Uncle Steve's Italian Plum and Prue

tjg911 · March 29, 2006

i'm curious about Uncle Steve's Italian Plum which is 'keith in calumet' uncle's tomato and prue which is my ex wife's grandfather's tomato.

bully posted a picture of uncle steve while a description of uncle steve was posted by bcday and keith over at gw. as carolyn mentioned, the picture and description for uncle steve is similiar to prue. i did a search here but little has been said about uncle steve.

has anyone grown both? it would be especially interesting if both were grown in the same year and the same garden so that they can compare the plants and the taste from the same conditions.

keith, did i send you seeds for prue? i think we once emailed around this relative to the pole beans or tomatoes that were from uncle steve but i don't remember if i sent you prue or if you obtained it from anyone else.

tom

**carolyn137** · March 29, 2006

Tom,

You forgot to mention that I also said that Matt D'Imperio also looks like Prue.

Those two I've grown and are easily distinguished by taste, at least for me.

Uncle Steve's Italian Plum I have not grown.

And as I also said at GW, no doubt there are many varieties that look similar, as brought to the US by Italian immigrants, and that would be primarily in the late 1800's to about 1920 or so, when most of the immigration occurred.

Tania · March 29, 2006

Tom,

I am growing both Prue and Uncle Steve's this year, and so far the seedlings look a bit different - with Prue being much more 'wispy' than the Uncle Steve's. ALthough the seedlings are still small, so who knows how they turn out.

I'll post the comparison results at the end of the season

tjg911 · March 30, 2006

well based upon gw comments i'm satisfied that uncle steve's and prue are not the same tomato.

carolyn, i did not forgot to mention that you also said that Matt D'Imperio also looks like Prue, i just did not comment upon it.

since you did not say it, i assume prue and matt d'imperio are not the same tomato but now i have to ask. what do you think? my guess is no because you have stated that prue's taste is so distinct that you can spot prue by it's flavor. does matts taste like prue?

tom

bully · March 30, 2006

Rinaldo looks a lot like Prue..in growth habit and fruit appearance.

I know Craig has grown Rinaldo and i think he has grown Prue...maybe he can weigh in.

They both have that weeping willow growth style( so does Ernesto) but unlike Uncle Steve's and Opalka they are not a plum/paste. more of a bomb shape.

This particular Prue was pretty round but I have had many that were not.

tjg911 · March 31, 2006

thanks bully. the photo of rinaldo does look like prue, the common shape. your picture of prue is the shape of some but only about 10-15% of mine have that rounded/heart combo shape.

craig did grow prue as i sent him seeds at the same time i sent them to carolyn. craig's option was that prue was ok, carolyn liked prue more than craig.

tom

**carolyn137** · March 31, 2006

AS I said above, there are many varieties that originated in Italy and also in the Eastern Euopean countries, that I'll add now, that have the same look of wispy, droopy foliage with smaller, narrower leaves and with red fruits that are plum and/or bomb shaped, sometimes both shapes on the same plant, sometimes with nipples at the blossom end, sometimes not, and yet, I suppose there are traits that are the same.

I could pick probably close to 100 such varieties out of the SSE Yearbook that fit this bill.

And while Matt D'Imperio and Prue do look the same yes, the taste is different and yes, I do prefer the taste of Prue.

tjg911 · March 31, 2006

thanks carolyn, i know this seems redundant, i appreciate your feedback. i realize there are a lot of tomatoes that have these characteristics. my curiosity is peeked when i think any tomato might taste like prue.

it would be foolish to think that no one else out there was growing prue but not calling it that. henry prue must have spread those seeds around over the decades he grew it so i just wonder..... gotta know some people have it so i wondered if matt's could be prue.

tom

March 29, 2006	#1
tjg911 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: zone 5b northwest connecticut Posts: 2,570	Uncle Steve's Italian Plum and Prue i'm curious about Uncle Steve's Italian Plum which is 'keith in calumet' uncle's tomato and prue which is my ex wife's grandfather's tomato. bully posted a picture of uncle steve while a description of uncle steve was posted by bcday and keith over at gw. as carolyn mentioned, the picture and description for uncle steve is similiar to prue. i did a search here but little has been said about uncle steve. has anyone grown both? it would be especially interesting if both were grown in the same year and the same garden so that they can compare the plants and the taste from the same conditions. keith, did i send you seeds for prue? i think we once emailed around this relative to the pole beans or tomatoes that were from uncle steve but i don't remember if i sent you prue or if you obtained it from anyone else. tom

March 29, 2006	#2
carolyn137 Moderator Emeritus Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Upstate NY, zone 4b/5a Posts: 21,169	Tom, You forgot to mention that I also said that Matt D'Imperio also looks like Prue. Those two I've grown and are easily distinguished by taste, at least for me. Uncle Steve's Italian Plum I have not grown. And as I also said at GW, no doubt there are many varieties that look similar, as brought to the US by Italian immigrants, and that would be primarily in the late 1800's to about 1920 or so, when most of the immigration occurred. __________________ Carolyn

March 29, 2006	#3
Tania Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Anmore, BC, Canada Posts: 3,970	Tom, I am growing both Prue and Uncle Steve's this year, and so far the seedlings look a bit different - with Prue being much more 'wispy' than the Uncle Steve's. ALthough the seedlings are still small, so who knows how they turn out. I'll post the comparison results at the end of the season __________________ Tatiana's TOMATObase

March 31, 2006	#7
carolyn137 Moderator Emeritus Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Upstate NY, zone 4b/5a Posts: 21,169	AS I said above, there are many varieties that originated in Italy and also in the Eastern Euopean countries, that I'll add now, that have the same look of wispy, droopy foliage with smaller, narrower leaves and with red fruits that are plum and/or bomb shaped, sometimes both shapes on the same plant, sometimes with nipples at the blossom end, sometimes not, and yet, I suppose there are traits that are the same. I could pick probably close to 100 such varieties out of the SSE Yearbook that fit this bill. And while Matt D'Imperio and Prue do look the same yes, the taste is different and yes, I do prefer the taste of Prue. __________________ Carolyn

March 30, 2006	#4
tjg911 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: zone 5b northwest connecticut Posts: 2,570	well based upon gw comments i'm satisfied that uncle steve's and prue are not the same tomato. carolyn, i did not forgot to mention that you also said that Matt D'Imperio also looks like Prue, i just did not comment upon it. since you did not say it, i assume prue and matt d'imperio are not the same tomato but now i have to ask. what do you think? my guess is no because you have stated that prue's taste is so distinct that you can spot prue by it's flavor. does matts taste like prue? tom

March 30, 2006	#5
bully Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: S.E. MI Posts: 794	Rinaldo looks a lot like Prue..in growth habit and fruit appearance. I know Craig has grown Rinaldo and i think he has grown Prue...maybe he can weigh in. They both have that weeping willow growth style( so does Ernesto) but unlike Uncle Steve's and Opalka they are not a plum/paste. more of a bomb shape. This particular Prue was pretty round but I have had many that were not.