The popularity of heirloom tomatoes is based on two characteristics – their stunning array of colors and the unique flavor profiles of each variety.
The large number of heirloom tomato varieties however can be quite overwhelming.
Don’t despair! You can find the best-tasting tomatoes, from sweetest to most robust, using this guide.
The guide is arranged in categories defined by the color of the tomatoes, as that is one of the stronger variables around taste.
Jump to: Nationwide Taste Tests | Pink Tomatoes | Black | | Red | Striped | Orange | White | Green
This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I also earn from qualifying purchases. You can read our disclosure information here–
Nationwide Taste Tests of Heirloom Tomatoes
Many gardeners, chefs, and seed companies have performed taste tests on the most popular heirloom tomato varieties, resulting in a wide range of opinions.
Some notable taste tests from different parts of the country include:
Because the flavor of heirloom tomatoes is so dependent on micro-climates and growing conditions, the most reliable taste tests are going to be those that are trialed as close to your home and garden as possible.
I live and farm in Minnesota, so the flavor profiles listed below are skewed to tomatoes grown in Zone 4 or Zone 5. It is important to note that tomato flavor can also vary farmer to farmer, depending on how each farmer or gardener might grow them and on the individual micro-climate.
Acid vs Sweet in Heirloom Tomatoes (by Color)
As a general rule, the sweetest heirloom tomato varieties are typically not bright red; rather, they are shades of orange, yellow, or purple. Keep this in mind as you review the “flavor by color” information below.
How Color of Heirloom Tomatoes Relates to Flavor
Pink Heirloom Tomatoes:
The large pink heirloom tomatoes have what most of us think of as the “sweetest” tomato flavor – a balance of acid and sweetness, but favoring the sweeter side.
The most well-known of the pink heirloom tomatoes is the Brandywine, which competes with the lesser-known Caspian Pink as “best tasting”.
The Brandywine has become the standard-bearer for the pinks, as it is a good size for slicing and typically has that blast of sweetness many people want in a tomato.
The 5 most popular highly rated pink tomatoes:
- Brandywine: a sweet tomato, offset by a slight acidity that achieves a balanced rich, succulent, old-fashioned home-grown tomato taste. Depending on growing conditions however, it can also turn out to be fairly bland. The key is not to overwater tomatoes once they have set fruit.
- Caspian Pink: similar flavor profile to Brandywine, and frequently beats Brandywine in taste tests. It ripens earlier than Brandywine.
- Mortgage Lifter: known for its mild sweet flavor and meaty texture, this pink-fleshed beefsteak can tip the scale at two pounds.
- Prudens Purple: another early Brandywine type. Considered sweet, juicy, and meaty; does well in short-season areas.
- Cherokee Purple: sometimes included in the “black” category. A complex flavor with an initial smokiness followed by a slightly sweet aftertaste. Often compared to a Zinfandel wine.
Black (or Dark Purple) Heirloom Tomato Varieties:
The “black” heirloom tomatoes (usually maroon or a purple-brown color) tend to have an earthy, almost smoky sweetness to them, with a bit less acid flavor than bright red tomatoes.
The flavor profile is often referred to as “smoky, complex, and wine-like”.
The 8 most popular of the highly rated black heirloom tomatoes:
- Paul Robeson: gaining in popularity, Paul Robeson is getting good marks all around the country for its “smoky,” “complex” distinctive flavor.
- Purple Calabash: often compared to red wines such as Cabernet. The taste is rich and full of old-fashioned tomato flavor with just the right blend of sweetness and acidity. The flesh is smooth and meaty with evenly distributed seeds.
- Japanese Black Trifele: a pear-shaped variety. The flavor is deep, chocolatey, smoky, and rich.
- Carbon: among the darkest of the black heirloom tomatoes. Exceptionally rich and sweet flavor. My favorite black tomato!
- Black Krim: intense, slightly salty taste.
- Black from Tula: perceived by many as the “best-tasting black”, with thin skin and a sweet, complex flavor.
- Vorlon: a cross between Prudens Purple and Cherokee Purple resulting in a meaty, rich, sweet taste.
- Purple Russian: the best black heirloom tomato in a plum variety. Meaty, sweet, and excellent for salads and sauces.
Red Heirloom Tomatoes:
Bright red heirloom tomatoes, sometimes mistaken for hybrids, are more varied in their flavor profiles than hybrids. They tend toward robust higher acid flavors.
