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BLACKS
Black
Russian heirloom. Plants bear plenty of wonderfully rich, dark mahogany-brown tomatoes that average about 4 ounces. Fruit is smooth and somewhat elongated with a pointed tip; in fact, this variety is what some gardeners grew as Black Prince years ago. Black tomatoes have a delicious blend of sugar and acid and a distinctive, complex flavor that is to be savored. Some folks say this variety is one of the best-tasting black tomatoes and prefer it also for its medium, nice plum size. Indeterminate. 80-85 days.
Black Beauty SEED CHARGE + 0.50
Added 2016. It even is being claimed by some, to be the “BEST” flavored tomato. Fruit stores well, lasts well. I might be a bit concerned as to how many days for these to ripen fully. There is no day count listed. Picture and source: Rare Seeds
Black Brandywine
Pretty inside and out... why did it take me so long to add this one to our list? Finally in 2018! Potato leaf variety with Quaker roots. If you are a Brandywine connoisseur, you will really appreciate the lengthy history listed on this particular “true” black brandywine strain at the Baker Creek website. Thanks to a couple fateful gardening buddies (one dentist, both PA natives), we have this one today. It sounds like this one may tend to crack, which Brandywines can do. Brandywine is NEVER short on flavor, so I hope it is true to its roots! 80-90 days. Rare Seeds
Black Prince
Heirloom tomato originally from Irkutsk, Siberia. These deep garnet 5 oz. slicers are full of juice and incredibly rich fruity flavors. The small blemish-free fruits have rich green dark interiors. Expect a large crop and early to boot. Indeterminate. 70 days.
Blue Beauty
New for 2021! Recent Brad Gates unique tomato type. This one is a cross between Beauty King and a blue tomato. Red on the bottom with dark blue-black shoulders. Modest sized beefsteak at 8 oz., but a big show off for its color. Great reviews of its flavor as well. 80 days.
Source Rare Seeds
Cherokee Carbon
New for 2024! I got to try this last year, and it was super good. It was pretty too. Hybrid breeding done right! This is a cross of Cherokee Purple and Carbon. 10-12 oz good looking tomatoes that are really tasty. Indeterminate, 75 days.
Tomato Growers
Cherokee Chocolate
Mahogany colored version of the classic Cherokee Purple. Unique, 10 to 16 oz. fruits, are another must try for the colored-thrill-seeking gardeners out there (not sure that reads right.....you know what I mean)! Indet., 75 days.
Cherokee Purple
Pre 1890, Indian heirloom of ‘many colors.’ Very productive plants set out 10-12 oz. dusky pink-purplish fruits, with dark brick colored interiors and green shoulders. This is a favorite among many heirloom gardeners. Exhibits tolerance to mild drought , cracking/splitting, and common diseases. Indet. 80 days.
Compliments of Dave & Ashley, Cordova, TN
Dark Star
New for 2023! Dusty red beefsteak variety with flavor similar to Cherokee and Carbon. Highly resistant to late blight. Source states we can “expect higher yields and healthier plants than most heirlooms”. Indeterminate, 70-75 days.
Totally Tomato
Purple Calabash
A beautiful, drought tolerant variety producing small to medium (2 to 3 inch), flat, deeply ruffled, chocolate-brown to deep purple-burgandy fruit. (Mine were u-shaped, boat shaped and large, but very, very tasty) If you want a nice even slicer, this is not the one for you! Many fruits can be very odd shaped. Intensely rich, almost wine-like flavor. Crack resistant. Indeterminate. 85 days.
(From the garden of Jeff Crook, Olive Branch, MS)
Thornburn Terra Cotta
New for 2024! I found consistent reviews have this tomato as a winner for flavor and unique coloring. Mid-season smaller beefsteak of a orange/brown flesh popping some green in there for kicks, I guess. Inside and out, folks, I can’t wait to see it! Semi-determinate. 75 days.
