If you are looking for a few amazingly delicious heirloom tomatoes to grow in your garden this year, we have you more than covered with today’s article!
Heirloom tomatoes have soared in popularity in recent years, and it’s easy to see why. With stunning color and intense flavor, they share nothing in common with the tasteless common varieties found in stores.
Store-bought tomatoes are sadly bred for looks and shelf life, period. Although those tomatoes might look “perfect”, the taste is anything but. And that is exactly why growing your own heirloom tomatoes is the answer!
Here on our little farm in Ohio, we plant as many varieties of heirlooms as we can fit in our rows – and today, we are sharing 5 of our absolute favorite to grow.
We have included seed links below with each variety,- but we are happy to pass along a 10% off coupon from one of our favorite seed sites, Eden Brothers : Eden Brothers 10% Off Link
5 Incredible Heirloom Tomatoes To Grow
#1) Big Rainbow – Best Heirloom Tomatoes To Grow
Last year was the first year of trialing the Big Rainbow tomato in our garden. And one thing we are positive about, it won’t be our last!
Quite simply, the Big Rainbow heirloom is not only one of the tastiest tomatoes around, it is also one of the most beautiful. With streaks of red, yellow and pink, it is stunning to see growing on the vine.
But the real joy comes as soon as you slice into it’s thick, meaty, juicy flesh. This beefsteak style tomato bursts with incredible flavor. It is equally delicious on sandwiches, salads – or simply to slice and eat.
Not only were our tomatoes often over a pound each, this variety is also an indeterminate. And that means you will keep on getting tomatoes right up until your first frost! Seed Link : Big Rainbow Tomato Seeds
#2) San Marzano – Best Heirloom Tomatoes To Grow
When it comes to singling out our favorite all around purpose tomato, the San Marzano is it! In fact, if you can only grow one tomato, this is a great choice.
Even better, it can be grown anywhere. In the garden, in raised beds and containers too. In fact, it performed amazingly well in our 5 Gallon Bucket Planters last year.
It is perfect for canning, making salsa, sauce, using in salads, or simply eating fresh. The flavor is deep and rich, and the indeterminate plants produce a generous crop all season long.
The small seed core and meaty flesh makes it an all-star for canning and preserving. Seed Link : San Marzano
#3) Kellogg’s Breakfast Tomato – Best Heirloom Tomatoes To Grow
When it comes to low-acid orange tomatoes, there are certainly a lot of great choices. Valencia Orange and Amana Orange were two of our long time favorites. That is, until we grew Kellogg’s Breakfast in the garden!
A fantastic producer it produces large 1 pound+ tomatoes that are wonderful for slicing. It also makes the perfect tomato to use fresh in salads and salsa.
But I have to say that hands down, it makes the BEST tomato soup you will ever have! The sweet and intense flavor simmers down perfectly to a creamy soup that now has become a must make for us.
It’s low acidity level is also a pleasant surprise for many, although it doesn’t lend itself well for any canning applications. Seed Link : Kellogg’s Breakfast Tomato
#4) Tiger Blush – Best Heirloom Tomatoes To Grow
It’s almost hard to describe just how incredible the Tiger Blush tomato is. The plant is prolific, producing 2″ oblong tomato with orange and pink stripes. But it’s flavor that makes this tomato one of our absolute favorites!
Tiger Blush has a sugary sweet taste, with a fresh, almost peach-like flavor. The plant bears a huge load of fruit from mid-season right up til frost.
The size is perfect for snacking. It is much larger than any cherry-style tomato, comparing more to the size of small romas.
The Tiger Blush is perfect for fresh eating, in salads and makes a deliciously sweet salsa. We save our seeds each year, but lately it seems hard to find them for purchase. We did locate one link on Amazon : Tiger Blush Seeds
#5) Black Krim – Best Heirloom Tomatoes To Grow
The Black Krim is one heirloom variety that always finds a place in our garden. It is by far our favorite of the purple / black family of tomatoes.
Originating from Russia, the outer skin becomes near black as the tomato ripens. The flesh is firm, meaty, and full of rich flavor. This is one plant that will require support for sure. It can grow upwards of 5 to 6′ as it continues to produce tomatoes.
We used to grow Cherokee Purple as an alternative, but we seem to have much less issues with the Black Krim, and the plants certainly produce higher yields than the Cherokee plants. Seed Link : Black Krim
Here is to growing heirloom tomatoes in your garden this year. And even better, experiencing flavor you just can find from those bland store-bought tomatoes. And be sure to check out our 7 Secrets To Growing Tomatoes article on the blog to grow your best tomatoes ever this year!
Happy Gardening – Jim and Mary