Did you know? The bright red, smooth tomatoes prevalent in grocery stores are usually “hybrid varieties”. They have been bred to have thicker skin for shipping purposes. The process of hybridizing tomatoes for shelf life and visual attributes has unfortunately altered the flavor.
Just know that red heirloom tomatoes have thinner skin than hybrids and will not last as long on your countertop!
The 7 most popular of the highly rated bright red heirloom tomatoes:
- Costoluto: “old-fashioned tomato flavor”; performs well when skinned and used in slow-simmered sauces. The flesh is meaty with an abundance of juice and tart tomato flavor.
- Druzba: smooth, juicy fruits with robust sweet-tart flavor; meaty and great for canning.
- Aussie: big, impressive beefsteak variety. Old fashioned, robust tomato taste.
- Stupice: best flavor I can find in an early tomato (early tomatoes tend to lack flavor); small
- Thessaloniki: prolific crack-free heirloom with a meaty, “earthy” flavor.
- Carmello: considered by the French to have the “perfect acid-sugar balance”. Productive, with a juicy texture. Dona is a smaller version of Carmello.
Striped (Bi-Colored) Tomatoes:
Striped tomatoes (sometimes called marbled or bicolored), are beautiful and they tend to have a rich, juicy, super-sweet flavor that is low in acid (exception is the Green Zebra).
The 5 most popular of the highly rated striped or bi-color tomatoes:
- Gold Medal: popular for its appealing sweet taste and marbled beauty, originating from the Black Forest region of Germany.
- Green Zebra: tangy heirloom, with a very robust flavor (i.e., high acid).
- Mint Julep: Often confused with Green Zebra, Mint Julep is a hybrid pear-shaped heirloom tomato with a sweet taste.
- Black Vernissage: small and very prolific heirloom with a rich flavor similar to the Russian black tomatoes.
- Indigo Rose: a hybrid bi-color heirloom tomato with a tangy flavor. The blossom end remains a dark purple color with the bottom of the tomato turning orange when ripe.
Orange & Yellow Heirloom Tomato Varieties:
Orange heirloom tomatoes (not yellow), are sweet and therefore taste lower in acid than bright red heirloom tomatoes. These are the varieties that will remind you that tomatoes are, botanically speaking, fruits.
Yellow (and white) heirloom tomatoes tend to be mild, creamy, and low in acid. Two yellow heirlooms that are more robust (higher acid) in flavor are Hughs and Limmony.
The 6 most popular of the highly rated orange and yellow heirloom tomatoes:
- Persimmon: One of the best flavors of all the orange heirloom tomatoes. Meaty with few seeds. Creamy meaty, texture.
- Juane Flamme: small (large plum size), sweet and low-acid, bursting with juice. Almost a tropical flavor. My favorite small orange.
- Kellogg’s Breakfast: vibrant sweet taste, meaty with few seeds, medium size.
- Limmony: a yellow beefsteak with a strong, robust, zesty, citrusy flavor. It is also sometimes spelled Lemony.
- Hughs: a surprisingly robust flavor from a yellow heirloom tomato; large and meaty; a great slicer with a lot of flavor.
White Tomatoes
White tomatoes aren’t brilliant white. They’re more of a pale yellow. Pale yellow and white tomatoes are noticeably less acidic than red tomatoes.
Some consider them the sweetest tomatoes and some consider them the blandest tomatoes. The common factor is low acidity.
The 3 most popular of the highly rated “white” heirloom tomatoes:
- White Tomesol: creamy, mild, sweet flavor; starts white and matures to pale yellow.
- White Queen: nicest shape and whitest color of the white varieties, averaging about 12 ounces.
- Great White: large 1-2 pound creamy white fruit; very sweet and juicy.
Green Heirloom Tomatoes:
The commonality of green heirloom tomatoes is a bright acidity, but the degree of sweetness tends to vary quite a bit.
The 3 most popular of the green heirloom tomatoes:
- Aunt Ruby’s Green: bright and well-balanced with sugar. Incredible juiciness.
- Green Zebra: tangy and zingy are adjectives often attached to Green Zebra. Very popular for taste and eye appeal.
- Green Giant: huge green meaty heirloom tomato with great acid-sugar balance; starts “granny smith” green and matures to a soft yellow-green.
