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Red Pear Stats
Height: 48 - 72" (1.22-1.83 m)
Plant Spacing: 48 - 72" (1.22-1.83 m)
Row Spacing: 36 - 48" (0.91-1.22 m)
Days to Maturity: 70 - 85
Growing Habit: Indeterminate
Sun: Full Sun
Genetic Type: Heirloom
Variety Type: Cherry, Paste/Canning, Saladette/Pear, Slicers
Disease Resistance: N/A
Salads, salsa, juices, bruschettas, sauces, canned or eaten fresh
Information for Red Pear
The Red Pear tomato is listed as one of the oldest tomato cultivars grown in the United States. Its origins date back to the 1700s. As open pollinated heirlooms, the Red Pear has been handed down from generation to generation, making its mark as the tomato of choice among Americans when it comes to small, saladette tomato types.
Its history precedes the 1800s appearing in several of the premier seed catalogs in the U.S. Its close relative, the Yellow Pear is also a pear tomato variety popular across the country.
Red Pears grow abundantly in clusters within prolific indeterminate vines. Tomato growers often use stakes or wire cages for support and to boost production. Its plants are regular leaf types that develop during mid-season. Sufficient watering is required to prevent the fruit from cracking. Red Pears continue producing well until the weather cools in autumn.
Delicious and vibrantly colored, Red Pear tomatoes are used in many food preparations such as salads and salsas. The fruits feature deep red colors which are colorfully ideal for making sauces and preserves. Their shape is compared to a pear or a tiny light bulb.
Fuller in flavor than their yellow cousins, they make an attractive dish or table ornament when mixed together. They dress up any snack, especially when they are served whole. For such small tomatoes, these taste exceptionally sweet and juicy. Their shape adds to the appeal and many tomato growers even plant them for their ornamental value to adorn their gardens.
As indeterminate plants, Red Pears can be grown in pots. Usually, the seeds require moderately moist soils and light watering for better production. The seeds can be saved. Red Pears, like most tomatoes, are outstandingly healthy as they contain iron, calcium, and vitamins A and C. Furthermore, Red Pear tomatoes are one of those varieties specially noted in Carolyn J. Male's book "100 Heirloom Tomatoes for the American Garden".
Photo Credit: Flora Cyclam