The best-tasting tomatoes by far come from heirloom varieties. Heirloom tomato varieties will give you the widest range of colors and flavors. There is evidence to suggest they are higher in important nutrients, too!
Hybrid tomatoes are appreciated for their sturdiness and the disease resistance that many of them offer through selective breeding and crossing. But some of the best features of hybrids come at the expense of juiciness, texture, nutrition, and flavor. Heirlooms have lost none of that.
Why We Love Our Heirlooms
Why do growers love heirloom tomatoes so much?
First off all, if you are looking for a classic, juicy tomato with classic flavor, it’s an heirloom tomato that you want.
Other reasons people love their heirloom tomatoes include:
- Superior flavor
- Wide range of colors
- Wide range of shapes
- They are open pollinated so you can save seeds
- Grow true to type from saved seeds
- Easy to save seeds from
- Thinner skins
- Historical varieties with a story behind them
16 Of the Best Heirloom Tomato Varieties You Can Grow
You know the why, but now, what? What variety (or varieties) of heirloom tomatoes are best?
There are many opinions on the matter, of course, and lots of options. But here are some of the most popular varieties of heirloom tomatoes you should grow.
1. Cherokee Purple
| Flavor: | Excellent: sweet, juicy, rich, full tomato flavor |
| Type: | Slicer, beefsteak |
| Color: | Dark purple-brown, dark green on shoulders, brick-red flesh inside |
| Size: | 10 to 13 ounces (5 by 3 inches, average) |
| Uses: | Slicing, fresh eating, salads, sandwiches, toppings, juicing |
| Climate Notes: | Suitable to all climates, resilient in cold areas (not frost tolerant, though) |
| Disease Resistance: | Good; concentric cracking is expected; avoid pruning to prevent sun scald |
| Growing Conditions: | Full sun, fertile soil, slightly acidic, needs support (stakes or cages) |
| Days to Harvest: | 80 to 85 |
| Yield: | High |
| Determinate or Indeterminate? | Indeterminate |
Where to Buy Cherokee Purple Tomato Seeds:
Cherokee purple is one heirloom tomato that people across all different zones, climates, and locations say performs well. And since it is known as a multipurpose tomato and is a fairly disease resistant heirloom, it tops the list.
But what really makes Cherokee Purple one of the best heirloom tomatoes and a first choice for many heirloom tomato growers is its taste. That is, after all, what we grow heirloom tomatoes for!
Also makes the list for being one of the:
2. Black Krim
| Flavor: | Very good; sweet, rich, juicy, classic tomato |
| Type: | Beefsteak |
| Color: | Dark red/maroon with green-tinged shoulders |
| Size: | 8 to 10+ ounces |
| Uses: | Fresh eating: salads, slicing, sandwiches, toppings, juicing |
| Climate Notes: | Good for all regions; well suited for hot areas; heat tolerant |
| Disease Resistance: | Fair: crack resistant |
| Growing Conditions: | Full sun, fertile soil, slightly acidic, needs support (stakes or cages) |
| Days to Harvest: | 80 |
| Yield: | High |
| Determinate or Indeterminate? | Indeterminate |
Where to Buy Black Krim Tomato Seeds:
Many Reddit readers laud Black Krim as one of the best heirloom tomatoes. It is originally from Russia, but available all over the world. It is red to green in color, giving it an attractive, unique look. It is very meaty so it can be used in a variety of ways. Black Krim is also one of the best and highest-yielding heirloom tomatoes. It is crack-resistant and heat-tolerant.
