We invite you to take a stroll through the colorful world of old tomato varieties. Get to know outstanding tomato oldies with unique shapes, bright colors and incomparable taste. But be careful - after the first bite of the tempting apples of paradise, there is no going back to the boring world of commercial high-performance tomatoes.
What heirloom tomato varieties are there?
Heirloom tomato varieties are characterized by unique shapes, bright colors and incomparable taste. The best-known tomato oldies include beefsteak tomatoes such as Marmande and White Beauty, bottle tomatoes such as San Marzano and Roma, stick tomatoes such as Golden Queen and Black Krim and cherry tomatoes such as Yellow Pear and Gardener's Delight.
Old beef tomato varieties – Renaissance in the tomato patch
Beef tomatoes are the heavyweights within the variety family, weighing up to 1,000 grams, have many chambers and only ripen late in the year. With a growth height of up to 300 centimeters, the space-consuming plants must be tied up in the bed or greenhouse. These heirloom tomato varieties bring a tomato renaissance to your green kingdom:
| Variety name | Shape | color | Weight | Harvest time | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marmande | flat-round, slightly ribbed | red | 200 to 500 g | from June | France, Aquitaine, late 19th century |
| Brandywine | flattened, ribbed, voluminous | light red to pink | 250 to 500 g | from July | America, since 1882 |
| Black Prince | flat-round, without ribs | red-brown to black | 150 to 350 g | from the end of July | Siberia |
| Oxheart | heart-shaped, heavily to medium ribbed | light red | 300 to 500 g | from September | America, since 1901 |
| White Beauty | flat-round | white | 100 to 200 g | from August | Germany |
One of the oldest beef tomatoes goes by the name 'Yellow Ruffeld' and was bred in America. The history of the yellow, strongly ribbed tomato variety goes back to the 17th century. Home gardening gourmets appreciate the mild taste and serve the 200-gram, hollow-inside fruits with savory fillings.
Traditional bottle tomatoes – traditional varieties for the garden
Old bottle tomato varieties are more popular than ever. Due to their elongated shape, the fruits are perfect as pizza tomatoes. Their special advantage is an incomparable aroma that commercially grown turbo tomatoes cannot match. The following classics are particularly popular with tradition-conscious home gardeners:
| Variety name | Shape | color | Weight | Harvest time | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Marzano | long-slim | red | 20 to 100 g | from the end of August | Italy, since 1770 |
| Amish Paste | ovoid to elongated | red | 50 to 80 g | from the end of July | America, Wisconsin 19th century |
| Roma | little sister of San Marzano | red | 20 to 60 g | from the end of July | Italy, 19th century |
| Date wine tomato | ovoid, tapering | yellow | 20 to 40 g | from the beginning/mid of August | Germany, 18th century |
One of the oldest and most authentic bottle tomatoes found its way from South America to Europe as a seed in the luggage of a French collector. The old variety 'Andenhorn' resembles a red pointed pepper and grows up to 18 cm long. The plant is very robust and not very susceptible to the dreaded late blight. However, it puts the gardener through torture with a long ripening period that extends into autumn.
Old stick tomato varieties – treasures of the past
Stake tomatoes are among the most popular tomatoes worldwide with a total share of cultivation of more than 70 percent. Our forefathers really appreciated the handy fruits with their space-saving cultivation on the stick. The selection of historical variety treasures is correspondingly large. The following list introduces you to the top 5:
| Variety name | Shape | color | Weight | Harvest time | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Golden Queen | round to egg-shaped, smooth | golden yellow | 30 to 60 g | from August | Germany, since 1870 |
| German hard work | spherical, smooth, 4 to 6 cm tall | bright red | 60 to 80 g | from the end of July | Germany, since the beginning of the 20th century |
| Bernese Rose | oval, slightly ribbed | light red to pink | 50 to 100 g, rarely up to 300 g | from mid-August | Switzerland, since the end of the 19th century |
| Black Crimea | flat-round | dark red-brown-purple | 50 to 150 g | from the end of July | Russia, since the end of the 19th century |
| Quendlinger Early Love | round, smooth bowl | red | 40 to 60 g | from mid-July | Germany, 19th century |
Rediscovered cherry tomatoes – snack varieties for the balcony
With old cherry tomato varieties, you can create a brilliant bridge to modern urban gardening on the balcony. The small plants grow vitally and productively in the large container and produce bite-sized mini tomatoes that even vegetable-resistant children can happily grab. The following selection presents you with outstanding varieties:
| Variety name | Shape | color | Weight | Harvest time | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whippersnapper | round, smooth, 2 to 3 chambers | pink-red | 10g | from June | America |
| Yellow Pear | pear-shaped | yellow | 10 to 15 g | from July | England, since the 16th century |
| Sugar Grape | spherical | deep red | 10 to 15 g | from June/July | Mexico, considered lost |
| Gardener’s Delight | cherry-sized, smooth | red | 10g | from June | England or Germany, very old variety |
| Yellow Plum | oval, cherry-sized | yellow | 5 to 10 g | from July | America, since 1898 |
Tip
Growing space is limited in small home gardens and on the balcony. If you look for suitable company for heirloom tomato varieties, local wild strawberries come into focus. The wild, romantic character of both plant species makes them the perfect duo, so you can plant vintage tomatoes and wild strawberries together without hesitation.
