Imagine biting into a sun-warmed tomato straight from the vine on a summer day. Its sweet juicy flavor bursts in your mouth like no grocery store tomato could ever achieve. This garden delight awaits when you grow indeterminate tomato varieties.
Unlike determinate tomatoes that mostly ripen over a short period, indeterminate vines continue growing and fruiting all season long. As a passionate tomato grower, I’ve discovered which indeterminate varieties perform as all-stars in backyard gardens. Let’s explore some of these rock stars and how they could shine in your garden!
1. Mortgage Lifter – The 600 Pound Tomato Gorilla
Need a massive tomato to impress the neighbors? Mortgage Lifter will have jaws dropping at its mammoth size. These fire-engine-red fruits consistently weigh 2-4 pounds!
The story behind Mortgage Lifter charms me as much as its gigantic tomatoes. During the 1930s depression, a radiator repairman named M.C. Byles had a genius idea to breed the largest possible tomato and sell the seedlings to earn income. After 6 years of nurturing his massive tomatoes, the cross he developed regularly produced 4-pound whoppers!
Byles sold the seedlings for $1 each, paying off the $6000 mortgage on his radiator business in several years thanks to tomato sales. And thus the legendary Mortgage Lifter tomato was born!
Beyond impressive proportions, Mortgage Lifter tastes fantastic with dense, sweet flesh. A perfect slicing tomato for gigantic tomato sandwiches. Expect a long harvest period once fruits start ripening.
2. Cherokee Purple – Stunning Heirloom Royalty
One glimpse of Cherokee Purple’s dusky regal color and I’m smitten. This heirloom initially surfaced in Tennessee, likely from Cherokee tribe seeds. The dusty rose skin with emerald green shoulders certainly stands out.
Beneath its crown, Cherokee Purple hides a sweet and smoky flesh that’s sublime in flavor. Enjoy it sliced with mozzarella drizzled with olive oil and balsamic for a beautiful caprese salad.
This queen of heirlooms adorns any garden with its royal presence. Expect fruits around 12 ounces on vigorous vines. Just take care when harvesting, as the thin skin scars easily.
3. Amana Orange – Vibrant As A Sunrise
I’m drawn to tomatoes with vibrant colors, and Amana Orange glows like a sunrise. The thick skin wears a tangerine orange cloak, housing a mild tropical-flavored flesh.
Hailing from the Amana colonies of Iowa in the 1940s, Amana Orange bears prolifically once fruiting begins. The large tomatoes can reach 2 pounds, yet have few seeds and little gel.
For a radiant tomato display, slice Amana Orange and fan out the rounds between contrasting shades of purple, red, and green. Drizzle with olive oil and thyme for a summer feast. Just don’t handle them roughly, as the thin skin bruises easily.
4. Green Zebra – A Zesty Zig-Zag Of Flavor
No tomato equals the uniqueness of Green Zebra. At first glance, you may mistake them for small green watermelons with their crisp yellow-striped skin.
But one taste of the neon-bright flesh reveals an exhilarating sweet and tart flavor. Green Zebra bears prolifically in bunches, pumping out the 3-5 ounce fruits all season.
Some delicious ways to enjoy this zesty zig-zag tomato:
- Pickle into a relish for burgers or dogs
- Toss with pasta, olive oil and parmesan
- Puree into a verdant green salsa
- Add tart-sweet pops to a salad
Green Zebra always livens things up!
5. Black Krim – The Sophisticated Siren
With its deep wine-colored skin and hint of green shoulders, Black Krim oozes sophistication. This heirloom traces its roots to the Isle of Krim on the Black Sea coast.
The 8-12 ounce fruits hide a more complex flavor underneath, featuring earthy tones with notes of licorice, salt, and smoke. Exquisite when enjoyed with a full-bodied red wine and a cheese platter.
Black Krim’s thin skin does tend to crack as the fruits enlarge, so try harvesting just before fully ripe. Still, the sublime flavor makes this the Marlena Dietrich of tomatoes – elegant, enticing, and exotic.
6. Hillbilly Potato Leaf – Rugged And Reliable
With a curious name like Hillbilly Potato Leaf, you might not expect such an outstanding performance. But this rugged tomato packs flavor and productivity.
The “potato leaf” foliage is unique for a tomato plant. The leaves resemble those of potatoes – velvety green and deeply lobed.
The fruits pump out heavily in clusters of 8-12 ounce tomatoes ideal for canning sauce or salsa. Expect oodles of old-timey tomato flavor with a nice balance of sweet and tangy. Hillbilly Potato Leaf produces steadfastly until frost terminates its season.
7. Pineapple – A Taste Of The Tropics
Take one bite of Pineapple tomato and you’ll swear you’re in the tropics! These sunny yellow and red striped fruits impart an irresistible sweetness with fruity overtones.
Hailing from Kentucky, Pineapple achieves sizes over 2 pounds yet maintains ideal texture. The abundant meaty flesh remains juicy with just the right amount of acidity to balance the tropical flavors.
Vigorous vines keep pumping out the beefy sweet fruits even in hot and humid weather unfazed. Let Pineapple transport your tomato sandwiches to a Caribbean getaway with each delicious bite!