Guides for successfully growing heirloom tomatoes
- For germinating seeds indoors
- Growing tomatoes in pots
- Best seed catalogs for tomatoes
- Best trellis systems for tomatoes
- Season extension for tomatoes
Other Attributes of Heirloom Tomatoes
In addition to unique flavors and colors, heirloom tomatoes have different growth habits, yields, etc. If you are having trouble deciding which ones to grow, it will help if you base your decision around how you will use it.
This summary of distinctive characteristics of heirloom tomatoes will help make the selection process much easier.
If you like my articles about cooking and gardening, subscribe to my weekly newsletter, where I share free recipes and gardening tutorials.
[…] are early or late, and how they taste is dependent on the variety and your growing practices. Click here for tips on selecting heirloom tomatoes for […]
I’m sure that many varieties are similar with slight variations in flavor and completely different names, but I’m my part of the world (the Dakotas) my garden will always have these three: Black Krim, Amana Orange and Pantano Romanesco. A fourth would be Cherokee green
@dorothy stainbrook, Thanks for the site, Dorothy. I grow a big variety of tomatoes every year, and always have a good variety of heirlooms. Tried my first Jubilee a few days ago and fell in love. Its the first orange tomato I’ve grown. This year, I’ve also got Pink Caspians, Cherokee Purple, Black Krim, Black Prince, Brandywines…….and then a host of Bigs, Betters, Bush’s, Biltmore’s, and Boxcar’s.
Thanks for that input David! I haven’t grown Jubilee before so may have to give that a try next year. The others I have grown and also love. Last year I had a new one for me that I really liked called Hughs. It was pale yellow but had a lot of flavor unlike most of the pale yellow ones. My favorite heirloom cherry is Gardeners Delight and my favorite roma is Opalka. Do you have any favorite cherry or roma tomatoes?
Interesting David. I’ve never tried Pantano Romanesco or Cherokee green. Always up for trying new heirloom varieties. They do seem to taste different though, based on the microclimate of where you grow them. Thanks for the ideas!
I have had problems getting the whole tomato to ripen…greening I think it’s called…which large red tasty variety would be best?? Thanks
Well, I’d have to have a lot more information to really be able to answer this. What variety are you planting? What zone do you garden in? If you mean your tomatoes have “green shoulders”, that is common for some heirloom varieties and not for others. Druzba is a Hungarian heirloom that is acidic and no green shoulders. Carmello is a French tomato that is acid/sugar balanced with no green shoulders. Aussie is a huge Australian tomato with no green shoulders. My first guess is it’s the variety you’re growing.
This article might help a little in selecting a good variety: https://farmtojar.com/2013-heirloom-tomato-and-pepper-varieties-heathglen-mn-farmers-markets/
This has been very helpful!
i am dissapointed with my beefsteak tomatoes, near the stem they stay orange forever that part is also green inside what to do?
Some of the varieties are know for green shoulders (in your case orange shoulders). Try a different variety and make sure you have consistent watering. They need more water at the beginning sto get going and less water after they have fruited so they can develop their sugars. A couple of heirloom beefsteak varieties that don’t “usually” have green shoulders would be Druzba, Box car Willie and Mortgage Lifter.
So, what are the general optimal soil, light and watering conditions to bring out the richest flavors? I had an amazing big yield of mediocre tasting tomatoes this year, despite growing 8 varieties. Only two stood out, a Brandywine type (volunteer) and a Sun Sugar (non-heirloom) cherry tomato. Less water?More lime? Any general tips for enhancing flavor? Thanks!
Hi Nancy, optimal temperature conditions are 75 degrees (but you can’t easily control that), optimal soil would be a sandy loam with lots of compost mixed into it. Watering is where it gets tricky for flavor. At the beginning of growth tomatoes need about an inch a week. After they have set fruit and it is starting to color up however, you need to back off watering for them to set their sugars for flavor. Overwatering at this stage will mute the flavor profile.
Choosing the right varieties for your tastes is a big deal also. All tomatoes are a mix of acid and sugar and some people think the best flavor comes from the sweeter varieties and some people like the more robust, higher acid tomatoes (i.e., me!). Often when people say they want that “old fashioned flavor” they are looking for a higher acid tomato variety.
High acid tomatoes that I like include Druzba, Hughs, Box Car Willie, Green Zebra. Higher sugar tomatoes are the Brandywine, Caspian Pink, Purple Cherokee and most of the dark purple Russian varieties.
