Tomatoes have been our go-to choice for as long as we can remember. Even growing up, we would have our very own stand at the local farmers market, selling stuff like cucumbers, peppers and of course, more tomatoes than we could hold.
We didn’t know what variety we were selling either, all that we knew is that the tomatoes we had on our hands were red and plump, and that was enough to make a decent living off of.
Sure, every now and then we would also come across the occasional yellow or plum-shaped variety, but that’s beside the point.
Nowadays though, things have changed. We now know that there are hundreds of tomato varieties for you to choose from when planting your very own tomatoes.
On top of that, they are all different from one another, so picking the right one is essential if you actually want to commercialize them and bring enough money home to make a profit.
This is why for today we decided to give you our very own rendition of the top 20 best tomato varieties for you to grow in your garden.
So, if you’re interested, keep on reading because this may end up changing your whole perspective on tomato growing.
20. Super Sauce
This is a two pound tomato that is big enough to fill up an entire sauce jar with. So, if you are primarily looking for a good variety to use for your own sauce, you can’t go wrong with a Super Sauce tomato row.
Taste wise it is not all that special, but as the name implies, when it comes to the sauce you can make out of it, this tomato is anything but ordinary.
19. Fire Fly
The Fire Fly tomato variety is, according to the All-America Selections, by far one of the best varieties your money could get you.
They are quite small fruits though, being sized between a currant and a cherry, but as is common with small things, they do pack quite a punch when it comes to their flavor.
On top of that, the Fire Fly variety is known for being quite resistant to diseases, so if you’re sick of your tomatoes going bad before harvesting, definitely consider going for a Fire Fly.
18. Sugary
This Sugary Tomato is the perfect variety to go for if you have a very picky friend that swears by his hatred for tomatoes.
We have met plenty of people like that over the years, but they all changed their minds after they got a bite out of the Sugary variety.
It is a pointy shaped fruit that, as the name implies, is known for its sweet taste and how vigorously it can grow through most any seasons.
It also won the 2005 All-America Selections contest, being regarded as the number one pick for any food critics that can’t stand tomatoes in their dishes.
17. Aunt Ruby’s German Green
This green tomato variety is quite famous thanks to its unique coloring. While most other tomatoes tend to start off as green, they always redden up as they ripen.
This isn’t the case with Aunt Ruby’s German Green tomatoes though, as they are quite vibrantly lime green all throughout the process.
This is also one of the most talked about heirlooms of recent years, having won several contests for being one of the sweetest and most delicious additions to any type of salad out there.
16. Tomato ‘Ildi’
This is a cherry variety that is known for having sweet yellow pear-shaped tomatoes. They are quite addictive though so beware because chances are that once you start gulping one down, you won’t stop until they’re all done.
The Tomato ‘Ildi’ is also known as one of the best choices for container growing, so if you don’t have the space for larger varieties, definitely consider going for one of these.
15. Early Girl
Despite the fact that we put them so low up on our list, we should preface our decision by stating the fact that Early Girl tomatoes are one of our favorite tomato varieties out there.
In fact, if you are primarily looking for a cheap, popular and easy to grow vegetable to add to your backyard garden, you can’t go wrong with this one.
The Early Girl tomato is also quite a large variety, as it can grow to be around half a pound by the end of the season. You may can them, cook with them or you can just use them in salads and sandwiches as you see fit.
As the name implies, Early Girl tomatoes are ready to be harvested a lot earlier in the year than most other tomato varieties.
So, if you’re primarily looking to get a head start on the competition, you can always count on the Early Girl tomatoes.
14. Green Zebra
The Green Zebra tomato gets its name from the unique looking green coloring, which is made all the better by the yellow stripes that run down it.
But that’s not all, as the Green Zebra is also known for having a very unique flavor that you can’t find anywhere else.
It is said to have a very strange tart flavor, and as such it is a very popular choice for farmers to use in different dishes.
We prefer to fry them, but you can use them however you see fit and as long as you enjoy the unique flavor you’ve done your job perfectly.
Do keep in mind however that the Green Zebra tomatoes are quite small, usually being smaller than half a pound each.
13. Better Boy
If you hate taking risks and instead you prefer to just go for a tomato variety that has been tried and tested for well over 50 years now, you have got to invest in Better Boy tomatoes.
This is a world-renowned variety that has even won a Guinness World Record for having produced the most fruit out of any other tomato plant out there.
So, if you want to get a lot of fruit this season, you can always just go for a Better Boy tomato garden and we can assure you that you won’t regret your choice.
12. Cherokee Purple
We have grown Cherokee Purple tomatoes in our own garden for well over a decade now, so when we tell you that they’re worth it, be sure you can trust us.
They’re quite small and delightful little buggers that can grow to be around half a pound or even less than that per season.
But by far the most interesting part about owning Cherokee Purple tomatoes is their look. They are a darker variety that makes any dish look ten times more exotic.
Cherokee Purple tomatoes also make for some of the best canned tomatoes around, and because of their unique look they make any salad stand out and look all the more delectable.
Taste wise they are not all that special, if anything they’re just a bit juicier and more fragile to the touch. But they do tend to melt in your mouth due to how savory they are, which is always a plus in our book.
11. Dixie Golden Giant
This is by far one of the most unique looking tomato varieties you will come across. On top of looking like something that a drunk man dreams about after a wild bender of a night though, the Dixie Golden Giant also has quite an interesting history attached to it.
This is actually an heirloom variety that is believed to have originated from the Amish community.
Interestingly enough, this is also one of the sweetest varieties of tomato you will find, while also having a hint of fruitiness attached to it.
As the name implies though, the Dixie Golden Giant variety also grows to be one of the largest tomatoes around.
