Senga's Blog
Eco-chic Outdoor Living & Exterior Design
January 11/2010 – The Planning Stage The Heirloom Vegetable: 'Bloody Butcher'
Would a vegetarian dare to try the following vegetable (which we know is actually a fruit) called ‘Bloody Butcher’? I dunno but for some reason I just really like the name "Bloody Butcher" for a tomato. Could it be the shock factor me or does it just make my husband think of a nice juicy steak, medium rare (he is clearly not a vegetarian!)? For those reasons this tomato is on our ‘hit list’ of heirloom tomatoes to try this year.
I have had conflicting reports on the maturity of this tomato – from 55 days – 70 days (internet) and 110 days on my actual packet of seeds I obtained in New Zealand??? I will be watching and noting my first harvests but will assume that 55 – 60 days is the magic number.
Botanical name: Lycopersicon esculentum ‘Bloody Butcher’
Country of Origin: United Kingdom
Description: Good variety for cooler regions. Golf ball sized fruit deep red inside and out, vigorous plants that produces well until frost
Best harvested: 2” golf ball sized 4 oz. fruits that are fully ripened
Time to Sow Seeds: Early Spring - March 15 indoors (2 weeks before last spring frost)
Where to Grow: Start indoors and transplant to prepared bed with well rotted compost/manure in full sun. Space 30 cm apart and trellis. These vines grow quite tall at 1.5m height. In case of late frost protect plants under cloches which can be made from old clear plastic pop bottles.
Maturity: 55 Days???? 70 Days???? 110 Days (on my actual seed packet)
Tip: Ensure fruit is ripe before picking and water regularly to prevent fruit splitting.
Taste: Sweet favour
Uses: Sliced fresh or cooked Place in Square Foot Garden: In the vertical vegetable section of the square foot garden on my edible green roof. Theoretically these are fast growing plants it is best I will allocate them into the heritage tomato section and see if I can get two crops this year. By month’s end I will have this nicely slotted into a master plan of the vegetable garden and post it on my blog.