Also makes the list for being one of the:
3. Kellogg’s Breakfast
| Flavor: | Excellent |
| Type: | Giant beefsteak |
| Color: | Orange |
| Size: | 1 to 2 pounds each |
| Uses: | Slicing, fresh eating, salads, sandwiches, salsas |
| Climate Notes: | Suited to all climates |
| Disease Resistance: | Good; not well documented |
| Growing Conditions: | Full sun, fertile soil, slightly acidic, needs strong support (trellises, stakes, or cages) |
| Days to Harvest: | 80 days |
| Yield: | Very high |
| Determinate or Indeterminate? | Indeterminate |
Where to Buy Kellogg‘s Breakfast Tomato Seeds:
Kellogg’s Breakfast was developed in Virginia in the United States and was then perfected in Michigan, which is a much colder growing zone and is farther north. This means, practically speaking, that the variety is adapted to grow in many different types of climates and locations. This makes it a good heirloom choice for most growers. The tomatoes are an orange color, the color of oranges, and the fruits are large. They are also very juicy and meaty and have excellent flavor. The vines grow and produce prolifically and need very good support.
Also makes the list for being one of the:
4. Mortgage Lifter
| Flavor: | Very good: sweet, meaty, juicy |
| Type: | Giant beefsteak |
| Color: | Pink-red |
| Size: | Giant, average fruit 2 ½ pounds, up to 4 pounds |
| Uses: | Slicing, salads, sandwiches, toppings |
| Climate Notes: | Heirloom suited to all climates |
| Disease Resistance: | Good: Verticillium wilt, Fusarium wilt, Root-knot nematodes |
| Growing Conditions: | Full sun, fertile soil, slightly acidic, good support is recommended to support giant fruit (stakes or cages) |
| Days to Harvest: | 80 to 85 |
| Yield: | Excellent, heavy |
| Determinate or Indeterminate? | Indeterminate |
Where to Buy Mortgage Lifter Tomato Seeds:
Mortgage Lifter is one of those heirlooms with a great story behind it. After six years of development, its developer was able to sell plants of this tomato to pay off his mortgage!
These tomatoes are huge, with even the small fruits weighing two pounds, and many twice that size. It is also highly productive and has good disease resistance, too.
Also makes the list for being one of the:
5. Brandywine (or Pink Brandywine)
| Flavor: | Excellent, classic tomato |
| Type: | Beefsteak, slicer |
| Color: | Pink |
| Size: | 1 to 2 pounds |
| Uses: | Fresh eating, slicing, crushed tomatoes, salsa |
| Climate Notes: | Suited to all climates |
| Disease Resistance: | Very good; blight resistant |
| Growing Conditions: | Full sun, fertile soil, slightly acidic, needs support (stakes or cages) |
| Days to Harvest: | 80 to 90 |
| Yield: | Moderately high |
| Determinate or Indeterminate? | Indeterminate |
Where to Buy Colored Brandywine Tomato Seeds:
Brandywine tomatoes are a well-known and well-loved heirloom variety. It is known for its flavor. They are a meaty tomato, which makes them a good multi-purpose heirloom. Brandywines lend good blight resistance, which is not the case for all heirloom varieties. It bears large, one to two pound fruits.
Some gardeners do report Brandywine being finicky depending on your location.
Also makes the list for being one of the:
6. German Johnson
| Flavor: | Excellent |
| Type: | Slicer, Beefsteak |
| Color: | Pink-red |
| Size: | ½ to 1 pound |
| Uses: | Slicing, sandwiches, salads |
| Climate Notes: | Suitable for hot, humid climates |
| Disease Resistance: | Very Good |
| Growing Conditions: | Full sun, fertile soil, slightly acidic, needs support (stakes or cages) |
| Days to Harvest: | 75 to 85 days |
| Yield: | High |
| Determinate or Indeterminate? | Indeterminate |
Where to Buy Tomato Seeds:
German Johnson is one of the parent heirlooms that was used in the pollination crosses to create the Mortgage Lifter. It has a sweet, tangy, heirloom tomato flavor. It is known as a productive and more vigorous tomato compared to other heirloom varieties. It does well in hot, humid climates and has good disease resistance. (It was developed in the hot, humid regions of the U.S. mid east coast.)
