Aunt Ruby’s German Green

The standard by which all other green-when-ripe varieties are judged.Grows over a pound with a neon green flesh, a sweet flavor. A German Family Heirloom. // HISTORY: This cherished green beefsteak was preserved for decades by Ruby Arnold of Greeneville, Tennessee. Born in Germany, Ruby brought the seeds with her when she immigrated to the United States as a young woman and grew the tomato every year in her East Tennessee garden. She generously shared seeds with neighbors and family until her death in 1997. In 1994, her grandson, Bill Minkey of Wisconsin, listed it in the Seed Savers Exchange Yearbook under the name “Aunt Ruby’s German Green.” The tomato quickly became a sensation among heirloom growers for its extraordinary flavor and beauty. Today it is considered one of the crown jewels of American-preserved German heirlooms and is offered by nearly every major heirloom seed company.