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'Federle' Tomatoes
 
Sub-Category: Paste
Main-Season
 
Sub-Category 2:
Description: Main-season paste tomato. Indeterminate plants bear long, 6- to 7-inch, red fruit.
Days To Maturity: 85
Seed Sources: Seed Savers Exchange - updated in 2014

 
Rating Summary
 
Overall: (4.7 Stars)Overall
Taste: (4.8 Stars)Taste
Yield: (4.7 Stars)Yield
Ease/Reliability: (4.7 Stars)Ease/Reliability
 
Reviews
 
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Number of Reviews: 6

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Reviewed on 05/19/2015 by Diego - An intermediate gardener

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Forsyth, North Carolina, United States
Frost Free Season: 163 - 183 days
Soil Texture: Clay
Garden Size: Large - More than 1,600 square feet (40' x 40')
Sun Exposure: More than 8 hours per day

Excellent tomato. I have been growing this for 5+ years. Wonderful for salsa.
 

Reviewed on 09/08/2012 by Ferdzy - An intermediate gardener

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Ontario, Canada
Frost Free Season: 143 - 163 days
Soil Texture: Sand
Garden Size: Large - More than 1,600 square feet (40' x 40')
Sun Exposure: More than 8 hours per day

We have grown this one for a couple of years now, and consider it a very solid canning tomato. Yields are quite good, especially given that the plants are not as large as some of our indeterminate tomatoes. They do need good space and good air circulation to allow the fairly sparse foliage to do its best. The tomatoes tend to get detached from the plant fairly easily, but they continue to ripen well even when off the plant, and they hold well too. It seems to me that Federle is not at its best in a hot, dry summer - it does better under cooler and moister conditions. We will continue to grow this one, especially since it will do better when some of our other canning tomato choices are not doing so well. .
 

Reviewed on 02/07/2009 by OhioMG - An experienced gardener

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Huron, Ohio, United States
Frost Free Season: 143 - 163 days
Soil Texture: Loam
Garden Size: Large - More than 1,600 square feet (40' x 40')
Sun Exposure: More than 8 hours per day

We first grew Federle in 2007, and it rapidly became one of our absolute MUST HAVE tomatoes. I have been saving seed from our best ones -- four separate savings of the near one pound lunkers we got last year despite less than optimal growing conditions. This is a wonderful tomato!! Flavor is excellent, production is later but good, and they really do keep well inside if picked green. They make lovely sauce, salsas, and are great chunked into mac&cheese or sauteed with okra, onions, and garlic or Zuchetta Rampicante Trombocino.
 

Reviewed on 01/04/2009 by brokenbar - An experienced gardener

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Big Horn, Wyoming, United States
Frost Free Season: 103 - 123 days
Soil Texture: Loam
Garden Size: Large - More than 1,600 square feet (40' x 40')
Sun Exposure: More than 8 hours per day

I have a sun-dried tomato business and Federle has been a staple in my "herd" for 15+ years. Few paste-type tomatoes have great eating-out-of-hand flavor but Federle is the exception. In addition to dried, they make great sauce and I must say my Federle size has been larger than most typically described' If you have never tried Federle, you are missing out on a real treat. Seeds are readily available from several online sources.
 

Reviewed on 03/03/2006 by AudreyJK - An experienced gardener

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Summit, Ohio, United States
Frost Free Season: 143 - 163 days
Soil Texture: Clay
Garden Size: Small - Less than 400 square feet (20' x 20')
Sun Exposure: More than 8 hours per day

We've grown this tomato for a number of years here in northeastern Ohio. If we plant only one variety, this is it. We got our original plants from a local woman who said they were her favorite. She retired, so we buy the seeds from Seedsavers Exchange and start our own plants. The seeds are small and the plants are smaller than ordinary tomatoes when they are young. Once they become established in the garden, they grow rapidly. We use soaker hoses, beneath a mulch, on raised beds. Slugs love the fruit, so we use cages to keep the fruit off the ground. Allow room for good air flow so leaves stay healthy. The fruit is shaped like a long, fat pepper. Seeds are small, few in number and are located only in the top portion of the fruit. Bright red and meaty, they are good for canning as well as table use. The fruit holds well on the vine. They can be picked green at season's end to ripen indoors with little decay. We usually have a few left for Thanksgiving dinner!
 

Reviewed on 01/19/2006 by scaffnet - An experienced gardener

Overall Overall
Taste Taste
Yield Yield
Ease/Reliability Ease

Massachusetts, United States
Frost Free Season: 143 - 163 days
Soil Texture: Loam
Garden Size: Medium - 400 square feet to 1,600 square feet
Sun Exposure: 6 to 8 hours per day

I tried this tomato at Red Fire Farm in Granby, MA this summer (2005). It is AMAZING. Great flavor, large, meaty fruit. Blows away my last favorite paste tomato (red agate). I can't wait to try some this year!
 




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