Tomato Varieties: Pick the Right Tomato for the Job

Whether you like to cook, can, or simply snack, there is a perfect tomato for that. Grow the variety best suited for all your tomato cravings with these helpful tips.

Tomatoes add a hefty dose of flavor to your dishes, along with a vibrant pop of color. Botanically they are a fruit, specifically a berry, but in the kitchen tomatoes are treated as a vegetable, packing in much desired antioxidants and vitamins. They belong on any table, and in any garden. They are simple to grow, yet there are upwards of ten thousand tomato varieties in cultivation around the world. Knowing which of those tomato varieties to grow, and for what, can feel overwhelming.

Whether it is a big, juicy Beefsteak, a firm Roma, or a sweet kid-sized cherry, each tomato variety has its own flavor profile and a different job to do in your kitchen. With so many in rotation, you may find yourself asking “what is the difference?” Knowing the traits and uses of each one helps you plan your garden with a bit more purpose and clarity, and this 2026 growing season is a fine time to put that plan to work.

Determinate vs. Indeterminate: Know the Habit First

Before you settle on a variety, it helps to know how the plant grows. Every tomato falls into one of two growth habits, and the label on the seed packet or transplant will usually tell you which.

• Determinate (bush) tomatoes grow to a set height, then set most of their fruit over a short window of a few weeks. They stay compact, which suits pots and small spaces, and the concentrated harvest is handy if you plan to can or make sauce all at once. Many plum and paste types, like Roma, are determinate.
• Indeterminate (vining) tomatoes keep growing and producing right up until frost, so they want staking or a sturdy cage and a longer season. Most beefsteaks, cherries, and old-line heirlooms such as Brandywine and Cherokee Purple are indeterminate, giving you a steady trickle of fruit rather than one big rush.

If you garden in a short-season region, lean toward determinate types and shorter days to maturity. The University of Minnesota Extension keeps a plain-English guide to growing tomatoes that explains the habits in more detail and lists days to maturity by type.

7 Favorite Tomato Varieties

Those thousands of tomatoes sort into seven main groups. There is often overlap in how you can use them, but most varieties shine in some jobs more than others. When you choose, pick based on your future culinary plans.

1. Plum or Paste Tomatoes

Full of tangy, fresh tomato flavor, plum tomatoes have thick, meaty walls, smaller seed cavities, and little juice, which makes them ideal for pizza sauce, tomato paste, and stews. They are best cooked, and they were bred with classic Italian recipes in mind. The drier flesh and higher pectin content help reduce cooking time, since the sauce thickens more naturally, so you keep more tomato flavor. Many plum types are determinate, setting their crop over a few weeks, which is exactly what you want for a weekend of canning. Plum Varieties to Try: Roma, Heinz 2653, Red Italian Pear, Amish Paste, Big Mama, Martino’s, and San Marzano.

2. Beefsteak: The Mac Daddy of Tomatoes

Need a tomato slice that will cover a whole piece of bread? Meet the Beefsteak. These large tomatoes are the king of the patch, with some varieties tipping the scale at over 2 pounds. Beefsteaks are meaty and juicy with a mild flavor, which makes them great in salsas. Their smooth, velvety texture and size also make them perfect for a tomato and mayo sandwich, a BLT, or stacked on burgers. With that slicing size and mild flavor, beefsteaks are one of the most popular tomatoes in home gardens, and they come in an array of colors: vibrant reds and pinks, plus yellow, purple, and near-black hues. These plants generally need a longer growing season and more seasonal heat than their smaller counterparts, and most are indeterminate, so give them a tall cage and time. If you live in a cooler region with a short growing season, you may want to pass on adding these to your garden plans. Beefsteak Varieties to Try: Pink-Fleshed Brandywine, Beefmaster, Mortgage Lifter, Cherokee Purple, Big Beef, and Black Krim.

3. Slicers (Cocktail Tomatoes) for Multi-Purpose Uses

“Slicers” are your common tomato. These tennis-ball-sized tomatoes work great sliced for sandwiches, which is how they got the name, but their uses do not stop there. Sweet and almost fruity, meaty and juicy with few seeds, they are made for tossing into salads. Their soft walls hold up well to heat, making them a good option for roasting, grilling, stuffing into meats or vegetables, or cooking down into delicate sauces. Many are indeterminate and quick to ripen, so an early type can be your first tomato of the season. Slicer Varieties to Try: Mountain Magic, Black Prince, Clementine, and Early Girl.

4. Green Tomatoes

Yes, all tomatoes start off green, but some varieties are meant to stay green even when fully ripe. Coming in many shapes and sizes, green tomatoes tend to be tart and tangy. While fried green tomatoes are a classic Southern way to use them, their flavor bodes well in other dishes too. They are great for juicing, salads, and sandwiches, and for making salsa verde, hot sauce, chutneys, green tomato jam, and soups. Some green tomatoes are simply unripe, but most fully ripened green ones are heirloom varieties. Tomatoes that are green when ripe often carry vertical stripes or other color variations. They have a nice, sweet taste, unlike unripe green tomatoes, which feel solid and taste more acidic and tart. Green Tomato Varieties to Try: Green Zebra, German Green, Evil Olive, Green Giant, and Brad’s Atomic Grape.

5. Cherry Tomatoes: Bite-Sized Bliss

These small, snappy, bite-sized tomatoes are perfect for small hands and quick snacking. Cherry tomato plants generally produce an abundance of fruit and are great for eating right off the vine. With their higher water content, cherry tomatoes notoriously squirt when you bite into them. Their candy-like sweetness adds freshness, and cuteness, to salads, veggie wraps, omelets, fresh pasta, and the grill. They are also great for hollowing out and stuffing, or spreading on a pan and roasting. They add a wonderful pop of color to main courses. Most cherry types are indeterminate and will keep cranking out fruit until frost. Cherry Tomato Varieties to Try: Super Sweet 100, Black Cherry, Campari, Sungold, Sunrise Bumble Bee, and Yellow Pear.

6. Grape Tomatoes: Fun for Snacking

Grape tomatoes are another bite-sized variety, perfect for eating right off the vine. Oblong and shaped just like grapes, they come in a range of colors as well. Compared to their cherry cousins, their skins are thicker and cover a meatier inside. They are also less sweet and not as juicy, which makes them less likely to squirt seeds down your shirt when you pop one in your mouth. Being less fragile than cherries, they are an even better choice to pack in a bagged lunch. The thicker skins serve well in main dishes too. Roast them in the oven and toss them into a pasta dish, or top a chicken or steak with them. These finger-friendly tomatoes also make a nice addition to charcuterie boards and other hors d’oeuvres. Grape tomato plants are compact and do well in pots, making them a good choice for novice gardeners or anyone with limited space. Grape Tomato Varieties to Try: Juliet, Santa, Golden Sweet, Fantastico, San Marzano, Valentine, and Red Pearl.

7. Heirloom Tomatoes

Get back to your roots with a classic heirloom, or heritage, tomato. Heirloom tomatoes are varieties passed down from generation to generation, bred true for at least 40 to 50 years. Whereas hybrid tomatoes have been cross-bred, heirloom seeds come from a single genetic line, making them the purebreds of the tomato world. These colorful, often strangely shaped, idiosyncratic tomatoes are open-pollinated, meaning they are pollinated naturally by birds, insects, or human hands. So beware: if you plant two or more varieties close together, you might just end up with a new variety of your own.

Heirloom tomatoes come in an array of shapes, shades, and colors. The yellow ones tend to be milder, the bright reds and greens have a fresh, zesty punch, and the darker varieties, the deep purples, lend a more savory-than-sweet bite. Calling a tomato an “heirloom” is not a regulated business, so to get the highest-quality seed or produce, buy from a vendor you trust. You are more likely to get an organic, locally grown, prime-quality plant at your local farmers market than at the supermarket. Nearly all heirlooms are indeterminate, so plan on staking them and giving them a long season.

If you are buying transplants rather than starting from seed, you might be put off at first by the price tag of an heirloom plant, since they tend to run a bit pricier than other varieties. But their flavor and juiciness are unmistakable and worth the extra you will pay. Just keep in mind that they need careful handling when transporting and storing, since their outer skins are soft and easily damaged; they are bred for taste, not for skin toughness. It is also best to eat them as soon as they are harvested, as they have a short shelf life.

Heirloom tomatoes make a wonderful addition to sandwiches and salads. Your classic Caprese or tomato salad will look much more interesting made with an assortment of heirlooms, showing off a palette of colors and flavors. They are delicious raw and drizzled with olive oil, and they hold up well to grilling or roasting as a side dish. Heirloom tomatoes are meant to be shown off, so display their bold colors in a tomato galette, a tart, or on top of a pizza. Tried-and-True Heirloom Varieties to Try: Ferris Wheel, Arkansas Traveler, Black Cherry, Black Russian, Brandywine, Cherokee Purple, Black Krim, Amish Paste, Kellogg’s Breakfast, Big Rainbow, and Paul Robeson.

Know Your Tomato Colors

Tomatoes now come in all sorts of wacky and unusual shades, which makes growing them fun. A tomato’s color can help predict its flavor profile. If you are interested in giving these a try, here is what you can expect:

• Red and Pink: Your most classic colored tomatoes, with a nice balance of acidity and sweetness.
• Purple and Black: Often more maroon or purply, with an earthy, almost smoked sweetness. They tend to be less acidic than their red counterparts. The color turns drabber when cooked, so they are best raw in salads or salsa.
• Orange and Yellow: Mild, sweet, and low in acid, they are perfect for salads, or rubbed with garlic, drizzled with olive oil, and sprinkled with salt.
• Green Tomatoes: True green tomatoes, the ones that are not just unripe, are less acidic than reds, with a sweet-tart flavor. Good for tossing in salads or making fresh salsa.
• White: Yes, there really are white tomatoes. They are more of a pale yellow or extremely light green, with a notably lower acid level than reds. They are also the sweetest of all the colors. The low acid makes them a poor choice for cooking, so serve them simply, raw.

Match the Tomato to the Job

If you are still deciding what to plant, this quick chart pairs each group with its best kitchen use and growth habit so you can match a variety to the way you cook and the space you have.

Tomato Type	Best For	Typical Growth Habit
Plum / Paste	Sauce, paste, canning, stews	Often determinate
Beefsteak	Sandwiches, burgers, slicing, salsa	Mostly indeterminate
Slicer / Cocktail	Salads, roasting, grilling, stuffing	Mostly indeterminate
Green	Frying, salsa verde, chutney, jam	Varies by variety
Cherry	Snacking, salads, pasta, grilling	Mostly indeterminate
Grape	Snacking, lunchboxes, roasting	Mostly indeterminate
Heirloom	Caprese, salads, showpiece dishes	Mostly indeterminate

Tomatoes are warm-season plants, so set transplants out only after your last spring frost, once nights hold steadily above 50 degrees. Frost dates run weeks apart across the country, so the calendar date shifts with your region while the rule does not. For a deeper look at habit, spacing, and days to maturity, the Clemson Cooperative Extension keeps a thorough tomato fact sheet.

Companion Plants for Tomatoes

Tomatoes do best with a few good neighbors. Basil, marigolds, nasturtiums, carrots, and onions are traditional friends that help with pests and flavor. Keep tomatoes away from potatoes, since the two share the same diseases and planting them side by side can spread blight; if you are growing both, see our guide to growing your own potatoes for spacing them apart. For a fuller pairing chart, see our companion planting guide.

Tomato Growing Tips and Helpful Links

If you plan on growing tomatoes this year, it pays to know a few tricks of the trade, along with the best way to manage any problems you run into during the growing season. Check out these helpful links:

• Farmers’ Almanac’s Tomato Planting Guide
• 10 Common Tomato Plant Problems (And How To Fix Them)
• TIP: How To Deter Tomato Hornworms
• Hybrid vs. Heirloom: What’s The Difference? Tomato FAQs
• Companion Planting Guide: Plants That Are Friends and Foes in the Garden

And do not forget to check our Gardening and Planting by the Moon Calendar.

Tomato Varieties: Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best tomato variety for sauce and canning?

Plum or paste tomatoes such as Roma, San Marzano, and Amish Paste are the best choice for sauce, paste, and canning. Their thick, meaty walls, small seed cavities, and low juice content mean less cooking time and more concentrated tomato flavor. Many are determinate, so they ripen over a short window that lines up well with a weekend of canning.

What is the difference between determinate and indeterminate tomatoes?

Determinate, or bush, tomatoes grow to a set height and set most of their fruit over a few weeks, which suits pots and canning. Indeterminate, or vining, tomatoes keep growing and producing until frost and need staking or a tall cage. Most beefsteaks, cherries, and heirlooms are indeterminate, while many plum and paste types are determinate.

What is the best tomato for sandwiches and slicing?

Beefsteak tomatoes are the classic slicing tomato, large enough to cover a whole piece of bread, with some varieties topping 2 pounds. They are meaty, juicy, and mild, which makes them perfect for a BLT, a tomato and mayo sandwich, or a burger. Try Brandywine, Cherokee Purple, Mortgage Lifter, or Beefmaster.

What is the difference between cherry and grape tomatoes?

Both are small snacking tomatoes, but cherry tomatoes are rounder, sweeter, and juicier, so they tend to squirt when you bite them. Grape tomatoes are oblong with thicker skins and a meatier, less juicy inside, which makes them less fragile and better for packing in a lunch. Cherry types include Sungold and Super Sweet 100; grape types include Juliet and Santa.

What makes a tomato an heirloom?

Heirloom tomatoes are open-pollinated varieties that have been bred true and passed down for at least 40 to 50 years, coming from a single genetic line rather than a cross-bred hybrid. They are prized for flavor and color but have soft skins and a short shelf life. Because “heirloom” is not regulated, buy from a vendor you trust, such as a local farmers market.

When should I plant tomatoes?

Tomatoes are a warm-season crop, so set transplants out only after your last spring frost, once nighttime temperatures hold steadily above 50 degrees. Frost dates vary by region, so a Southern garden may go in well before a Northern one. Check our Gardening by the Moon Calendar for the Best Days to plant above-ground crops in your area.

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