7. German Pink
| Flavor: | Very good; sweet heirloom |
| Type: | Beefsteak, slicer |
| Color: | Pink |
| Size: | 1 to 2 pounds each |
| Uses: | Fresh eating, salads, canning, juicing, saucing (multi-purpose tomato) |
| Climate Notes: | Suited to all climates |
| Disease Resistance: | Good; crack resistant, may offer some fungal disease resistance (variable reports) |
| Growing Conditions: | Full sun, fertile soil, slightly acidic, needs support (stakes or cages) |
| Days to Harvest: | 85 days |
| Yield: | High |
| Determinate or Indeterminate? | Indeterminate |
Where to Buy German Pink Tomato Seeds:
German Pink is a pink, light red tomato. It was one of the first heirlooms saved when the Seed Savers Exchange was created. It is loved for being a versatile, good all-around tomato. Fruits are large at one to two pounds each. Though it is a round slicer type, it has few seeds and is very meaty. Like the German Johnson, it is known for good disease resistance, too.
Also makes the list for being one of the:
8. Rutgers
| Flavor: | Sweet, full flavor, meaty |
| Type: | Slicing, canning |
| Color: | Red |
| Size: | 6 to 12 ounces |
| Uses: | Multi-purpose, good for salads and slicing, soups, saucing, canning, freezing |
| Climate Notes: | Suitable for all climates, developed in mid-coast eastern U.S., performs in northern regions |
| Disease Resistance: | Very good: Anthracnose, Fusarium wilt, Gray leaf spot, Verticillium wilt, Crack resistant |
| Growing Conditions: | Full sun, fertile soil, slightly acidic, needs support (stakes or cages) |
| Days to Harvest: | 73 days |
| Yield: | High |
| Determinate or Indeterminate? | Determinate, but some show semi- and indeterminate characteristics |
Where to Buy Rutgers Tomato Seeds:
The Rutgers tomato variety was developed for use by the Campbell’s soup company in the early 1900s, so you know it has to have excellent flavor and meatiness. It is also a juicy tomato with excellent versatility. Though it is a great saucing tomato, it is actually round, so it makes an excellent multi-purpose tomato for slicing, canning, saucing, and more. Rutgers matures earlier than many heirloom varieties, too. It is reliable, with very good disease resistance.
Also makes the list for being one of the:
9. Amish Paste
| Flavor: | Very good: sweet, meaty, juicy, classic tomato flavor |
| Type: | Multi-purpose paste/canning tomato |
| Color: | Red |
| Size: | 8 to 12 ounces (largest canning type) |
| Uses: | Multi-purpose: canning, paste, sauces, soup, fresh eating, slicing, salads |
| Climate Notes: | Suitable for all regions, developed in the northern U.S./Midwest |
| Disease Resistance: | Good, resilient from blight with treatment |
| Growing Conditions: | Full sun, fertile soil, slightly acidic, needs support (stakes or cages, trellising) |
| Days to Harvest: | 75 to 85 days |
| Yield: | High; continuous production through frost |
| Determinate or Indeterminate? | Indeterminate |
Where to Buy Amish Paste Tomato Seeds:
Amish Paste is one of the best saucing tomatoes, is multi-purpose, and is one of the highest yielding, too! And for all of that, they have never lost their excellent heirloom flavor. They are somewhat plum shaped, but are large and slice well, too.
