About This Variety
Brandywine is THE classic heirloom tomato — the one that launched a thousand seed catalogs. A large pink beefsteak with exceptional, complex flavor, it's widely considered one of the best-tasting tomatoes ever grown. Originating from the Amish community, this indeterminate variety matures in 80–100 days and is easily identified by its distinctive potato-leaf foliage.
How to Save Seeds
- Pick fully ripe or slightly overripe fruit from your healthiest, most vigorous plants.
- Cut the tomato horizontally and squeeze the seeds and gel into a clean jar.
- Add a splash of water and let the mixture ferment for 2–3 days. Stir daily — a layer of mold forming on top is normal and expected.
- When the viable seeds have sunk to the bottom, pour off the mold, pulp, and any floating seeds.
- Rinse the good seeds thoroughly in a fine mesh strainer under running water.
- Spread seeds on a paper plate (NOT paper towels — seeds stick to them) and let dry for 5–7 days in a well-ventilated spot.
- Store dried seeds in a labeled envelope in a cool, dry place.
Pro Tip: Brandywine is slow to mature — let the fruit get fully ripe on the vine, even if it starts cracking, before harvesting for seed saving. The riper the fruit, the more mature and viable the seeds.
Cross-Pollination
Tomatoes are self-pollinating — the flowers fertilize themselves before they even fully open. This means cross-pollination between tomato varieties is extremely rare (typically under 2–5% even when plants are side by side). No isolation cages, hand-pollination, or separation distance is needed.
No isolation needed: Brandywine can grow right next to your other tomato varieties with essentially zero cross-pollination risk. All five of your tomato varieties can be grown side by side and still produce true-to-type seeds.
