Heirloom Tomato Varieties & Reviews | Tomat-Pomidor
Honest reviews of global tomato varieties from a 15-year-old growers community.
🍅 Quick take: OSU O Blonde avec Tetons is an indeterminate, mid-season specialty plum derived from Oregon State University anthocyanin genetics and refined in Europe. It bears variable 4.2-8.8 oz (120-250 g) red plum-shaped fruits splashed with dusky purple shoulders, frequently sporting a prominent pointed beak. In cool northern greenhouses, it yields firm yet remarkably … Read more
🍅 Quick take: Opacos de Moreira is an indeterminate, potato-leaf Spanish heirloom originating from Moreira in northwestern Spain. It produces heavy crops of uniform 10.5 oz (300 g) beefsteaks that shift colors like a chameleon from bronze to dusky purple-pink, covered in distinctive golden-freckled speckles. The interior features a sweet, luscious watermelon-marmalade texture, though plants … Read more
🍅 Quick take: Ozark Sunrise is a stunning compact indeterminate slicer bred by the late Dr. Mark McCaslin of Frogsleap Farm (Minnesota). It yields 3.5-9 oz (100-250 g) fruits that seem to glow from the inside out, pairing warm red-pink (and occasional gold) flesh with deep indigo-black anthocyanin shoulders wherever kissed by the sun. Northern … Read more
🍅 Quick take: One Trick Pony is an indeterminate, mid-season dark beefsteak bred by acclaimed Canadian breeder Karen Olivier (Ladysmith, BC). Bred with regular foliage as a tongue-in-cheek retort to critics who claimed she could only breed potato-leaf varieties, it bears gorgeous 7-17.5 oz (200-500 g) smoky purple-brown slicers. Northern growers report incredible melt-in-your-mouth texture, … Read more
🍅 Quick take: Negro de Silex (Negro de Siles) is a rare Spanish heirloom originating from the mountain village of Siles in Jaén, Andalusia. It is an indeterminate, mid-season beefsteak producing oblate, heavily ribbed dusky fruits weighing 3.5-17.5 oz (100-500 g) with plump shoulders and a faint anthocyanin blush. Growers praise it for its repeatable, … Read more
🍅 Quick take: Midnight Snack F1 is an indeterminate cocktail cherry hybrid developed by PanAmerican Seed (USA) and recognized as a 2019 All-America Selections (AAS) National Winner. The vigorous vines produce heavy clusters of ~1 oz (30 g) round cherries that ripen glossy red with an inky anthocyanin purple-black shoulder. Growers praise its exceptionally polite … Read more
🍅 Quick take: Midnight Tiger is an indeterminate, mid-season novelty slicer bred by J&L Gardens (USA). Plants produce 5.3-7 oz (150-200 g) round saladette-to-slicer fruits featuring an olive-green skin patterned with yellow, copper, and orange stripes beneath dark purple-blue shoulders. Growers note its rich, aromatic sweetness with a crisp skin zing, outstanding disease tolerance, and … Read more
🍅 Quick take: Mlle Foriers (Mademoiselle Foriers) is an indeterminate, mid-season anthocyanin slicer bred alongside French grower Bruno Fournier and introduced at the 2017 Brussels Tomatofest. Vines reach 5-6 ft (1.5-1.8 m) and pump out gorgeous, oblate neon raspberry-pink slicers with jet-black anthocyanin shoulders weighing 7-14 oz (200-400 g). Growers report that while early pickings … Read more
🍅 Quick take: Marsha’s Starfighter Heart (Serdtse Marshi) is an exotic indeterminate oxheart bred by Marsha Eisenberg of South Florida as part of her acclaimed Star Wars Project. Vines climb past 6.5 ft (2 m) in greenhouses with classic weeping foliage, producing heavy trusses of blunt to elongated hearts weighing up to 10.5-12.5 oz (300-350 … Read more
🍅 Quick take: Marsha’s Starfighter Beefsteak is an elite indeterminate anthocyanin novelty slicer bred by Marsha Eisenberg of South Florida as part of her acclaimed Star Wars Project. Vines reach 6-6.5 ft (1.8-2 m) with slender, wiry stems and sparse weeping foliage. It yields heavy crops of deep burgundy-brown beefsteaks weighing 10.5-14 oz (300-400 g), … Read more
🍅 Quick take: Lilac Gem is a compact, mid-season anthocyanin novelty cherry tomato that stays around 3.3 ft (1 m) tall. It yields small, dark-shouldered cherries weighing 0.2-0.3 oz (5-8 g) with anthocyanin blush that pulls cleanly from the vine without tearing the skin. European growers report noticeable variations in color, indicating the variety was … Read more
🍅 Quick take: Lovely Lush is a stunning mid-season, indeterminate anthocyanin variety (originally from Brad Gates). It produces medium-sized 5-7 oz (150-200 g) oblate slicers with dark purple shoulders and beautiful pink-red striping. Growers appreciate its firm, meaty texture and sweet flavor, typical of good antho lines. While yields are generally rated as average, it … Read more