Sounds like a nice cross. In my many farmer's market taste tests Purple Russian is my favorite paste tomato. It looks a little like what you describe.

I've read that tomatoes are self-pollinating 95% of the time. It sounds like you might have saved seed from a crossed plant, and it produced a real winner. You could try saving seed from your plant and see if it produces a plant similar to the one you have now. A hybrid most likely it will revert back to something more like its parents, but it would be fun to try though.

Purple Russian was exactly what I was thinking as well when you described the tomato. Is it possible that you accidently had some seed for that mixed in? Either way, it's great to hear that you found such a tasty surprise!

Here is a link that might be useful: Kim's PA Garden

Thanks for the links mojavebob and kr222.

It does look exactly like Purple Russian-problem is, it can't be since this is my first year ever growing a purple variety(Black Krim)and BK is the only purple variety in my garden

I found the empty packet of Roma seeds-it's just basic Roma.

I will harvest some seeds from this BK/Roma mix since I really like the flavour and it's very prolific-more so than what I remember the reg. Roma being.

Maybe, I'll luck out and get the same result next year!

That's interesting - I have a plant labeled Black Krim that is spitting out larger egg-shaped red paste tomatoes. I like the red pastes, but they're not Krims! Fortunately I have 3 or 4 Krim plants that are not identity confused.

:)

With a claim like this you really need to post some pics!

Maybe it's some already known variety regardless being from a Roma psck... there are many others that are paste or plum shaped that are brown/purple. (Purple Russian, Debarao Black, Japanese Triefle Black, Korney's Cross, Nyagous, Black Plum, etc.)

It does look exactly like Purple Russian-problem is, it can't be since this is my first year ever growing a purple variety

If that is the case, then this can't be a cross from your Roma. Last year's Roma had no purple/black variety with which to cross (unless from a neighbor's garden).

When tomato varieties cross, the fruit produced will look identical to whatever is normal for the plant on which the fruit is growing. The seeds from this fruit will produce a hybrid.

So a Roma fertilized with pollen from a BK will bear typical red Roma fruit.

The only likely explanations for your odd purple Roma:

= one of the seeds in that old Roma pack was the result of a cross.

= one of the seeds from the BK package found its way to the area where you planted the Roma seeds, and it was the result of a cross between BK and a plum.

= one of the seeds from one of the other varieties found its way to the area where you planted the Roma seeds, and it was a purple/black plum variety or a cross.

I can rule out Black Plum for you, because it doesn't have the texture or flavor of Black Krim. It's much too mealy and somewhat seedy. Good for sauces though.

So, I'm starting to think SOMETHING is going on with my tomatos. Not only are my Romas looking like BK but so are my larger toms(Neves Azorean Red, Moskvitch and Red Beefsteak). I picked a basket of tomatos for myself and MIL on Friday and they were all the same colour except the cherry toms(bright red).

It was kinda weird to see them all of differing shapes but the same purpley-brick red-my MIL said "I thought you were growing a bunch of DIFFERENT heirlooms!" Sheesh!

Kterlep, your BK sounds like it's doing what mine did-but mine seem to be pretty juicy like the BK and have good flavour.
Missingtheobvious, it is entirely possible that the BK seeds were planted with the Romas-I remember a few seeds were caught by a breeze when I was sowing them outside in March-I did think I was careful, however ;)

Let me clarify-I sowed them in their little pots outside but brought them INSIDE to germinate. I have to do any plant/soil project outside so as not to encourage the interest of my cats who, in past years, helped themselves to my seedlings after watching me painstakingly sow them.
They seem to ignore anything newly planted if they never witnessed the 'act' of planting.

Anyway,I'm really at a loss to explain the coloration of my other tomatos-at first I thought maybe with the crappy weather(lots of rain & cool)they were rotting BUT the flavour of them is very good!

Don't know what to think!