The popularity of the tomato has grown in leaps and bounds and over the years, through trial and error of experimentation. There is a wide range of tomatoes today that should please even the pickiest eater.
There are two types of tomatoes, or rather two ways in which they grow, indeterminate and determinate. Indeterminate tomatoes are considered to be a vine rather than a bush and will grow until the first cold weather sets in. Determinate tomatoes are the bush variety; they will grow to a certain size then stop.
Basically there are three types of tomatoes, slicing tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, and paste tomatoes, for making your own sauce. No matter which one you choose, with a little attention you can grow your own tomatoes and save the money you would normally spend at the grocery and take yourself a really great vacation.
There are so many tomato types we can’t list them all here, but we will go over a few tomato varieties in hopes that you will be a little more knowledgeable about the types of tomatoes out today.
• Beefsteak tomatoes grow big and juicy. They have a bright red color and mostly what you see in grocery stores when looking for big tomatoes. These are wonderful for just about anything you want to eat them with, on sandwiches, cooked or as a side dish.
• Glob tomatoes are medium size and are the smaller tomatoes in stores. These are firm juicy and good to eat.
• Plum tomatoes or Roma tomatoes are the ones most people use for sauces and they were actually bred just for this purpose. Their shape is more elongated than round and their seeds are small so you get more of a meaty.
• Pear-shaped tomatoes look like teardrops and a bit smaller than the cherry tomato and can be red or yellow in color.
• Cherry tomatoes are delicious and about the size of a big cherry. Mainly used for salads, they can also be cooked and stuffed if you have the patience. There are other varieties like Sungolds, Mini Charms and Grape. If you want to grow tomatoes in a small space, like an apartment or condo, these sweet little tomatoes are your best bet.
• Current tomatoes are the smallest yet, about 0.7” in diameter. Very sweet and are either red or yellow.
• Purple or Cherokee tomatoes are purple and may take some getting use to. Not the best looking but these tomatoes make up for it with a super sweet tomato flavor.
• Caspian Pink tomato is from the beefsteak tomato family, only pink in color and very good to eat. Originally from the Caspian Sea of Russia.
• Green Zebra tomato, this is one good-looking tomato. Its green color with dark green strips makes it one of the best looking tomatoes there are. They taste great too and some people would rather eat these in their salads and salsa’s over any other kind of tomato.
• Great White tomatoes are the biggest white tomatoes you can grow. These beauties can weigh up to two pounds with a mild, sweet taste.
As you can see, there are many, many types of tomatoes out there today. We have just talked about a few. If you’re thinking of growing your own tomatoes we encourage you to “go for it.”
It’s a pretty good feeling of accomplishment when you see the first fruit start to grow. Find a type you like and grow it, once you do you will never buy store bought tomatoes again.