António Neves and his family emigrated from the Azores and settled in the Boston area.  They brought with them their prized family heirloom tomato seeds.

Although no one knows for sure which island they came from and when they arrived in Massachusetts, António Nunes kept selecting the seeds trying to develop a larger sized tomato. As a result, he created the now popular “Azorean Red” the absolute favorite deep-red beefsteak heirloom tomato.

Today, the giant “Azorean Red” — also known as the ”Neves Azorean Red”– is most popular in Southern California where there are more than 900 tomato varieties but none can compete with the rich flavor of the Azorean specimen perfect for sandwiches or showcasing in salads.

The “Azorean Red” is an indeterminate tomato plant which is reputed to yield 1 to 3 pound fruit.  The tomatoes are a deep red and very beautiful. With regular leaf foliage, the fruits mature in 80 days.

The taste is something very special, deep and rich, which has made it a main stay in the gardens of heirloom tomato aficionados around the world.

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updated 04/011/13