Rare Seeds
YELLOW
Anna Banana Russian
New for 2021! Anna Russian’s little YELLOW sister here. Everybody who loves the Anna Russian oxheart, try this one. I haven’t met an oxheart that nobody likes. Like the other oxhearts, they are strawberry shaped, meaty, with few, yet small seeds... basically a roma design, in a bigger package, and much more flavor than our normal roma/paste. Those who can not tolerate the tomato seeds, should consider oxhearts. Anna Banana Russian... is just fun to say... Yellow fruit, often sport a pink interior blush. Indet., 75 days.
Source and picture: Victory Seeds
Big Rainbow
Bright golden yellow beefsteaks sometimes weighing up to 2 lb. with slight pink center. Color pattern must vary a lot on this one. Sweet tomato taste with a tanginess. One of the best yellows and an old heirloom favorite. Ind. 95 days. (pictured tomato 1 lb. 1 oz.)
Garden Peach
Light yellow opaque fruits that have a very slight fuzz texture to them resembling mini peaches. Some have a light pink blush when fully ripe. Plants are loaded with fruits that withstand cracking. Expect them to be the size of a golf ball. It is just one of those plants that you will want to put in a location for others to see. It is a snacking tomato. Sweet, fruity, and sort of peachy! Indeterminate
Gold Medal
New for 2020! Once described by the late Ben Quisinberry as “the sweetest tomato you ever tasted and a gourmet’s joy when sliced.” It was first introduced as Ruby Gold, and later renamed by him. This classic heirloom is a gorgeous yellow with some light striping outside. Slices will show a brighter redish striping/starburst. They are great size at 1 lb to 1.5 lb. Indeterminate, 80 days.
Tomato Growers
Hawaiian Pineapple
Large, golden-orange heirloom beefsteak with fruit that grows up to 1-1/2 lbs. When fruit is ripe it has a luscious, very rich, sweet pineapple-like flavor. Wonderful tasting striped job inside and out. Indeterminate. 93 days (pictured tomato 10 oz.)
Picture courtesy of Danielle in Marlboro, NJ
Hugh’s
Heirloom variety from Indiana in the 1940’s. Tall, heavy plants grow very large, 1-2 lb., beefsteak tomatoes that are pale yellow, thin-skinned, with a touch of pink on the blossom end. They are very meaty, and delicious seemingly bursting with summer sweetness. Truly one of the absolute best yellows. Indeterminate. 85 days. (pictured tomato is 1 lb. 12 oz.)
Yellow Perfection- One of Tomatogirl’s favorites
This potato leaf heirloom originally from an old British seed company produces bright yellow golf ball sized, thin skinned, tangy, and delicious fruits. This one gives oodles of tomatoes. They are very unique in taste! Indeterminate. 75 days.
ORANGE
Dad’s Sunset
If you are looking for a nice orange, try this one. Seed company says it is the “perfect orange tomato” and “one of the best flavored tomatoes we have tried”. This is a large, 10 oz. tomato that seems to keep very well. Indeterminate 90-100 days.
Kellogg’s Breakfast
Seeds originally came from Darrell Kellogg of Redford, Michigan. Medium to large orange beefsteaks are both meaty and juicy. This is a well known heirloom. We got many requests so we are adding it in 2009. Indet. 80-90 days.
Persimmon
Beautiful, golden-orange tomatoes have one of the best flavors of all the orange tomatoes. Average 5 inches in diameter and between 1 and 2 lbs., quite meaty with few seeds. Vigorous plants bear well. Indeterminate. 80 days.
Picture compliments of Hanna
GREENS
Aunt Ruby’s German Green
A great heirloom from Ruby Arnold of Greenville, TN. Beefsteak fruits, 5” by 4” deep, weigh one pound or more. These fruits may have a slightly pink end, but are otherwise very green when ripe. When they are soft to the touch...and squeeze just like a red one does...they are ready to pick. Indeterminate. 80 days.