This post might help with varieties: https://farmtojar.com/comparison-heirloom-tomato-varieties/. Adjective that mean high acid will be “bold” or “old fashioned” or “robust”. Adjectives for sweet varieties will be “sweeet”, “rich”, “mild”
If you want a tomato that’s easy to grow and produces big juicy tomatoes that you can slice , or can get some german Johnsons, they are always my best producers and the blight hits and then they produce again at the end pretty heavy. Very good tomato, I taste a lot of tomatoes like the Cherokee purple who people are going crazy over and I swear they look like a German johnson cross with a black type of some kind. They taste very similar, except the Cherokee has a slight smokey taste. The mortgage lifter has german johnson in it. These tomatoes are meaty with little seeds. They make absolutely perfect juice that’s ten times better than the store bought garbage , best vegetable soup ever. Red eyes and bloody Mary’s have never been better. They produce at least twice as many fruits per plant , per pound than any other plant I’ve tried. They never get blossom end rot. The only problem I have is a little cracking when it rains heavy, but they heal up like blood clots on your skin. Really good choice for beginners.
Excellent suggestion Jason! I have tried the Old German and really liked them, but not the German Johnson. I will give it a go next year. Love the analogy of blood clots on the skin….spoken like a true tomato lover!
Last year I grew Indigo Rose on the deck. At first I was excited tons of tomatoes early. But they were the slowest to ripen. At the end of the season there we’re still a bunch that never ripened. And there was never a day when I picked more than two. And the taste was just ok.
Hi John, my first clue to your problems with this variety is that you grew it on the deck (I’m assuming in a container). Tomatoes grown in pots are typically harder to grow and produce less yield, mostly due to the lack of space for their roots to grow and somewhat due to more need for “consistency” of watering.
I grew my Indigo Rose in the ground and they were prolific. While not early, they were not late either but rather ripened along with my other small to medium sized tomatoes. I will say they are tricky to tell when they are ripe. They remain bluish on the top of the tomato but the bottom turns from bright green to orange. When the bottom is orange they are ripe.
The other thing is, they have a more acidic taste than many tomatoes, which some people love and some people find it to taste “sour”.
Hopefully that helps. Let me know if you have any other questions or comments. Thanks for sharing!
I love the Green Zebra. I would like to try other types, any recommendations?
@Stephen Galloway,
I agree with Aunt Ruby and this year I’m also trying Kangaroo Paw Green
Well if you like the robustness of the green zebra that means in the sugar to acid balance, it favors a little more acid. Higher acid red heirlooms would include Druzba, Box Car Willie and Costoluto. Roma types would be Opalka. Yellow/oranges would include Juane Flamee and Hughs. Most of the black heirlooms and striped heirlooms are on the sweeter side. Aunt Rubys is a good green one (it’s big though).
You bet, so nice of you to let me know!
The best heirloom producers in my zone 5 are the Delicious tomato, Kelloggs Breakfast and Bolgianos IXL. A close second is pink Brandywine and Stupice. I tried the chocolates and they had no taste, must not like my soil here in NE PA.
Yes, the same varieties can be remarkably different in taste based on microclimate and growing conditions. I grew Delicious once and liked it a lot the first year and then the next year not so much lol. Always love Kelloggs Breakfast. I’ve never tried Bolgiano IXL. Might have to look that one up, it sounds Italian, which is always a good sign.
You didn’t mention the San Marzano. What about the Indigo blue, Orange Jazz, Three Sisters. I am growing this for the first time. Waiting on Harvest. Maybe another month and I’ll have my first crop.
San Marzano is a tricky one because it became so popular and now you don’t ever know which strain of San Marzano you get from the seed companies. Some of them are good and some not so much. Opalka is definitely the heirloom roma for me as it has consistently good taste, is really meaty and always true to quality seed. I do grow Indigo blue and love them. I’ve never grown Orange Jazz or Three Sisters. I’ll look into those if you really like them!
I’m looking for the Seeds of the Chilean tomato called “ Tomate Rosado”. Could it possibly be the Pink Brandywine? The biggest & most delicious tomatoes I’ve ever had in my life.
Well, I haven’t heard of that one but I doubt it is the Pink Brandywine. It could be this rare Spanish one called Rosa de Barbastro (from ebay) or the Rose de Berne from Solstice seeds? There are many large sweet pink heirloom varieties. My favorite is Caspian Pink as it is earlier than pink brandywine but the same taste.
I’m all in for blue beauty.
Is that one small and similar to Indigo Rose do you know?
