15 Ag & Culinary Pros Share Their Favorite Heirloom Tomatoes
By Hannah Saulters
on March 14, 2018
'Cherokee Purple' and 'Brandywine' will always be among the best heirloom tomato varieties, but what else is out there? Michael Pollan + more experts share their favorite heirloom tomatoes.
GREEN ENVY
“Edible perfection. This emerald-green cherry tomato produces tons of fruit all summer long.” – Venelin Dimitrov, Senior Product Manager, Burpee; Warminster, PA
BIG RAINBOW
“This beefsteak makes a damn good Bloody Mary.” – Anthony Sasso, Executive Chef, La Sirena; New York City
Related: How to Trellis Tomatoes Fast with a Florida Weave
AUNT RUBY’S GERMAN GREEN
“Fried green tomatoes, OMG! I live in the South, so this beefsteak tops my list.” – Kevin Mitchell, Chef/Instructor, Culinary Institute of Charleston; Charleston, SC
BRAD’S ATOMIC GRAPE
“A super-tasty psychedelic wonder that comes hard and quick in 75 days.” – Aimee Olexy, Co-owner, The Love; Philadelphia
Related: How to Grow Your Own Tomatoes, Part 1: Starting Seeds Indoors
PINEAPPLE
“Extra-large with a consistently moist center, ‘Pineapple’ beefsteak is one stunning specimen.” – Kurt Timmermeister, Owner, Kurtwood Farms and Kurt Farm Shop; Vashon Island, WA, and Seattle
BANANA LEGS
“New-to-me varieties with quirky names always prove hard to resist, but these won me over with their low acidity and unique candelabra-bulb form.” – Ilene Rosen, Co-owner, R&D Foods; Brooklyn
Related: How to Grow Your Own Tomatoes, Part 2: Transplanting
CARBON
“The most reliable and flavorful purple beef- steak, hands down.” – Peter Zuck, Vegetable Product Manager, Johnny’s Selected Seeds; Winslow, ME
GERMAN YELLOW
“Our go-to beefsteak has the perfect
wide stance for sandwich filling.” – Matt Lee and Ted Lee, Founders, The Lee Bros. Boiled Peanuts Catalogue; Charleston, SC
Related: How to Grow Your Own Tomatoes, Part 3: Staking, Training and Pruning
BLACK BEAUTY
“Created by a breeder famous for Willy Wonka”“esque varieties, this is the granddaddy of slicing tomatoes – earthy and juicy with no pucker.” – Shannon McCabe, Horticulturist and Gardening Writer, Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds; Mansfield, MO
ROSE DE BERNE
“This slicer has long been my favorite – pinkish and incredibly sweet.” – Michael Pollan, Author, The Omnivore’s Dilemma and Cooked; Berkeley, CA
Related: How to Grow Your Own Tomatoes Part 4: Disease Prevention
GARDENER’S SWEETHEART
“These awesome, easy-to-grow cherry tomatoes hold on their trusses and never split!” – Lane Selman, Founder/ Director, Culinary Breeding Network; Portland, OR
GERMAN PINK
“This beefsteak is one of two heirlooms that started Seed Savers Exchange. The great-grandparents of our co-founder Diane Ott Whealy brought the seeds to Iowa when they emigrated from Bavaria in the 1870s.” – Alicia Chilton, Marketing and Development Manager, Seed Savers Exchange; Decorah, IA
KELLOG’S BREAKFAST
“Yes, I’m from Battle Creek, Michigan, where the cereal company is based. But it’s the low seed count and beautiful orange color that had me using these beef- steaks all last summer.” – Thomas Lents, Executive Chef, The Apparatus Room; Detroit
Related: From Poison to Passion: The Secret History of the Tomato
SAN MARZANO REDORTA
“An Italian plum tomato, ‘San Marzano Redorta’ creates wonderfully complex sauces and salsas.” – Gary “Tomato Man” Ibsen, Founder, TomatoFest; Little River, CA
BLONDKÖPFCHEN
“These delicious cherry tomatoes manage to reseed themselves in our Zone 3”“4 garden every year.” – Alissa Hessler, Founder, Urban Exodus; Camden, ME
I grow cymbidium orchids cut flowers
Your article about Mexican tomatoes hits home since imports of cut orchids and other flowers from Holland, Mexico and South America has also hit my industry and others. We need to protect our farmers even if this raises the price we pay for our crops.
Bring on more tariffs.