Green Giant
Originally from Reinhard Kraft in Germany, this is a vigorous potato leaved variety that we are trying for 2009. Did someone say, “Giant”?! Smooth 12 to 18 oz. tomatoes with no cracking are ripe when they are chartreuse/lime green. You will pick them when they soften a little. Seed company promises a “complex and delicious combination of sweet and spicy that is very rich, well-balanced, and pleasing”. Ind. 85 days.
Green Zebra
Green with light green/yellow stripes...these add a very unique color to dishes and salads. Fruits are 1.5” to 2.5” and tangy. Popular heirloom. Indeterminate. 75 days.
Courtesy Karen, Abington, MA
Green Zebra Giant
New for 2022! Calling all Green Zebra Fans... bigger is better, right? These are the big sisters coming in at 8-9 oz. Productive and Indeterminate, 80 days.
Source: Tomato Growers
Evil Olive
New for 2023! 2-3 oz plum tomatoes in clusters of more than a dozen. They say this one is “insanely productive”. Fruits are long keeping. Seed source is saying that they “love this extremely crunchy” tomato. They are very beautiful starting olive green and ripening with red streaks. The inside slice looks like….well….a red tomato on a green background….don’t we all like that? (sort of like our logo!) Indeterminate, 70 days. Rare Seeds
BI - COLORS
Ananas Noire
This variety, also called Black Pineapple, was developed by a horticulturist from Belgium by crossing a black variety and Pineapple, a bi-color. On the smooth outside, this tomato wears red, green, yellow, grey, and purple. The inside flesh is bright green with deep red streaks. Fruits weigh about 1.5 lbs. and are abundant. Seed company says it is “sweet, smoky, with a hint of citrus.” Very unique appearance and taste in this one. Indeterminate 85 days.
Picture compliments of Hanna
Atomic Grape
This exciting tomato took the 2018 cover on the famous Baker Creek seed catalog. It is built like the Blush Tiger, but sportier. Large elongated cherries are “extremely” sweet. Similarly to an oxheart plant, these have wispy foliage. Apparently these are quite productive despite their delicate appearance. Looking at the pictures, no two of these are alike... looks like these were painted by my three-year-old’s daycare class. Young fruit have lavender and purple stripes. Fully ripened, these are olive green with red, brown/blue stripes. Olive green interior is blushed with red. Wild Boar Farms won Best of Show at the 2017 National Heirloom Expo. These range in size from a large grape to a plum-size. Very, very neat... this was the second “WOW” for 2018. Rare Seeds
Beauty King
Indet. 75-90 days. Sporting red and yellow stripes, this one is described to have “sweet” fruit growing up to 20 ounces. As it is a cross between Big Rainbow and Green Zebra, it is very hard for me to imagine. Highly recommended from Totally Tomatoes. Added 2017.Totally Tomato
Berkeley Pink Tie-Dye
Indeterminate, 65-75 days. Beefy fruit can reach 8-12 ounces. True beefsteak shape on this one...squat globe, giving each slice its best diameter. Very colorful fruit that I shall quote the company on, “vivid, rosy-blushed fruit has iridescent, grass green skin with sunny yellow streaks and an interior that is a fascinating kaleidoscope of green with trails of red and yellow”
OR go here to check out the picture and source: TerritorialSeed
Courtesy Karen, Abington, MA
BuffaloSun SEED CHARGE + 0.50
New for 2021! The name says it all... Huge and yellow... These beefsteaks weigh in at 18-24 oz. Yellow with red/orange marbling inside and out. Indeterminate, 85 days.
Totally Tomato
Hillbilly
Heirloom variety from West Virginia was highly recommended by one of our aficionados for its flavor sampled in 2010! Huge bi-colored fruit easily weigh 1 to 2 lbs. Sweet and fruity flavor in a yellow-orange package with red streaking. Indeterminate, 85 days.