Also makes the list for being one of the:
- Best multi-purpose tomatoes
- Best canners
- Best saucing
- Highest yielding
- Best salsa tomatoes
- Best dehydrating tomatoes
10. Hungarian Heart
| Flavor: | Excellent; traditional sweet heirloom tomato flavor |
| Type: | Oxheart |
| Color: | Reddish-pink |
| Size: | Large, 16+ ounces |
| Uses: | Sauces, salsa, fresh eating, canning (multi-purpose) |
| Climate Notes: | Suited to all climates. Originated in Hungary |
| Disease Resistance: | Good; Crack resistant |
| Growing Conditions: | Full sun, fertile soil, slightly acidic, needs support (stakes or cages) |
| Days to Harvest: | 80 days |
| Yield: | High |
| Determinate or Indeterminate? | Indeterminate |
Where to Buy Hungarian Heart Tomato Seeds:
Hungarian Heart is not only an attractive-looking heirloom tomato, but it’s a flavorful one, too. It has long been relied upon as a multi-purpose tomato suited to all uses, from fresh eating to roasting and preserving. It is a practically coreless tomato with few seeds that is large and almost all meat. Very little of the tomato goes to waste. They call it a “cook’s dream” because it serves every use in the kitchen. If you only want to plant one or two tomato varieties for all your different uses, Hungarian Heart would be a great choice!
Also makes the list for being one of the:
11. San Marzano
| Flavor: | Very good; classic Italian flavor |
| Type: | Italian canner |
| Color: | Red |
| Size: | 4 to 5 ounces |
| Uses: | Cooking, saucing, stewing, canning, dehydrating, sun drying, paste, salsa |
| Climate Notes: | Suitable for all climates |
| Disease Resistance: | Good; not specifically bred for resistance, but displays resistant tendencies |
| Growing Conditions: | Full sun, fertile soil, slightly acidic, needs support (stakes or cages, trellises) |
| Days to Harvest: | 80 days |
| Yield: | High |
| Determinate or Indeterminate? | Indeterminate |
Where to Buy San Marzano Tomato Seeds:
In Italy, “the” go-to tomato is the beloved heirloom San Marzano. It’s a classic Italian tomato, a paste type producing large, meaty fruits. They have small seed cavities and are low moisture so they cook down well and dry well, too. San Marzanos make a good, thick sauce because there isn’t as much liquid to need to cook away.
Also makes the list for being one of the:
- Best multi-purpose tomatoes
- Best canners
- Best saucing
- Highest yielding
- Best salsa tomatoes
- Earliest ripening
- Best for sun dried and dehydrating
12. Roma
| Flavor: | Good; classic Italian tomato flavor |
| Type: | Canner, Roma, Plum |
| Color: | Pink-Red |
| Size: | 2 to 4 ounces |
| Uses: | Most well known for all types of saucing, canning, cooking, and juicing; good for fresh eating |
| Climate Notes: | Suited to growing in all climates; water deeply during dry weather |
| Disease Resistance: | Good: Verticillium wilt, Fusarium wilt |
| Growing Conditions: | Full sun, fertile soil, slightly acidic, needs support (stakes or cages) |
| Days to Harvest: | 76 to 78 days |
| Yield: | High |
| Determinate or Indeterminate? | Determinate |
Where to Buy Roma Tomato Seeds:
Roma tomatoes might just be the most popular tomatoes for canning and saucing. There is an improved VF variety that is even more high yielding. Romas are reliable plants that resist wilt diseases well. They are also determinate plants, so you’ll have all your tomatoes for canning, saucing, and preserving coming ripe at the same time (usually within two or three weeks), which is perfect for big production preserving days. The tomatoes have few seeds and are very meaty.
Also makes the list for being one of the:
- Best multi-purpose tomatoes
- Best canners
- Best saucing
- Highest yielding
- Best salsa tomatoes
- Earliest ripening
- Best for sun dried and dehydrating
13. Yellow Pear
| Flavor: | Very good; mild, sweet |
| Type: | Small pear |
| Color: | Yellow |
| Size: | 2 to 4 ounces (1 ½”) |
| Uses: | Canning, tomato preserves, salsa, fresh eating |
| Climate Notes: | Suited to all climates |
| Disease Resistance: | Very good: Late blight, Fusarium wilt, Verticillium wilt, Anthracnose |
| Growing Conditions: | Full sun, fertile soil, slightly acidic, needs support (stakes or cages) |
| Days to Harvest: | 75 to 80 days |
| Yield: | Very high |
| Determinate or Indeterminate? | Indeterminate |
Where to Buy Yellow Pear Tomato Seeds:
Yellow pear tomatoes are smaller, weighing only about 2 to 4 ounces. However, the plants are extremely prolific and disease-resistant. It is excellent for preserving, with a milder, sweet flavor and interesting color. Yellow pear is excellent for fresh eating and it is also known as a great heirloom for tomato preserves like salsas and jams.
