The story begins in St-Joseph-de-Beauce

The story begins in St-Joseph-de-Beauce in 1995, on the property of a certain Mr. Lessard. Little is known about this discreet man, except that his land contained two buildings—one recent, where Mr. Lessard resided, and another that had been abandoned for many years. It is the latter that interests us because, during renovation work in the attic, Mr. Lessard discovered a mysterious, unmarked white envelope beneath the old ceiling planks. Inside was a large quantity of what appeared to be tomato seeds. Yet, he was certain that no garden had been cultivated on the property for at least sixty years.

 Not having a particularly green thumb, Mr. Lessard decided to entrust these antique seeds to someone more capable—Gérard Parent, a passionate gardener involved with the organization Semences du Patrimoine (Heritage Seeds). 

Since the average lifespan of a tomato seed is about eight to ten years, these decades-old seeds had little chance of germinating. In fact, it was a close call—out of approximately 300 seeds in the envelope, only three sprouted. 

From these three plants, which Mr. Parent patiently cultivated, all Mémé de Beauce tomatoes were born.

Amazed by its size, Mr. Parent described the fruits as enormous, with pale red skin, pinkish flesh, and an irregular, ribbed shape. He conducted research, and with the support of the Canadian Ministry of Agriculture, he confirmed that this tomato had been cultivated in Québec at the beginning of the last century! The original variety’s name remains a mystery, but from now on, it would be known as Mémé de Beauce.

A Surprising Size

Because of its surprising size and its rather charming name, the tomato quickly made the rounds in the media. Gardening enthusiasts and nostalgic lovers of the rich flavors of old-fashioned tomatoes eagerly sought it out. However, patience is required—it takes 90 days for this tomato to reach maturity, meaning it often ripens in early September. As a result, it is not uncommon for frost to surprise the plants while they are still heavy with fruit. 

Another challenge is that the plants tend to break under the weight of their own production. Staking is essential—otherwise, expect breakage! Finally, no one can steal a Mémé de Beauce without a strong pair of pruning shears. The stem is so thick that even twisting it like an apple on its branch won’t work, and you'll likely end up with a crushed mess in your hands before even starting your sauce.

Why the Name Mémé de Beauce?

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The name “Mémé” comes from the Lessard family lineage. In the region where the tomato originates, many families share the same surname. To distinguish between different branches, it is customary to give them nicknames to avoid confusion. The man linked to our tomato belonged to the Mémé clan.