Little Lucky
New for 2021! This is a smaller fruited version of Lucky Cross. It was an “accidental cross” of Brandywine and an unknown variety, that was stabilized. Medium sized, 3-8 oz. Golden yellow fruit with a bright red blossom end blush. Complex, juicy, tangy, and sweet. Indet., 90 days.
Source and picture: Victory Seeds
Livingston’s Honor Bright
New for 2021! This plant has a few genetic traits that I thought were interesting. The foilage is a “yellowish, almost flourescent green hue.” Flowers are cream colored, rather than yellow. Furthermore, the fruit grows green, then ripens to white, then yellow, then orange, and finally red. I have seen peppers do this, but this is my first tomato of sorts. This plant was first released in 1897. Ultimately, the picture looks like a decent size red beefsteak. Indeterminate, 90 days. Source and picture: Victory Seeds
Marvel Stripe
Beefsteak originally from Oaxaca, Mexico. Great producer of large yellow fruits with orange and red streaks throughout. Great taste in this one and one of our favorite bi-colors. We grew it as a custom order in 2008 and samplers asked for it to be added in 2009. Indeterminate, 95 days.
Mister Stripey
Added 2014. We used to offer the small Tigerella version of Mr. Stripey. It seemed everyone was looking more so for this larger type, so we thought we would finally give it a go here. Large red and yellow striped heirloom fruits are mild-flavored and low in acid. Indetereminate, 80 days.
Source and picture: TotallyTomato.com
Pineapple
Red and yellow tomatoes are streaked inside and out. Fruit average one pound with full flavor. We have been loving Hawaiian Pineapple for its rich fruitiness for years, so I thought we would try the more common Pineapple, to see which is better. Indeterminate, 85 days.
Pink Jazz
New for 2020! Legendary tomato breeder Fred Helpel introduced this 1 lb beefsteak. Flavor is said to be sweet with peach undertones. Fruit are pink with pink and yellow tiger striping.
Rare Seeds
Pork Chop
2015 addition. True yellow medium sized, slightly flattened beefsteaks come from Wild Boar Farm. Owner Brad Gates says it is the “best yellow I have ever had” with hints of citrus. Fruit sports green stripes that will ripen to gold. 75-85 days. Picture and source:
Rare Seeds
Courtesy Lynda Horn, Russellville, AR
Sart Roloise SEED CHARGE + 0.50
New for 2021! Large beefsteak tomatoes are vibrant yellow/indigo colors. Fruits are “bursting with sweet fruity and complex flavor with just the right acidity” and weigh in at 10-20 ounces. It is a cross between the White Wonder and the Baby Blue tomatoes.
Source and picture: Rare Seeds
Speckled Roman
This is a cross of Antique Roman and Banana Legs. Orange-red, 3” wide by 5” long fruits are a paste-type marked by irregular yellow stripes. Meaty fruits have hearty, “real tomato” flavor and almost no seeds. It is not a very large producer, but many people really like this one. One bite is sure to make it one of your favorites! Indet. 85 days.
Tye-Dye SEED CHARGE + 0.50
I got to see a picture and this was a pretty orange on the outside with uniform, bright (pink and yellow) striping on the inside like a sliced Ruby Red grapefruit...a neat looking tomato. Seed company promises “flavor-full heirloom flavor of Big Rainbow, Pineapple, and Georgia Streak with bigger yields.” more consistent form , and better disease resistance in this hybrid. Smooth, 7 ounce fruit are sweet, mild, and non-acidic. Indet. 78 days. (This plant costs 50 cents more due to a much more costly seed for whatever reason.)
Virginia Sweets
Seed supplier spoke very highly of this bi-color’s taste and production compared to other striped jobs, calling them “beautiful and enormous.” Fruit weigh at least 1 lb. each. Golden yellow beefsteaks have red stripes that turn into a red top and bottom on the golden fruit. Indeterminate, 80 days.
Over 2 lbs! Courtesy Kim and Jeff, Cordova, TN
Tribute to Mark McKinney, Arlington, TN
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