Heirloom Tomato Varieties & Reviews | Tomat-Pomidor
Honest reviews of global tomato varieties from a 15-year-old growers community.
Love dark tomatoes? You’re in the right place. We are gathering a worldwide collection of black, purple, and deep mahogany varieties, complete with real photos and honest reviews from actual growers.
If you’re growing dark heirlooms, you’ll quickly notice they fall into two main camps. The classic “black” tomatoes (like the famous Russian darks) aren’t actually black. They just retain green chlorophyll as they ripen, which mixes with red lycopene to give them a beautiful brick, mahogany, or muddy-brown color.
Then there are the modern purple/indigo varieties. These get their crazy dark colors from anthocyanins (the same stuff found in blueberries). The rule for these is simple: wherever direct sunlight hits the skin, it turns deep purple or jet black, while the shaded parts usually stay red or pink.
Most growers agree that dark tomatoes have a very specific taste profile. They are usually described as earthy, sweet, and sometimes slightly salty. Because they generally have lower acidity than classic red tomatoes, they are fantastic for fresh eating and slicing for sandwiches.
Scroll down to browse the varieties our community has tested. We document real yields, plant heights, and whether the seeds are actually worth saving for next year!
🍅 Quick take: Dwarf Gondwana Rose is a late-season anthocyanin dwarf from the Dwarf Tomato Project’s Gondwana series, bred by Patrina Nuske Small. It produces 3.5 oz (100 g) dark pink, round fruits with heavy purple shoulders on sturdy 4 ft (1.2 m) rugose plants. The grower here notes it has a complex, tart flavor … Read more
🍅 Quick take: Ozurs is a mid-season indeterminate variety that produces beautiful, slightly ribbed dark pink-black slicers weighing up to 10.5 oz (300 g). It is highly disease-resistant and sets fruit reliably. While the exact origin of the name remains a mystery, it offers a solid, non-mealy flavor profile that holds its own among dark … Read more
🍅 Quick take: OPO (often called Dwarf OPO) is a fascinating American variety that looks like a stocky Dwarf seedling but grows and produces like a classic indeterminate. Producing beautiful pink, round-to-heart-shaped fruits weighing 5-14 oz (150-400 g), it is universally praised for its incredibly sweet, bright, old-fashioned flavor. It performs exceptionally well both outdoors … Read more
🍅 Quick take: Sofia’s Fiery Comet (Ognennaya Kometa Sofii) is an indeterminate, incredibly striking anthocyanin variety bred by Sofia Saakova. Fruits weigh up to 7 oz (200 g), featuring deep pink flesh, stripes, antho shoulders, and typically long, prominent beaks. Growers rave about its breathtaking appearance in the greenhouse and its exceptional, sweet flavor, though … Read more
🍅 Quick take: A reliable, mid-season indeterminate vine that produces gorgeous oblate brown-to-dark-purple tomatoes with dark greenish-black shoulders. Known for strong disease resistance and excellent yields even in cold, wet summers, it produces very sweet, delicious slicers averaging 7–9 oz (200–250g). Full summary ↓ Growers’ Notes and Photos (USDA Zones 3a-6b Experience) P Plena ⭐ … Read more
🍅 Quick take: Miss Kennedy is a tall, indeterminate variety that produces dark, chocolate-colored oval/plum tomatoes. It has a very long fruiting season and sets reliable clusters of firm, meaty fruits. While fruit size can vary from a jumbo chicken egg up to 7 oz (200 g), growers agree that the dense, dark flesh and … Read more
🍅 Quick take: A very productive, compact indeterminate variety that pumps out massive dark/black beefsteaks. While yields and size are incredible, flavor reports are highly mixed, ranging from rich to completely bland. Full summary ↓ Growers’ Notes and Photos (USDA Zones 4) E ElenaN (Elena) Pro | 28,513 posts 📍 Kostroma (USDA Zone 4) Original … Read more
🍅 Quick take: Dwarf Maritime Bells is a compact, tree-type variety from the Dwarf Tomato Project that produces beautiful burgundy and brown striped pears. Weighing 1.7-2.5 oz (50-70 g), these small fruits are known for being exceptionally juicy and flavorful. Full summary ↓ Growers’ Notes and Photos (USDA Zone 4 Experience) S Svetikk (Svetlana) ⭐ … Read more
🍅 Quick take: Marmeladnaya Lampochka (Marmalade Bulb) is an indeterminate, mid-season dark tomato originating from the Siberian gardening club “Tyapka” in the early 1980s. The fruits are pear- or bulb-shaped, turning a matte burgundy color while keeping a characteristic greenish, puckered blossom end. Growers rave about its heavy yields and its namesake “marmalade” or jelly-like … Read more
🍅 Quick take: Emerald Monisto is a firm, crunchy, sweet dark (?) cherry tomato from the seed company Gavrish. While growers love its crisp texture and disease resistance, the yield can be hit or miss. This thread also covers the rest of the “Monisto” series (Chocolate, Amber/Yellow, and Pink), revealing that Pink Monisto is actually … Read more
At a Glance 🍅 Quick take: Bear Creek is a mid-season, indeterminate dark beefsteak. Growers absolutely rave about its complex, incredibly sweet flavor with a rich, fruity aftertaste. It produces dense, meaty, brownish-cherry fruits up to 17 oz (480 g). While it can be susceptible to late blight and cracking in bad weather, its phenomenal … Read more
🍅 Quick take: Sgt. Pepper’s Raspberry Points is a mid-season, indeterminate anthocyanin variety developed from the famous Sgt. Pepper lineage. It produces a massive wall of 3.5-5.3 oz (100-150 g) raspberry-pink fruits with dark purple antho shoulders. The shapes are wonderfully unpredictable, ranging from ribbed flattened hearts with pointy “beaks” to blunt plums. Growers love … Read more