Tomato variety bred at Penn State to be released commercially

University Park, Pennsylvania - Valentine's Day may have passed for this year, but if you're in love with sweet, firm, antioxidant-rich — and award-winning — tomatoes that will perform well in your garden this season, you're in luck, thanks to a researcher in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences.

"Valentine," a new variety of grape tomato that germinated in the breeding program of plant scientist Majid Foolad, now is available commercially after nearly two decades in development. Foolad, a professor of plant genetics, partnered with plant breeders at Johnny's Selected Seeds to launch the variety, which was introduced this winter in Johnny's 2018 seed catalog and on the company's website.

Attesting to its quality, Valentine was named an All-America Selections (AAS) winner for 2018 by a panel of professional, independent judges throughout North America, who "hands-down agreed this was the most appealing grape tomato they trialed," according to the AAS website.

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