They Look like Amish Paste

Sue, there are many varieties that are long red paste types that look like that that I know of but I can't say that any of them that I've grown taste smoky to me.

So I'm not so sure you're going to be able to ID something just based on human taste buds. ( smile)

Carolyn

Thank you both.

In searching Amish paste, I don't see/find smoky taste to be a part of the taste description.

I have read in the past of a tomato or maybe even different tomato varieties having a smoky taste. At the time, I thought that must be a very unique tasting tomato and wondered about it. Once I tasted the Goatbag, (and thought 'smoked sausage') I knew then what a smoky tasting tomato tasted like.

I'm just going to assume this is a unique variety until I can find out otherwise I guess.

I wonder if Goatbag is listed in Seed Savers Yearbook. Maybe I need to finally join and find out for myself.

Sue

They look like any one of a hundred different paste tomatoes so the most likely source of info on them is going to be the local grower. Sure sounds like one of the many made-up names (and not a very classy one at that) one runs across.

But if you like them and if you can save seeds from them to grow more or share, then it really doesn't matter what their real name may have once been. ;)

Dave

I wonder if Goatbag is listed in Seed Savers Yearbook. Maybe I need to finally join and find out for myself.

****

I already checked that out before I answered you the first time and no, it isn't listed in the SSE YEarbook and I didn't think it would be when you said it was a local variety. There are two varieties with goat in the title but the sources are not Indiana.

I agree with Dave that it's a locally named variety and maybe you could backtrack and find out more if you wanted to.

And yes, there are so many long red pasters like the one you show that it's really almost impossible to imagine.

As for smoky or salty tastes I've found that of several people at a tasting event some will taste smoky or salty with certain varieties but most won't detect that at all.

Again, there's an association with taste and personal human taste genes so most taste the same variety differently when it comes to smoky or salty.

Of the thousands of varieties I've grown I have never once tasted anything smoky or salty when others have said that some of them were salty or smoky when either tasting the fruits or reading so online. Sigh.

Carolyn

Of the thousands of varieties I've grown I have never once tasted anything smoky or salty when others have said that some of them were salty or smoky when either tasting the fruits or reading so online.

I did notice that the smoky taste varied from tomato to tomato from the same vine, depending upon the degree of ripeness.

Sue

I cannot see my friends sampling a tomato called "goatbag".. Hahah.

Our dear, Tom CableâÂÂs seed site, Love In Bloom, lists CowâÂÂs Tit. I had seed for this several years and on occasion remember another name aka GoatâÂÂs Bag connected to it. I have shared this information with Sue. But, Sue I don't remember any smokey taste to the Cow's Tit I grew. I am attaching the description Tom and Keith list for Cow's Tit.
Gary

Cows Tit, indeterminate lanceolate-leaf horn shaped red paste. Anybody who has ever warmed their head on the flank of a cow will recognize how the teat shaped fruit of this cultivar got its odd name. Keith Mueller introduced this darned tasty paste tomato, throw away them funky cardboard tasting "pastes" and grow something yummy enough to eat in the field. Mid-season.

Gary,
I never got a pic of the foliage (yet) as I had intended to. Maybe I can do that yet. Everything is looking pretty poor doing 'the sprawl'.

A member from down under has requested some seeds. Maybe sometime this winter I will know if others have experienced the smoky taste I did.

I guess the jury is still out on this one as to what it might be. For now I guess it will remain Goatbag.

Sue...making a mental note to get pics and call nursery tomorrow

Gary, Cow's Tit was one of the two varieties I saw when I checked to find Goatbag in the SSE YEarbook as I mentioned above, but no alternative name was given for it such as Goatbag and I don't remember ever seeing such an alternative name.

And yes, I know Keith has talked about it before but I didn't think it originated with him.

Both entries for Cow
s Tit in the Yearbook cite you as the source and the immediate source given by one person was TN, not Indiana, where Sue found it locally, but I'd have to back further to find the original source.

The variety Riesentraube has been grown in many Eropean countries, with different names, and in one country it's known as Goat's Tit b'c of the small nipple at the end of the fruit.

Whatever. ( smile)

Carolyn

It was listed in the SSE yearbook a couple of years ago- under the name of (Bull sack) AKA cows Tit aka-Goat bag, but I am not sure if or not it is listed in last years book.

The reason I know this is because I was looking it up for a friend in the USA who was searching for Cows Tit and could not find any, and I came across it by accident whilst browsing through the year book.

