.

“At one point, most of the tomatoes grown around the world were the Rutgers variety,” says Tom Orton, professor in the Department of Plant Biology and Pathology at the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences and  a specialist at the New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station.

The original Rutgers tomato, a collaboration between Rutgers and the Campbell Soup Company, in Camden, New Jersey, was developed without a patent, and seed companies altered its makeup over the years. The reintroduced, open-pollinated tomato has a firmer skin and an acid and sugar balance reminiscent of the 1930s original.

Seeds for the Rutgers 250 tomato were very popular this spring and are unfortunately sold out. To get an email “alert” subscription for obtaining seeds for the Rutgers 250 tomato, visit njfarmfresh.rutgers.edu/jerseytomato.html.