The Mortgage Lifter Tomato
Mortgage Lifter is an heirloom tomato cultivar bred in 1930’s West Virginia by Marshall Cletis Byles, an amateur tomato enthusiast. Mr. Byles went by the moniker M.C. “Radiator Charlie” Byles, as he worked as an auto mechanic in a shop at the base of a mountain road where transport truck radiators tended to blow while trying to go up the big hill (reference). He named his tomato “Mortgage Lifter” because he sold so many of the plants that he was able to pay off his mortgage with the proceeds.
Mortgage Lifter tomatoes are very large beefsteak-type tomatoes that can routinely reach 2-3 pounds each in weight. The peel is generally a red color with a hint of pink (and sometimes a touch of green on the ribs near the stem). Mortgage lifter tomatoes are very tasty, with a subtle sweet taste perfect for a sandwich on a hot summer day.
“With absolutely no experience breeding or growing tomatoes, Mr. Byles had a goal of developing the largest, most delicious tomato possible. …and once he was happy with his results, he sold plants for a dollar each, thereby paying of his $6,000 mortgage in six years; people came from hundred of miles to purchase the plants as news spread fo their excellence.”
What do Mortgage Lifter tomatoes taste like?
The Mortgage Lifter tomato has a delicious, mild, sweet taste. These tomatoes are not as intensely-flavored as some other heirloom tomatoes (such as Brandywine or Black Krim). Mortgage lifter tomatoes are a wonderful all-around tomato for eating fresh. They lack the bitterness that can turn off some palettes but are not overwhelmingly sweet either. While the taste is subtle, Mortgage Lifter is often named among the best-tasting types of tomatoes.
Mortgage Lifter tomatoes have inherited some of their sweet taste from their parent varieties. Mortgage Lifter tomatoes were bred from German Johnson tomatoes.
Other similar large pink heirloom tomatoes to try to include Brandywine tomatoes, Pink Ponderosa, and Anna Russian (heart-shaped).
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