8. Aunt Ruby’s German Green – A Sweet Genetic Anomaly
What happens when a pink tomato turns green? You get the legendary sweetness of Aunt Ruby’s German Green! Here’s the charming story behind this variety:
Ruby Arnold grew up enjoying Brandywine tomatoes with their classic pink beefsteak fruits. One season, a genetic mutation caused one plant’s tomatoes to ripen green instead. She saved the seeds, and Aunt Ruby’s German Green was born!
These jumbo chartreuse fruits impress with their extremely sugary sweet essence balanced by plenty of acidity. They can exceed a pound apiece on vigorous productive vines. A taste sensation when sliced and enjoyed between bread with mayonnaise.
9. Cherokee Chocolate – Deepest Of The Dark Beauties
Many purple-black tomatoes exist, but Cherokee Chocolate stands out for its rich dark color resembling its namesake. These 10-12 ounce beauties offer more than just seductive looks – they deliver luscious earthy flavor too.
Enjoy Cherokee Chocolate sliced with mozzarella and basil drizzled with balsamic vinegar for a divine caprese salad. Their smooth texture also makes them perfect for salsas, sauces, or just eating off the vine.
When these chocolate-colored fruits start ripening, get ready for weeks of snacking on these dark beauties!
10. Black Cherry – Dynamite Flavor In A Petite Package
I’ve never tasted more tomato flavor packed into a petite package than Black Cherry! These round cherry fruits measure just an inch or so, with dark skin cloaking an irresistible sweet and tangy flesh.
Vigorous indeterminate vines pump out loads of Black Cherry tomatoes in long dangling clusters. Expect hundreds of fruits weekly once harvest season hits its stride.
Pop them straight in your mouth for a burst of summer from each dynamite-flavored orb. Roast with olive oil and spices, or dry like candy. You’ll be blown away by the big taste inside these little tomatoes!
11. Brandywine Pink – Legendary Tomato Royalty
What list of legendary tomatoes is complete without the queen of them all – Brandywine Pink! Dating back to 1885, the silky smooth texture and rich succulent flavor of these large pink beefsteak fruits made Brandywine famous.
Fruits frequently tip the scales at 2 pounds each. The thin skin tends to bruise, so handle like royalty when harvesting. Allowing them to vine ripen fully elevates the extraordinary flavors to their peak.
For a special treat, use Brandywine slices to top your favorite pizza recipe in place of ordinary tomatoes. The queen of tomatoes pairs perfectly with basil, garlic, and mozzarella. Brandywine’s fame is well-deserved!
12. Yellow Pear – A Petite Powerhouse Of Sweetness
Who can resist the delicate beauty of Yellow Pear tomatoes? These little yellow orbs bear prolifically in clusters like grapes on the vine.
But the sweet tropical essence packed inside each petite powerhouse is what makes Yellow Pear a garden favorite. With flavor far surpassing the ordinary red cherry tomato, they’re perfect for snacking or creative salads.
The vigorous vines pump out bundles of 1-2 ounce fruits continuously once harvest season begins. Bring on summer with bowls overflowing with these yellow gems!
13. Costoluto Genovese – Italia’s Famed Fluted Tomato
With its deeply fluted skin, Costoluto Genovese is fun to grow just for its unique pleated appearance. But sink your teeth into one of these Italian heirlooms and you’ll discover phenomenal flavor as well.
The 16-ounce red fruits are juicy with a balanced depth between sweetness and acidity. Heat tolerance makes Costoluto Genovese a good choice for hot summer climates.
Try this tasty preparation: drizzle sliced Costoluto Genovese with Italian olive oil and your best-aged balsamic vinegar. Sprinkle shavings of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese over the top and embrace la dolce vita!
14. Amish Paste – Ideal For Sauces And Canning
Amish Paste wins rave reviews from sauce and salsa makers, as well as canners. Developed by the Amish in Wisconsin during the 1870s, Amish Paste produces 8-ounce red fruits ideal for cooking down into rich sauces.
The firm flesh contains very few seeds, allowing it to thicken easily into pasta sauce or pizza topping without extra steps for seed removal. Yet the mild sweet essence also makes Amish Paste suitable for fresh eating when fully ripe.
For canning whole tomatoes or sauce, you can’t beat Amish Paste. But it will likely become a backyard favorite for fresh eating too!
15. San Marzano – Star Of Sauces And Soups
Gardeners and chefs alike praise San Marzano tomatoes, particularly for cooking. With fewer seeds, less water content, and thicker flesh, they shine in sauces, soups, and canning.
Native to Italy and used extensively for canning and sauce-making, San Marzano offers that authentic old-world flavor. They lend a sweetness and just the right acidity to any dish.
Their elongated shape makes San Marzano easy to peel and core. Look for varieties bearing the official DOP designation which indicates authentic San Marzano heritage and quality.
Try them in your favorite homemade marinara, minestrone soup, or bruschetta topping. San Marzano brings rustic Italian flavor to both your garden and kitchen!
Find all tomato varieties seeds here
Wrapping up!
With hundreds of tantalizing indeterminate tomatoes to pick from, try growing a few new varieties each season. Follow proper culture practices for staking, pruning, and consistent moisture. Then get ready for a tour de tomato flavor all summer long!
Let me know which of these all-star tomatoes you decide to grow this year and how they turn out. I’d love to hear about your favorites as well!
