Trace Your Midnight Roma Tomato
Breeder
This unique purple-skinned, high-antioxidant sauce tomato was developed by Oregon State University breeder Dr. Jim Myers. Jim has devoted years to breeding tomatoes for purple anthocyanins, hoping to explore the antioxidant potential of these pigments and their impact on human health. (Anthocyanins are the same compounds that give blueberries their color and antioxidant properties.) With this new variety, Myers brought the high anthocyanin trait into a plum (aka paste) tomato, the purple-pigmented skin encasing a deep red flesh ideal for processing and sauce applications. In the rows, it will stop you in your tracks. In the kitchen, this purple wonder shines for its quick cook time and memorable flavor, producing sauces and pastes with layers of sweetness, acidity and rich umami.
Trial Network
The Midnight Roma was trialed over multiple seasons by our Trial Network, a participatory community of 150 chefs and growers. The network provided early feedback on the Midnight Roma and explored its applications in the field and the kitchen, enabling Row 7 to better predict where the variety will thrive.
Seed Producers
Seed is a crop, too, and where they are grown matters. Our Midnight Roma seeds were produced organically in Arizona, where a long growing season makes it a top region for growing fruit and vegetable seeds. Want to grow your own Midnight Roma tomatoes?
Growers
Flavor may start with the seed, but it lives or dies in the soil. To produce our Midnight Roma tomatoes, we turned to three organic farms who know that delicious vegetables can only be grown in healthy soil. Lady Moon Farms (Chambersburg, PA), Atlas Farm (Deerfield, MA), and Row by Row Farm (Hurley, NY) utilize organic methods to ensure you get the tastiest tomatoes. The tomatoes were shipped directly from the farm to Whole Foods, ready for your table.