Also makes the list for being one of the:
- Best multi-purpose tomatoes
- Best canners
- Highest yielding
- Best salsa tomatoes
- Best for sun dried and dehydrating
- Best Colored Tomatoes
14. Black Cherry
| Flavor: | Excellent; classic tomato in a cherry form |
| Type: | Cherry |
| Color: | Dark red, dark green shoulders |
| Size: | 1 ounce |
| Uses: | Fresh eating; salads, snacking, platters |
| Climate Notes: | Does well in hot and humid conditions; high heat tolerant |
| Disease Resistance: | Good; vigorous vines can outgrow disease |
| Growing Conditions: | Full sun, fertile soil, slightly acidic, needs support (trellising, stakes, or cages) |
| Days to Harvest: | 64 days |
| Yield: | High |
| Determinate or Indeterminate? | Indeterminate |
Where to Buy Black Cherry Tomato Seeds:
Black cherry is considered one of the best of the dark colored cherry tomato varieties. It also matures early and continues to produce throughout the entire season, ending only when bitten by frost. It has high heat tolerance, too, so it won’t stop producing just because the temperature is high. This all combines to make it one of the highest yielding tomatoes.
*Chocolate cherry is a good heirloom cherry tomato, too, but it’s basically the same as the black cherry. The only real difference is that Black cherry is a bigger tomato.
Also makes the list for being one of the:
- Earliest ripening
- Best for indoor growing
- Best Heat Tolerant
- Best saucing
- Highest yielding
- Best for sun dried and dehydrating
- Best Colored Tomatoes
15. Matt’s Wild Cherry
| Flavor: | Excellent; very sweet |
| Type: | Small cherry, ¼ to ½ ounce |
| Color: | Red |
| Size: | ¼ to ½ ounce |
| Uses: | Fresh eating; salads, snacking, platters |
| Climate Notes: | High heat tolerant |
| Disease Resistance: | Very good: Early blight, Late blight |
| Growing Conditions: | Full sun, fertile soil, slightly acidic, needs support (stakes or cages) |
| Days to Harvest: | 55 to 60 days |
| Yield: | Very high |
| Determinate or Indeterminate? | Indeterminate |
Where to Buy Matt's Wild Cherry Tomato Seeds:
Matt’s Wild Cherry is a small, prolific, currant-type tomato with a very sweet, superior heirloom flavor. It produces all season long, and heat won’t slow it down. It also boasts excellent resistance to early blight and late blight.
Also makes the list for being one of the:
16. Principe Borghese
| Flavor: | Very good, classic Italian |
| Type: | Small plum/grape |
| Color: | Red |
| Size: | One to two ounces |
| Uses: | Dehydrating, sun-dried tomatoes, sauces, paste, canning |
| Climate Notes: | Suited to all climates; don’t overwater; drought tolerant |
| Disease Resistance: | Good, crack resistant |
| Growing Conditions: | Full sun, fertile soil, slightly acidic, needs support (stakes or cages) |
| Days to Harvest: | 75 days |
| Yield: | High |
| Determinate or Indeterminate? | Determinate |
Where to Buy Principe Borghese Tomato Seeds:
Principe Borghese is another of the beloved Italian tomatoes that are a must-have in Italy. They are favorites for classic sun dried tomatoes. The fruits are small but meaty, with little juice, and are nearly seedless. Overwatering will turn these tomatoes juicier, but that is not usually desired for saucing and sun drying, so try to avoid it if you can.
Also makes the list for being one of the:
