Heirloom Tomato Varieties
Indeterminate Tomato varieties - multi-purpose (use for salsa, sauce, canning and fresh eating)
I have grown the varieties outlined in this document for a minimum of 2 seasons. They are multi-purpose, and my favorites for making salsa and sauce. I have grouped them together in regards to maturity based on 2024 growing conditions :
90 days for first Tomatoes to show color change (May 5 planting, to Aug.3). Most harvested by Sept.1 (118 days).
Subscribers please message me with questions and seed requests.
NOTE: My comments based on growing experience are in italics.
Aunt Ginny - beefsteak tomato of German origin. Large Tomatoes averaging 1lb. Vigorous, potato-leaf tomato plants suitable for single stem growing method. A pink beefsteak type with fruit averaging 1lb. Very productive with at least 6 to 8 extra large Tomatoes per plant. Adapts to a single stem growing method. Tomatoes are prone to being misshapen, with some stem end cracks and cat facing on blossom end.
Cosmonaut Volkov - Volkov was a Russian explorer who perished in space. From Dnepropetrovsk in Ukraine, brought to America by the Seed Savers Exchange. 8–12 oz globes ripen at the beginning of August. Even in cold summers, it will produce dependably by mid-August. A orange/red juicy slicer with excellent Tomato flavor. Growth has a tendency to be weedy, and requires a firm pruning hand to keep this variety focused on producing fruit. Nice shape and size for slicing and fresh eating. Juicier than the other tomatoes on this list. Taste is excellent with a nice balance of tart and sweetness.
Italian Heirloom - This all purpose Italian heirloom tomato is great for eating fresh, canning, or salsa. The fruit are easy to peel and have great taste. regular leaf foliage. Large fruit up to 1lb. Some of the later forming, smaller fruit is subject to blossom end rot. Strong producer of 5 to 6 large fruit per plant.
Marianna’s Peace - Old, heirloom tomato that originated in Czechoslovakia.
A pink beefsteak type. Nicely shaped fruit that are large and average 1lb. Production is lower than some, with an average of 4 to 6 extra large Tomatoes per plant. Adapts to a single stem growing method well. Good vertical growth and not weedy. Consistent and reliable producer. I have found that a few of the smaller, later forming fruit may have blossom end rot (that is in soil amended with bone meal and chicken manure with significant calcium content). some skin splits late in the season this year. They skin easy and are a premium processing Tomato.
Pruden’s Purple - This early heirloom indeterminate beefsteak tomato that can reach up to 450g has meaty purple-pink flesh. It has a flattened top with smooth slightly ribbed skin that resists cracks and a unique potato leaf shape that sets it apart from other varieties. Very productive with large fruit. some skin splitting late in the season.
Salvaterra’s Select - Salvaterra’s Select has been grown in Hazelton Pennsylvania since at least the 1950’s, and by Charles Salvaterra since the 1980’s. The Seedsavers exchange describes it as the “Winner of our 2017 Tomato Tasting - Paste/ Sauce division. The great meaty texture is paired with tangy, sweet flavor that make it an ideal sauce tomato”. These are generally smaller Tomatoes, in the 100 to 200g size. Vigorous growth with a ‘weeping’ style. Fruit is bright orange/red. Very good taste for fresh eating. Seeds are hard to come by in Canada.
Soldacki - a polish heirloom brought from Krakow, Poland to Cleveland, Ohio around 1900. A massive dark pink beefsteak type fruit average 1 lb and up. Consistent size and shape. In my experience a single plant may produce 6 to 7 extra large Tomatoes. They adapt to a single stem growing method well. Good vertical growth and not weedy. Some marginal browning on leaves but does not appear to affect growth or fruit production. It has become my top pick for production. Some skin splits late in the season this year, but still managed to harvest.
Thanks for following The Forager.
PS - In 2025 I plan on growing the following varieties for the first time:
Beefsteak: Azoychka, Maria Nagy’s Giant
Cherry Tomatoes: Gardener’s Sweetheart, Amy’s Sugar Gem, Green Doctors
