Bear Claw Tomato: Hanna’s Tomato Tastings 2008

Part of Hanna’s Tomato Tastings 2008

I was thinking when I bought this that the name might have something to do with being as big as a bear claw (which would be a valid observation as they are huge) but now I am thinking that these were named for the fact that every one of them that have come off the plant looks like it was ravaged by a bear claw.

This is an ugly tomato. Cracking is a severe problem and beyond that slugs seems to be extraordinarily attracted to them, so often times I have had to pick them a bit green just to keep the slugs at bay.

The description from the company I got it from reads:

This pink tomato comes from Ben Quisenberry, tomato collector from Ohio. If you are looking for large, tasty tomatoes, add this one to your list to try. Seed company states that this plant will yield large plants and large tomatoes, one pound or more with excellent taste.

The Beauty Pageant:
Size: Huge. I have only had one “small” one and that was around a pound. The others were much closer to 2 pounds.

Shape: Mangled in a round sort of way.

Color: Vibrant, deep pink.

The inside: Solid tomato. Despite the fact that this is a huge tomato, there are probably only 20 seeds inside. The core is nearly as big as the tomato itself.

Texture: Soft, but firmly so. I know that makes no sense, but the tomato holds up to cutting well, but you can take a bite out of it no problem. The meat is a little grainy but not too bad.

Tasting:

Off the Vine Tasting: Solid tomato flavor, but not a lot of tang to it. More like a low-acid tomato.

Sliced and Salted Tasting: Salt brings out the tomato flavor even more.

Cooking Thoughts: This is a sandwich tomato if there ever was one. Slices well, but bites easy. No messy gel and solid tomato flavor in each bite. It would also be good for sauce as there would be little to no de-seeding necessary.

Growing Notes:
This has produced well for an heirloom beefsteak. As noted, slugs have been a serious problem with this plant. The plant is also large, so you would need to plan for that when growing.

Will Hanna grow this one again:
Probably not. Plain Jane tomato and I want a wild child.