Which is the Best Tasting Tomato Variety?

Aah, tomatoes! I love tomatoes. It's the most common plant to grow in the home vegetable garden, though it is botanically a fruit. There is no comparison between a store bought tomato and a homegrown one. Store tomatoes are often mushy, dry and flavorless. A homegrown tomato is firm, juicy and has a flavor that is sweet, rich and complex. I have had people tell me "I hate tomatoes", only to see their eyes light up upon biting into a sweet, juicy jewel, still warm from the sun.

With roughly 7500 varieties of tomatoes, choosing which kind to grow can be daunting. Some choose to grow heirloom varieties that their grandmother grew. Others opt for newer hybrids that are disease resistant. Still others want to go "Alice in Wonderland" and grow varieties that are every color of the rainbow except the standard red. For me, I am all about flavor. I want real "tomato" taste, that perfect balance of sweetness and acidity. Here is a list of the varieties I am growing this year as well as a description of the flavor, color and growth habits.

Ananas Noire

Also known as black pineapple. An heirloom variety it has a sweet, mild slightly citrusy flavor. The best way to describe the color is a tie-dye shirt; pink, yellow and green swirled together. Average 1 1/2 pounds. Indeterminate.

Black Sea Man

An heirloom variety that is by far the most striking when sliced. Rich, complex, creamy and delicious. Mahogany with olive green shoulders. Average 12 ounces. Determinate.

Brandy Boy

Hybrid. Tastes like brandywine but produces earlier and more fruits. Pink. Averages 14 ounces. Indeterminate.

Cherokee Purple



Heirloom tomato in the "black" category. Sweet and rich with and unusual purple brown color. Average 10 ounces. Indeterminate.

Djena Lees Golden Girl

Heirloom tomato it has a nice balance of sweet and tangy flavor. Deep golden to orange color. Average 10 ounces. Indeterminate.

Dr. Wyches Yellow

Heirloom. The best tasting of the yellow tomatoes. Yellow. Average 1 pound. Indeterminate.

Giant Belgium

Heirloom. Huge, sweet, meaty fruits with very few seeds. Dark pink. Average 2 pounds. Indeterminate.



Golden San Marzano 

Hybrid variety. Large yellow version of the classic San marzano. Flavorful Roma type for pasta sauce. Bright yellow color. 4-5 inches long. Determinate.

Honey Bunch

Hybrid variety, "current" type tomato. Super sweet, crunchy pearls. Red in color. Tiny 1/4-1/2 ounce tomatoes. Indeterminate.

Japanese Black Trifele

Pear shaped heirloom tomato. One of my favorites. Sweet, rich, and complex with smoky undertones. Awesome dried. Mahogany with green shoulders. Highly prolific. Averages 6 ounces. Indeterminate.

Jenny

Hybrid. My favorite cherry tomato. Sweet with the real "tomato" flavor of an heirloom. Orange in color. Plants are crazy prolific. They grow to 12 feet and produce hundreds of 1 ounce fruits. Indeterminate.

Rose

Heirloom variety. Excellent rich flavor as good as brandywine. Dusty pink color. Averages 10 ounces. Indeterminate.

San Marzano

Heirloom. The quintessential paste tomato, more flavorful than Roma. Holds well on the vine. Red. 3-4 inches long. Indeterminate.

Sun Sugar

Hybrid. So sweet this variety is almost cloying, any wonder that the kids love this tomato. If you like sweet tomatoes, definitely try this one. Golden yellow. Small 1/2 ounce fruits. Indeterminate.

These are some of my favorite varieties. What are yours?