Kopek Hayasi

[chancethegardener]

This is an old Turkish heirloom from Alakir Basin of Turkey, for which I got seeds through a seed trade (seeds were sent to me by heirloom gardener, Volkan Yalazay). Re-grown and re-introduced by Birhan Erkutlu and Tuba Gunal who used to live in Istanbul and moved to area after purchasing land in the region, leaving the city life behind. The seeds were recovered by them from an eco-village in France.

Excellent flavor, outstanding production, this is an impressive tomato. First three pictures below belong to the same plant and were taken on the same day. Kopek Hayasi means "Dog's Balls" in Turkish, by the way

I will release the seeds for this variety through our catalog, soon.

KH1.JPG
KH2.JPG
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KopekHayasi.JPG

[ginger2778]

They look beautiful. Sweet? Balanced? Tart?

[chancethegardener]

Very balanced flavor. I measured Brix 6.2 for the first batch of ripe fruits (some don't take Brix as a reference point but I think there is a strong correlation between flavor and this value). Traditionally used as a canning variety but I would definitely prefer to eat it off the vine. I believe it would make great tomato sauce as well.

Originally Posted by ginger2778

They look beautiful. Sweet? Balanced? Tart?

[kurt]

Pardon my ignorance is that a milk/aspirin treatment on the plants?

[chancethegardener]

That is a micronized Kaolin product, Surround WP, I use for sun and pest protection. Originally developed by USDA, now available commercially.

Originally Posted by kurt

Pardon my ignorance is that a milk/aspirin treatment on the plants?