You obviously have ‘nt tasted Bear Claw,Amish Paste or the brilliant Russian Heritage variety Rajskoe Naslazhdenie from Siberia, which translated means “an escape to heaven “.very apt translation
You’re right I have not tasted most of those. I always grow Amish Paste, but I think Opalka is heads above it in meatiness and flavor. The others I have not seen or tasted but I’ll be on the lookout now that you brought them to my attention. Thanks!
I’m just west of Mpls/St Paul, growing paste tomatoes (Opalka, Blue Beech, Sausage) plus lovely classic slicer Ruth’s Perfect, and a new one–Tigerella (small 2 oz lovely sweet flavor) plus a cherry. The Opalka is tops for flavor, meatiness, and less issues such as green shoulders/cracking. The Blue Beech is a very close 2nd but perhaps a tiny bit more cat-facing. I do not water very much, so in ideal conditions the BB may top the Opalka. Have made lots of sauce with the pastes. Am saving seeds of all these, as usual for many seasons. Wish I could find a decent cherry which is heirloom, and very sweet– wonder what will happen if I save seed from the F1 cherry tomato (it was something from the local Flower Mart)? Will it revert to something yucky, or, in a few years will I have a decent sweet cherry tomato (or maybe I should grow a true heirloom cherry tom).
Hi KT, the “Gardeners Delight” is a good heirloom cherry tomato. It’s a large cherry with lots of flavor. Red Currant is another heirloom cherry, but they are tiny. I used them to fancy up fresh tomato salads etc., as a sprig of them on top is really pretty.
Years ago we planted Carnival tomato plants and now they can’t be found anywhere.
@dorothy stainbrook,
Hi Kim, not sure what your comment means? Did you find a place selling Carnival tomatoes?
Hmmm, I have not heard of that variety. I know sometimes the breeders or seed companies change the names of certain varieties if they feel it would sell better with a different name. Do you remember which catalog you got your original seed from?
What a great article! Thank you! This was so informative.
And thank YOU for commenting Dayle! It helps me to know which articles are helpful and which ones still need work. Appreciate the comment…..happy growing!
My favorite tomato to grow is Big Beef, for flavor, production and how well it holds up after picking. And it tends to produce well even when my other varieties are not. But it’s a hybrid. I’ve been looking for and trying out different varieties that are not hybrid, but I have been unable to find another tomato with its qualities or flavor. To me, it is much better than a Beefsteak. Can anyone tell me which non-hybrid might be close?
I grow big beef also as it is a very reliable large tomato that doesn’t crack and for a hybrid has pretty good flavor. For a comparable heirloom I would suggest Druzba. It is about the same size, meaty and with a very robust flavor.
This is a great article and I really appreciate that you took the time to write it.
I typically plant beefsteak and an unnamed smaller variety, similar looking to the Thessaloniki you have pictured here. We love to eat Tomato Basil Mozzarella dinners when I get some nice beefsteaks and in salads and burgers.
This year I want to try some new varieties. I had heard that Kellogg’s Breakfast was a good variety and also Sun Gold (which is a hybrid)… I just got the seeds I ordered and will be starting them soon along with some beefsteaks…
I was hoping to see an overall ranking of sorts, with the sweetest or best tasting tomatoes on top and the lesser tomatoes on the bottom.
Are you saying the pinks are the best overall, followed by the blacks, then reds, etc.? Or have you just listed the best tasting varieties per color?
Again, great article though. So many varieties! And I’m sure this is just a small sample of what’s out there.
Hi Rock, the problem with ranking “best” is the subjectivity of it. At market people always ask for the “best” tasting tomato, but I have found that it is quite disappointing to people when I give my recommendation, as I think best is the higher acid tomatoes and some think best are the sweetest and some feel that the mild ones are best.
In an attempt to distinguish people’s preferences I sorted my favorite tomatoes by color and gave some very general flavors associated with each color. For example the ones you chose to grow this year (kelloggs breakfast and Sun Gold) are excellent and the orange varieties tend to lean towards a fruity, sweeter taste. For some people this is not desirable.
The other problem is that the same variety grown by two different people in two different locations can make the taste quite variable. Too much water and you’ll have more bland tomatoes for example, no matter what variety.
So, my post is an attempt to generalize the flavor of my favorite varieties based on color. I think many readers would have my head if I tried to rank them as best tasting.
