Gurney Girl II Heirloom Tomatoes
Estimated Inventory, lb : 0
Description/Taste
The Gurney Girl II tomato is a red slicer-type that is praised for its juicy, full-bodied, old-time tomato flavor. Gurney Girl II is an improved version of the Gurney Girl tomato, with excellent taste and bred-in disease resistance. Slicer tomatoes, like Gurney Girl II, are standard round tomatoes with thin walls, and they tend to be juicier and therefore better for fresh eating than other types. Gurney Girl II is a productive cultivar that has huge yields of the seven or eight ounce round fruit. The plant is an indeterminate variety, also known as a vining variety, meaning that the plants produce fruit continuously over the course of the season right up until a frost. Indeterminate plants tend to grow large and develop longer vines that often require support, such as staking or trellising.
Seasons/Availability
Gurney Girl II tomatoes are available in the summer months.
Current Facts
The Gurney Girl II tomato, like all tomato varieties, is a member of the nightshade family, which also includes the potato and eggplant. Tomatoes, initially termed Solanum lycopersicum, are botanically referred to as Lycopersicon esculentum, although modern studies are encouraging a return to the original classification.
Nutritional Value
Tomatoes contain vitamins C, E and A, and they are widely known for their outstanding antioxidant content, including their significant concentration of lycopene. In addition, they contain an array of other valuable phytochemicals, and research has shown that protective effects tomatoes can have against prostate cancer and cardiovascular disease result from the synergy of lycopene with other phytonutrients that are naturally present in tomatoes.
Applications
Gurney Girl II is a wonderful, juicy slicer-type tomato that is excellent for slicing onto sandwiches and burgers, or chopping into a salad. They can even be grilled, or used for tomato juice. Tomatoes pair well with savory herbs like parsley, chives and celery leaf, and they can also be combined with more desert-type herbs like mint, lemon balm, and the fruity sages. For salads, try using tomatoes with any leafy vegetable, like lettuce or spinach, and for cooked dishes try mixing with garlic, basil, oregano or shallots. Store tomatoes at room temperature until ripe, after which refrigeration can slow the process of decay.
Ethnic/Cultural Info
The original Gurney Girl tomato was introduced in the United States in 1981 by Gurney’s Seed and Nursery Company after they spent eight years searching for a tomato that had true tomato flavor, characteristic of old heirloom cultivars. Gurney Girl was an indeterminate variety combining a desirable tangy taste with great vigor and productivity, and an impressive degree of disease resistance. The hybrid Gurney Girl tomato was billed as ''the world's best tasting tomato,'' and now the improved Gurney Girl II is said to have taken the title as an all-time favorite with an alluring flavor.
Geography/History
The Gurney Girl II tomato is a Gurney's Seed and Nursery Company exclusive cultivar, bred for its desirable qualities. Tomatoes are not cold-hardy plants, and they need warm weather in order to grow successfully. They cannot stand any frost, and they are sensitive to low night temperatures. Gurney Girl II has reportedly grown well in USDA hardiness zone three through eleven.
Recipe Ideas
Recipes that include Gurney Girl II Heirloom Tomatoes. One
is easiest, three is harder.| Taste and Tell |
|
Tomato Tart with Bacon and Gruyere |
| Love & Lemons |
|
Heirloom Tomato Sun-Cheese Toasts |
| The Cozy Apron |
|
Crispy, Fried Heirloom Tomatoes |
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