In fact, most Dixie Golden Giants will grow to be around a pound or more in size. Do keep in mind though that they also have a very thick and meaty consistency which is not for everyone.
10. Delicious
If you’ve ever shopped at one of the local grocery stores then chances are that these were the Delicious tomatoes that you saw in the corner of your eye.
This is because this is by far the most widespread commercialized tomato variety out there, and for good reason too.
They are easy to grow, very delicious and they can also grow to be around a pound or two in size, making them some of the most universally acclaimed tomato varieties.
They are so juicy in fact that we need to warn you on how you handle them. Have you ever seen an old cartoon in which they drop a single tomato on the floor and it instantly becomes mush? That stereotype was inspired by the Delicious tomato variety most likely.
9. Amana Orange
If you are still on the lookout for a new variety to add to your salad bowl to make it more vibrant, definitely consider the Amana Orange type.
This is an heirloom variety that can grow to be as large as two pounds each, making it one of the best types to go for if you are primarily looking for big tomatoes.
On top of that though, Amana Orange tomatoes are quite tasty and flavorful, being known as some of the sweetest tomatoes on the market right now.
They are also quite plump and juicy, and as such they are recommended for canning if you happen to grow more than a handful of them at a time.
8. Azoychka
Yet another incredible yellow tomato variety, the Azoychka tomato makes its way so high up on our list thanks to its unique citrussy flavor.
But that’s not all, as the Azoychka tomato is also one of the larger varieties out there, weighing in at around half a pound each.
By far its most recognizable trait is its bright yellow color, which is why it is often times picked to be used as ornaments on top of salads and as sandwich toppings.
7. Black Krim
The Black Krim tomato variety is yet another unique looking type of tomato that makes its way on this list for multiple reasons.
First and foremost, it is uniquely colored, as it looks like a darker and more emo version of the original Delicious tomato.
Its blackish purple color is worth nothing if it isn’t also quite tasty too, but luckily the Black Krim tomato handles both of these aspects quite extraordinarily too. Because of this and more, the Black Krim variety makes for one of the best tomato varieties out there.
6. Blondkopfchen
You may not be able to pronounce it at first, but trust us when we tell you that after a while you will not be able to stop praising the Blondkopfchen variety to everyone around you.
The name directly translates to “Little Blonde Girl”, and it was given to it thanks to its unique coloring. Interestingly enough though, the Blondkopfchen tomato is actually a cherry tomato variety.
As such, it has the sweet and gentle taste that most other cherry tomatoes are known for, while also featuring a much milder flavor than most other types out there.
5. Beef Steak
The Beef Steak tomato is easily one of the most common types of tomatoes out there. It is a large red type that can grow to be around a pound each.
It is a bit of a fan favorite for sandwiches and salads out there due to how rich the flavor is and how well it permeates through the plethora of tastes that it can be combined with.
Do keep in mind though that due to their large size, they can sometimes split at the top which is anything but aesthetically pleasing to the eye.
4. Chocolate Stripes
Chocolate Stripes are by far one of the most popular tomato varieties we’ve ever grown around the farm, and for good reason too.
Everybody that ever came to our garden has asked us about the large reddish colored tomatoes with brown stripes running down its skin.
On top of being so large and unique looking though, when it comes to its overall taste, we can safely say that it also gets our vote of approval for being one of the sweetest varieties you’ll find.
3. Brandywine
This is yet another one of those picks that we have to admit is a bit biased. That’s because we personally can never get enough of the Brandywine variety.
But how can we describe the taste and flavor of the Brandywine tomato? It’s simple really, if you’ve ever gulped down a whole raw tomato in one go, and you asked for seconds, chances are you just had a taste of a Brandywine tomato.
These tomatoes to tend to be quite large though, so if you want to use them primarily just for sandwiches, you will have to cut them in smaller slices each.
2. Black Cherry Tomatoes
This is a unique looking and tasting tomato that was one step away from taking our number one spot for the day.
The only reason as to why we didn’t give it to them is because they are too easy to chow down on. In fact, very few black cherry tomatoes even made it in any of our dishes because we would just chow them down as soon as we got our hands on them.
At the same time though, we never planted more than a few rows of them per season, but starting next year we will make sure to plant a lot more so that we may actually try them in our dishes too.
1. Celebrities
We don’t have the most experience with growing our very own Celebrities tomatoes, as we only really started a few years back.
Even so, we can safely say that it didn’t take long to convince us of the fact that these are the absolute best tomatoes we could have in our garden.
These tomatoes just look like a dream come true, they are so clean and sweet and on top of all of that, they are quite resistant despite the fact that once you do bite down on them your mouth gets a fistful of juice everywhere.
They are round and quite plump, and let’s not forget about the fact that they can usually weigh in at around half a pound per piece.
Conclusion
These are the best tomato varieties we could think of. We have grown our very own tomatoes for quite some time now, and while this list is quite biased, we made sure that it also conforms with the general populace’s opinions.
So, regardless of whether you’re looking to add these tomatoes to your dishes or if you want to actually make a profit off of them, you can’t go wrong with any of the choices on this list.
Contents
- 20. Super Sauce
- 19. Fire Fly
- 18. Sugary
- 17. Aunt Ruby’s German Green
- 16. Tomato ‘Ildi’
- 15. Early Girl
- 14. Green Zebra
- 13. Better Boy
- 12. Cherokee Purple
- 11. Dixie Golden Giant
- 10. Delicious
- 9. Amana Orange
- 8. Azoychka
- 7. Black Krim
- 6. Blondkopfchen
- 5. Beef Steak
- 4. Chocolate Stripes
- 3. Brandywine
- 2. Black Cherry Tomatoes
- 1. Celebrities