Thank you for this article💕 one can never get enough garden talk and I really love tomatoes 🍅
I love the tiny currant heirlooms and have grown Lillian’s yellow when I can find the seeds just because of the cute name they’re a little too mellow though. I do love the costoluto and black krim and the more flavor the better 💕can’t wait to try more varieties. Every year I try as many heirlooms with different colors and sizes as possible. We are still receiving snow here in utah so gardening seems like a dream right now 🤣
Hi Lynda, I have found the same thing with Lillian’s yellow (a little too mild). Also love those currant heirlooms, and they look so pretty and decorative when placed on top of a tomato dish. We’re still heavy in snow here in Minnesota also (March 24th)! Have to say it’s bringing me down…but the sun is out today so there is hope!
At least 75 years ago I worked on a produce farm. The far had a contract with Campbell’s soup and they used a variety called Rutgers. I cannot see any mention of this variety that to my mind was the best flavored tomato
Hi Mike, I did grow Rutgers a while back (around 2015 I think). It wasn’t a big hit at the farmers’ markets here in Minnesota. That said, different tomato varieties can taste quite different depending on when and how they are grown. I’ve found the taste to vary year to year also. One year persimmon was hands down the best tasting tomato I’ve ever grown, but it has never replicated the flavor since then. Still grow it, but it’s never returned to “food memory” status.
Tomatoefest has a big beef that is not a hybrid. Go to there web site and type in big beef to find it. I have been buying seeds from them for 10 Yeats and have had good success.
Will do. Thanks Mike!
By far the best tomato I’ve ever grown was a Wild Boar variety called “Summer of Love”. Delicious huge tomatoes, and the vine pumped them out all summer long. Unfortunately they haven’t been available from them for the last couple of years. I’d love to be able to grow them again someday.
Interesting. I like a lot of the Wild Board tomatoes. I’m growing Mint Julep and one of their large striped ones (the name eludes me at the moment). I’ll keep my eyes open for that one.
I’m beginning to think some ppl have never had a good tomato. There’s a couple on this list that the only thing good about them is pretty color. Indigo rose and vernissage.
If I’ve learned anything from the public at the farmers’ markets it’s the nuances of what people think is “good”. I can’t tell you how many times someone has told me to just pick them out the best tasting tomato and they’ll buy it. For me, that means a robust Druzba variety or a rich black variety like Carbon or Paul Robeson. What they really imagine when they say best tasting however is a mysterious combination of their food memories and their particular palate. Some people think best is the creamy mild yellow tomatoes.
So this post was just an attempt to clarify the “general” flavors associated with particular colors of heirloom tomatoes. There are some similarities based on color. It’s up to you to decide if it is a “good” tomato.
I grow upstate ox heart German stripe mortgage lifters orange wellington and this years new tomato pink tie dye love them all
Thank you for the recommendations! I have grown the German stripe mortgage lifter, but not the other two. Something to try for next year!
De gustibus non est disputandum, or de gustibus non disputandum est, is a Latin maxim meaning “In matters of taste, there can be no disputes” (literally “about tastes, disputing is not”).[1][2] The phrase is commonly rendered in English as “There is no accounting for taste(s).”[3] The implication is that everyone’s personal preference is a merely subjective opinion that cannot be right or wrong, so they should never be argued about as if they were. Sometimes the phrase is expanded as De gustibus et coloribus… referring to tastes and colors. The saying is an ancient Roman adage. Its vernacular and textual origin are unknown, and a subject of debate in itself.
Thanks….Totally agree!
Very interesting, seems difficult to know which colour category some fall under. I am curious is the Hawaiian Pineapple and Pineapple a different tomato?
Not 100% sure, but I would guess they are probably the same. Different seed companies will slightly alter the names sometimes to make them stand out. I get my seeds from Tomato Fest and they call it pineapple, but basically it is a very large bi-color (orange and gold) tomato with a fairly sweet, milder taste.
I love the Brandywine, but around here the plants look great but only produce maybe 10 tomatoes per plant all summer and the insects love them. I like the German Johnson as a replacement.
Hi Fred. Yes Brandywine is notoriously light on yield and has no disease resistance. It is usually later than other large sweet tomatoes. A variety that is often compared to the Brandywine in taste, but that is an earlier producer is Caspian Pink. The one you mentioned (German Johnson) is also a really good replacement.
Thankyou for your description……our favorites are hillbilly ( for my husband ) black krim (for me) and t b e good old Roma for canning
Ah yes, I do love Hillbilly. I go back and forth with the big sweet striped varieties. Black Krim is a great one also, and meaty Romas are indeed the best for canning. My favorite Roma is Opalka….it’s huge and meaty!