Most of the photo's of it I have seen -they usually seem to be a bit longer than those in your picture.

I've been able to trace back Bull Sac in the SSE YEarbooks to at least 1994, I didn't go back past that, when Craig LeHoullier listed it and his source was Alfrey's Seeds in 1990. Alfrey's did not call it Cow's Tit at all as several subsequent listings in Yearbooks show Bull Sac coming from Alfrey's, now out of business, and no mention of Cow's Tit at all.

The first time Bull Sac was akaed as being Cow's Tit was in the 2008 Yearbook when a person from MD said that Bull Sac was also known as Cow's Tit and said his seeds were from Mark Scarzini whom I know is also in MD and used to help out Chuck Wyatt with his tomato growing.

Cow's Tit was first listed in 2007 by Al Andersen, seeds from Gary Millwood.

Since the history of Bull Sac is pretty straight forward as to originating with Alfrey's Seeds and predated any mention of Cow's Tit by many years, I don't think Bull Sac and Cow's Tit are the same.

Gary, I did find the Love in Bloom site where Keith was credited with introducing Cow's Tit, but I have yet to find any reference at all to a variety called Goatbag except here in Sue's thread where she called it a local variety.

The fact is that there have to be close to maybe 100 or more long red paste types, some with nipples, some without and sometimes the same variety shows fruits with and without nipples. And sizes given differ considerably as to length and width, and how much of that is variety specific and how much is a result of differing growth conditions and weather is impossible to determine.

I hope the above helps a bit.

Carolyn

Sue, et al

I think IÂve grown that same tomato. A friend brought me a plant from Madison, IN back in 2003. I remember asking about it here on GW and if I recall correctly someone (Carolyn?) said Opalka translates to GoatÂs Tit in some language. But that was back in 2003 and I slept since then so I could be all wet.

I have since grown Opalka and they do seem very similar in both plant and fruit growth. I donÂt, however, remember it tasting smoky.

I saved seed but havenÂt grown it since. Maybe IÂll put it and Opalka on my 2009 list.

Jerry

I think IÂve grown that same tomato. A friend brought me a plant from Madison, IN back in 2003. I remember asking about it here on GW and if I recall correctly someone (Carolyn?) said Opalka translates to GoatÂs Tit in some language. But that was back in 2003 and I slept since then so I could be all wet.

*****

Jerry in a post above in this thread I mentioned that the variety Riesentraube was known as Goat's Tit in one of the European countries.

Opalka is a variety I got from Carl Swidorski, a colleague of mine, and it came down in his wife's family, which is the Opalka family.

(I have since grown Opalka and they do seem very similar in both plant and fruit growth. I donÂt, however, remember it tasting smoky.)

As mentioned above there are slews of varieties that are long red paste types that are known. And if one planted 100 of them out in a row I think I could ID, by sight, maybe 2 or 3. That's how much they look alike.

Carolyn

Sue and others who have posted here I am pleased to say I will be growing Cow's Tit, Goat Bag, and Opalka this season. Friend Duane from Seymour, IN stopped in Scottsville at the nursery source for Goat Bag on his way to Louisville and bought three or four containers(packet of six plants each) of Goat Bag. I will be growing it with Cow's Tit and Opalka this summer. I will try to determine the differences in their growth and taste.
I wish all of you the best of success with your tomatoes this year!
Gary

That's great Gary. I look forward to you maybe finding GB to have a smoky flavor, setting it aside from so many other pastes.

Good luck, and take care of those babies.

stopped in Scottsville at the nursery source for Goat Bag
Actually I think it is at Deputy, which is north of Scottsburg, in case anyone is checking where Scottsville is in southern IN.

Thank you Gary for the seeds you sent, but I am sorry to say I didn't get any started this year. It looks like I will be picking up a few varieties at the greenhouse in Deputy myself. I'll probably be growing their GB again this year too. Maybe I will get lucky and they will have Opalka too.

Sue

Yeah, the Seymour Sagamore sent me some Goat Bag seeds this past winter and I have about a half dozen plants ready to go in the ground this week. I'll spread them around in friends' gardens to make sure there are plenty of opinions and seeds to share the August or September.

I bought 4 plants from a local nursery in S. Indiana last week. The ones I have researched all say they can get up to 4 lbs., I've not read where they have this shape but I have read about the taste and that they are great for paste sauce.