Heirloom Tomato Varieties & Reviews | Tomat-Pomidor
Honest reviews of global tomato varieties from a 15-year-old growers community.
Quick Take: Lucid Gem is a visually stunning Brad Gates indeterminate antho-bicolor (orange with purple shoulders and red marbling inside). Reviews show its flavor is highly weather-dependent: it can pack an incredibly sweet, intense punch of tropical/lemonade flavor when temps are balanced, but hot days coupled with very cold nights can make it taste like … Read more
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🍅 Quick take: Jaune du lac de Bret is an indeterminate golden-yellow oxheart originally bred by a farmer near Lake Bret in Switzerland. It produces densely ribbed, conical hearts weighing 5.3-7 oz (150-200 g) and up. Growers rave about its structural beauty, sweet flavor, and lack of seeds. It’s also noted for having a remarkably … Read more
🍅 Quick take: Emalia is an eye-catching, elongated cherry tomato born from a cross between Lucky Tiger and Orange Walk. It produces 1 oz (30 g) caramel-green fruits with a distinct curved beak. Plant height is highly variable: it can stay as a compact 2.5 ft (0.8 m) bush outdoors or shoot up to 6 … Read more
🍅 Quick take: Oranzhevoe Leto (Orange Summer) is a mid-season, indeterminate orange variety bred by the Siberian seed company Semena Altaya. It produces firm, bright orange-yellow fruits that range from 6 to 14 oz (170-400 g). Growers appreciate its sweet flavor, disease resistance, and exceptionally long shelf life, as it can be stored fresh for … Read more
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🍅 Quick take: Ohridski Dolgaves is an indeterminate Serbian heirloom variety popularized by breeder Živojin Antić. It produces very firm, meaty red plums with a pointed tip, typically weighing 5-9 oz (150-250 g). While it looks like a standard canning paste, growers are consistently blown away by its intense, cherry-like sweetness. It also boasts an … Read more
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🍅 Quick take: Natalina is a tall, vigorous indeterminate Italian heirloom that produces massive red beefsteaks weighing up to 1-1.5 lbs (500-700 g). Growers rave about its outstanding flavor, meaty texture, and beautiful, smooth appearance (it doesn’t produce gnarly, catfaced fruits). Despite their large size, the fruits are firm and possess excellent keeping qualities, with … Read more
🍅 Quick take: Kamenny Tsvetok (Stone Flower) is a rugged, tree-type determinate bush variety bred for outdoor growing. It is known for producing incredibly dense, rock-solid red fruits that store for a very long time. However, grower reviews are heavily polarized. While some praise its yields and utility for canning/storage, others report that it tastes … Read more
🍅 Quick take: Chinese Tree (Kitayskoe Derevo) is an indeterminate red tomato that produces heavy yields of large, meaty plum/paste fruits weighing 5-9 oz (150-250 g). Growers praise it for its excellent sweet flavor, firm texture, and outstanding shelf life. It even retains its taste well when ripened on the counter. Full summary ↓ Growers’ … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Kumato 🌍 Origin: A patented commercial F1 hybrid developed by Syngenta, originating from wild Galapagos tomato genetics. Many home growers experiment by saving seeds from grocery store Kumatos to grow out and dehybridize in their own gardens. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall), usually with dark green, sometimes wispy foliage. Highly praised … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Kolokolchik (Bellflower) 🌍 Origin: A highly regarded Russian commercial variety. The name “Kolokolchik” translates to “Bellflower” or “Little Bell.” It is deeply cherished on Russian forums, with a specific heirloom strain being passed around in memory of a legendary grower (Esme). 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall). Very vigorous. In a greenhouse, … Read more
📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Kumquat Pink Opal 🌍 Origin: A stunning Russian stabilization project. It was selected out of a segregation of the Indigo Kumquat variety by breeders Mira Almakaeva and Olga Degtyareva. Currently at the F5 generation and showing excellent stability. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate but tends to be on the shorter, bushier side, … Read more
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📌 Quick Summary (TL;DR): Persimonowa Sakiewka (Persimmon Purse) 🌍 Origin: A striking heirloom from Poland. The name translates directly to “Persimmon Purse” (or pouch), which perfectly describes both its vibrant color and its heavily ruffled, cinched shape. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall). An absolute workhorse of a plant that pumps out massive yields, especially when … Read more