8 Types of Tomatoes You Should Know
Who doesn’t love a ripe, juicy tomato? Tomatoes are one of the most versatile fruits around. They shine in everything from your morning toast to a perfect slow-cooked sauce. The fact of the matter is, though, that there are a ton of tomato varieties out there — and it can be hard to tell the differences between them. Here we highlight some common tomato varieties so you know which to reach for when.
Hybrid vs. Heirloom Tomatoes
You’re likely to come across some varieties of hybrid tomatoes at the supermarket. They’re grown year-round and are cultivated to have specific characteristics that make them well-suited to mass production, like disease resistance and thicker skins, for example. Heirloom tomatoes, on the other hand, are pollinated naturally and by definition have not been cross-bred for at least 50 years.
A Note on Green Tomatoes
Green tomatoes fall into one of two camps: Unripe tomatoes and tomatoes that are green when ripe. Unripened green tomatoes have a very firm texture and are best eaten cooked in dishes like fried green tomatoes. Ripe green tomatoes are just as tender and juicy as ripe red tomatoes and can be eaten raw or cooked.
Globe Tomatoes
A globe is likely the “true neutral” image that comes to mind when you picture a tomato. They’re a classic “slicing” tomato — perfect for layering on a sandwich or in a tart. Globe tomatoes can come in red or green and typically fit into the palm of your hand. They’re meaty and juicy with a mild tomato flavor that translates well to just about any application. You can enjoy a globe tomato raw or cooked, drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with flaky salt, or baked into a cheesy galette; the possibilities are endless.
Best for: Whatever you like; they’re the workhorses of the tomato family.
Globe Tomato Recipes:
Beefsteak Tomatoes
As their name suggests, beefsteak tomatoes are large; they can weigh anywhere from one to four pounds. They are juicy and meaty with thin skins. Although red beefsteaks are very common, heirloom varieties can be orange or yellow. Their peak season is late summer, which is the best time to enjoy them, as they have a very short shelf life. Their high water content makes them a great choice for raw preparations like sliced on a sandwich or chopped in a salad.
Best for: Raw preparations, sandwiches, salads, grilling, stuffing
Beefsteak Tomato Recipes:
Heirloom Tomatoes
Heirloom tomatoes are grown from plants that have been naturally pollinated with no cross breeding for at least 50 years. The resulting tomatoes span a wide variety of shapes and sizes. They can be red, orange, yellow, green, or even dark purple; they can be quite small to weighing multiple pounds; and they can be heart-shaped, ovular, or round. These are the tomatoes you find displayed proudly at the farmers market with interesting names like Brandywine, Black Krim, or Arkansas Traveler. They have thin skins, are very juicy when ripe, and don’t tend to travel well. Although specific flavor varies among specific varieties, heirlooms are known to be some of the most flavorful and “tomatoey” tasting tomatoes you can get your hands on.
Best for: Eating raw, sandwiches, toasts, salads, no-cook pasta sauce
Heirloom Tomato Recipes:
Vine-Ripened Tomatoes
Also known as “hot house” tomatoes, you can find these small slicers at the supermarket grouped together and still attached to a small bit of vine. “Vine-ripened” refers to how the tomatoes were harvested and ripened. Most commercially grown tomatoes are harvested while they’re still green (and therefore tough enough to handle the shipping process) and then treated with ethylene gas to induce ripening.
Vine-ripened tomatoes, on the other hand, are picked at a slightly later stage, when they’re still green, but just starting to turn pink, and then allowed to finish ripening naturally without the help of ethylene. They’re a bit more delicate and can require additional packaging, which is why they’re often more expensive than other commercially grown varieties.
Best for: You can use vine-ripened tomatoes in the same way you would other slicing tomatoes. They’re very versatile and can be eaten raw or cooked.
Vine-Ripened Tomato Recipes:
Plum Tomatoes
These small-ish oval-shaped tomatoes are generally grown for preserving. The most common varieties of plum tomatoes are Roma and San Marzano (which are grown in Italy and in the U.S. are most often found canned.) Their concentrated tomato flavor, thin skins, few seeds, and low water content make them perfect for tomato paste, tomato sauce, canned tomatoes, and tomato purée. They’re ideal for turning into sauce or chopping up into a salsa.
Best for: Preserving, roasting, salsa, tomato sauce
Plum Tomato Recipes:
Cherry Tomatoes
These tiny, round tomatoes are at their peak in summer, but are available year-round. These teeny tomatoes are most often red, but you can also find them in shades of yellow and orange. They pack a punch of sweet, tomatoey flavor into a very small package, making them perfect for tossing in salads and pastas. Cherry tomatoes are as delicious cooked as they are raw and are great blistered and burst in a skillet or tossed on a sheet pan and roasted in the oven.
Best for: Tossing in salads and pastas, topping pizzas or tarts, roasting
Cherry Tomato Recipes:
Grape Tomatoes
Grape tomatoes and cherry tomatoes are very similar, with their main difference being shape. Grape tomatoes are oblong, resembling the ovular shape of grapes. Grape tomatoes are also a little firmer with a slightly lower water content than cherry tomatoes. Both tiny tomatoes have similar sweet flavors and can be used interchangeably in most recipes.
Best for: Snacking, roasting, sautéing, tossing in salads and pastas
Grape Tomato Recipes:
Pear Tomatoes
A small heirloom variety, pear tomatoes are slightly larger than cherry tomatoes (around 2 inches in length) with an oblong pear shape. They can be either red or yellow and have a mild, sweet flavor.
Best for: Anywhere you would use cherry or grape tomatoes, roasting, salads
Pear Tomato Recipes: