Low acid tomatoes

12 years ago

Can anyone recommend the best low acid tomatoes for next year's planting? (Reflux issues). Want to grow both cherries/grapes and globe or beefsteak. Zone 6b. Thanks.

Featured Answer

PupillaCharites

12 years ago

last modified: 11 years ago

Ace 55 and Delicious have been often mentioned as high pH (the bigger the pH number, the less acidity). Nectar has been mentioned as a very low acid small tomato. Your best bet is to allow the tomato to get extra ripe ... all tomatoes lose acidity as they ripen and the amount is appreciable.

Nectar hybrid from Park Seed

A study was done by at the University of Illinois in 2003 where about 85 Heirlooms were checked for pH. Here it is in order from lowest acid (highest pH) at the top of the list, to highest acid (lowest pH) at the bottom of the list. Also is the average fruit size in ounces just to get an idea of the tomato. You are probably looking for anything with a pH of 4.6 or greater. So, most tomatoes down to about 4.35 or so if you allowed to get extra ripe would probably be good.

Hillbilly is a great tomato, yum!

oz/tomato pH
Hillbilly 16.2 4.79
Russian Big Roma 6.7 4.74
Big Rainbow 16.0 4.71
Red Rose 9.2 4.71
Brandywine, Red 9.8 4.66
Ingegnoli Gigante 3.3 4.61
Russian Rose 12.7 4.61
Black 3.8 4.59
Federle 6.5 4.59
Pete's Italian Plum 4.7 4.56
Zapotec Pink Pleated 6.3 4.56
Jersey Devil 5.2 4.55
New Jersey 5.3 4.55
Spitze Russia 7.3 4.54
Large Polish Paste 8.2 4.53
Bisignano #2 7.3 4.52
Opalka 5.9 4.51
Rutgers 6.8 4.51
Burbank Red Slicing 4.2 4.49
Tondo Fario 5.7 4.49
Black Krim 9.4 4.48
Grandma Mary's Paste 3.4 4.47
Marglobe 5.8 4.47
Rio Grande 3.0 4.47
Super Sioux 5.0 4.47
Le Case di Puligia 1.0 4.46
Soldacky 13.5 4.46
Ten Fingers of Naples 1.9 4.46
Brandywine, Pink 14.1 4.45
Rio de Fuego 2.5 4.45
Hungarian Heart 14.1 4.44
Kavalarovo Plum 1.1 4.44
Antique Roman 6.9 4.43
Homestead 8.9 4.43
Amana Orange 15.4 4.42
Amish Paste 7.4 4.41
Joe's Plum 10.2 4.41
Juane Peach 1.6 4.41
Goliath 16.1 4.40
Howard German 4.1 4.40
Polish Linguisa 6.0 4.40
Rose de Berne 5.4 4.40
Delicious 6.2 4.39
Italian Plum Canning Type 3.0 4.39
Moskvich 6.2 4.39
Brandywine, OTV 10.7 4.38
Cherokee Purple 8.6 4.38
Martino Roma 1.9 4.38
Napoli 1.7 4.38
Popovich 3.1 4.38
Santiam 3.2 4.38
Arkansas Traveler 4.8 4.37
Brandywine, Yellow 13.2 4.37
Di Santos 7.7 4.37
Costoluto Genovese 4.9 4.36
Saucy 1.8 4.36
Anna Banana 5.9 4.35
Black From Tula 9.9 4.35
Ellis Island 14.7 4.35
Stupice 2.2 4.35
Ernie's Plump 6.9 4.34
San Marzano 2.1 4.34
Watermelon 14.2 4.34
Super Italian Paste 5.4 4.33
Bloody Butcher 2.6 4.31
Jubilee 6.9 4.31
Striped Stuffer 3.9 4.31
Giant Syrian 10.6 4.29
Landino di Panocchia 3.5 4.29
Laurano 2.5 4.28
Mortgage Lifter 12.8 4.28
Pantano Romanesco 7.8 4.28
Caspian Pink 12.4 4.27
Persimmons 9.0 4.27
Bull's Heart 9.3 4.26
Ropreco Plum 1.8 4.24
New Hampshire Surecrop 1.0 4.23
Pomodoro Grosso 5.4 4.22
Oscar 6.3 4.21
Silvery Fir Tree 3.8 4.21
Abe Lincoln 4.9 4.20
Bianco Great White 9.2 4.16
Prairie Fire 2.3 4.10
Purple Calabash 4.0 4.07
Platillo 4.1 4.02

This post was edited by PupillaCharites on Fri, Oct 3, 14 at 20:29

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Comments (7)

Peter1142
Original Author
12 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
Ok, thanks for the list. Does anyone have any more specific recommendations of awesome low acid tomatoes?
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roper2008
12 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
I've found that yellow tomatoes are less acidic, also milder
tasting.
suncitylinda
12 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
Jet Star is an ever popular old hybrid. The catalogs usually caution that it is low acid and not good for canning unless acidified.
Peter1142
Original Author
12 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
Jet Star looks nice.. may have some difficulty getting the seeds though, will have to order online from somewhere different. I would prefer something with more robust disease resistance, if possible.

This post was edited by Peter1142 on Sat, Oct 4, 14 at 21:04
labradors_gw
12 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
PC,

Thanks for including the results of the study. Most interesting!

Linda
carolyn137
12 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
Can anyone recommend the best low acid tomatoes for next year's planting? (Reflux issues). Want to grow both cherries/grapes and globe or beefsteak. Zone 6b. Thanks.

&&&&&&&

But when Jet Star F1 was mentioned, you said you needed more disease tolerances.

Which specific disease tolerances are you referring to, as in the foliage diseases or the soilborne systemic diseases or those transmitted by insect vectors?

I've seen other lists of the pH of various tomato varieties and usually at seed vendors you'll see a lot of yellow and gold/red bicolors being referred to as low acid. But other lists note that their acidity is about the same as those with normal acidity and it's the increased sugar content of them that masks the acidity thus resulting in a more mild taste.

Finally and most importantly acid refulx can be caused by a number of things, acid foods not near the top of that list, so I've linked below to a website with a pretty good description of same, what other things can cause it and how one can just by changing lifestyle and diet can control it before moving to some medicine which can also control it.

I do know about it since my brother was diagnosed with it, some know it as heartburn as well, his wife is a retired nurse, and well I remember the time he was in such pain that they called the ambulance.

Nothing was wrong with his heart, he had acid reflux, and cut out eating so soon before going to bed, sleeping with his head elevated and several of the other suggestions made on the link below, And they worked. And he grows and eats tomatoes of many different varieties and has for a long time, maybe some are low acid, some not, but that was not the cause of his acid reflux,

Please read all three pages of the link below and I know it will help you.

Carolyn

Here is a link that might be useful: Acid Reflux