Tomatoes come in all shapes and sizes, from tiny cherry types to large beefsteak ones. Each variety offers a unique flavor and texture, making cooking with tomatoes a fun adventure. Common tomato varieties are often chosen based on taste, color, and purpose—whether for salads, sauces, or roasting. The Roma tomato, also called plum tomato, is a favorite for making sauces because it has fewer seeds and thicker flesh. Its meaty texture holds up well when cooked down. Heirloom tomatoes are popular among gardeners because they come in vibrant colors and unusual shapes, often passed down through generations, preserving unique flavors that you won’t find in typical grocery store tomatoes.

Cherry tomatoes are bite-sized and super sweet, perfect for snacking or adding to salads. They’re also easy to grow in containers, which makes them a hit for urban gardeners. Green tomatoes aren’t just unripe red tomatoes—they can be a whole different variety with a tangy taste. Fried green tomatoes, a Southern classic, use this tartness to great effect. Beefsteak tomatoes are big, juicy, and perfect for slicing onto sandwiches or burgers. They’re one of the most recognizable types in the United States and have a classic tomato flavor.

Brandywine tomatoes are a well-known heirloom variety that’s loved for its rich, sweet taste. It has a pinkish-red color and is often considered one of the best-tasting tomatoes. San Marzano tomatoes are famous in Italian cooking. They’re grown in volcanic soil in Italy and prized for their sweet flavor and low acidity, making them ideal for sauces and pastes. Yellow tomatoes have a milder, less acidic flavor than red ones. They add a splash of color and subtle sweetness to salads and dishes, making them a popular choice for variety.

Grape tomatoes are smaller and firmer than cherry tomatoes, often sweeter too. Their shape makes them perfect for salads, roasting, or snacking on the go. Some common tomato varieties have natural resistance to diseases like blight and wilt, which makes them easier to grow without chemicals. This is a big plus for organic gardeners. Tomatoes were once thought to be poisonous in Europe because they belong to the nightshade family. It took centuries for them to become the culinary staple they are today.

The Black Krim tomato is a dark purple variety from Crimea, known for its smoky, rich flavor that’s different from typical tomatoes. It’s a favorite among chefs and home growers who want something special. Early Girl tomatoes get their name because they ripen early in the growing season, making them a reliable choice for gardeners in cooler climates. The Sun Gold tomato is a bright orange cherry tomato with a super-sweet flavor, often called the “candy” of tomatoes.

Common tomato varieties include slicing types, which are big and juicy, ideal for fresh eating. They’re what you often find in supermarkets for sandwiches and salads. Campari tomatoes are popular for their sweetness and low acidity. They’re slightly bigger than cherry tomatoes and great for fresh eating or cooking. Some tomatoes, like the green zebra, have striped skin and a tangy flavor that adds visual interest and taste variety to dishes.

Tomatoes are rich in lycopene, a powerful antioxidant linked to many health benefits, including heart health and cancer prevention. Different varieties have different lycopene levels. Pear-shaped tomatoes get their name from their distinctive shape. They come in colors like yellow and red, perfect for adding a fun look to your salads. The mortgage lifter tomato was developed during the Great Depression and named because the grower was able to pay off his mortgage selling these giant, tasty tomatoes.

Common tomato varieties vary widely in their growing seasons. Some are best for short summers, while others need a long, warm season to fully ripen. Brandywine tomatoes take longer to mature but are praised for their excellent flavor, often worth the wait for gardeners. Tomatoes can cross-pollinate, which means planting different varieties close together can produce unique new types if you save seeds.

Heirloom tomatoes are open-pollinated, meaning their seeds produce plants true to type, unlike hybrids that may change characteristics. This makes heirlooms prized for seed saving. Roma tomatoes are often used in canning and sauces because they produce less watery juice and have thick flesh, perfect for preserving. The Celebrity tomato is a hybrid known for its disease resistance and good flavor, making it a garden favorite for beginners.

Sun-dried tomatoes come from common tomato varieties that are dried to concentrate their sweetness and flavor, often used in Mediterranean cooking. Cherry tomatoes can have surprising colors like yellow, purple, and even black, offering variety beyond the usual red. Tomatoes grow best in warm weather with plenty of sun, but some varieties tolerate cooler nights better, expanding where you can grow them.

Some tomato varieties are bred specifically for container gardening, producing smaller plants but still yielding tasty fruit. This is great for apartment gardeners. Indeterminate tomato varieties keep growing and producing fruit all season long, while determinate types grow to a set size and produce fruit all at once. Common tomato varieties also differ in shape—some are round, others oval or even ribbed, adding fun textures to dishes.

Greenhouse tomatoes are often different varieties that thrive in controlled environments, providing fresh tomatoes year-round in some regions. Tomatoes are technically berries, botanically speaking, which surprises many people. The costoluto genovese tomato is an Italian heirloom known for its deeply ribbed, juicy fruit with intense flavor, great for fresh eating or sauce.

Common tomato varieties include some developed for long shelf life and shipping durability, important for supermarket tomatoes. Vine-ripened tomatoes are picked when fully ripe on the plant, offering better flavor than those picked green and ripened artificially. Grape and cherry tomatoes tend to have thicker skins than larger types, helping them stay fresh longer.

Tomatoes were first domesticated in South America over 2,500 years ago and spread through Central America before reaching Europe in the 16th century. Some common tomato varieties have unique flavors described as smoky, fruity, or even spicy, showing how diverse tomatoes really are. The tiger tomato, with its red and yellow stripes, adds a colorful twist to salads and is a hit with kids.

Common tomato varieties like the Juliet tomato are known for their versatility—they’re great fresh, cooked, or roasted. Tomato plants can produce hundreds of fruits in a growing season, depending on the variety and care. The black cherry tomato has a rich, sweet flavor and dark color that adds depth to salads and dishes.

Common tomato varieties are often categorized by their usage—salad, slicing, sauce, or paste tomatoes—helping cooks choose the right type for each dish. Tomatoes come in over 10,000 varieties worldwide, showing how much diversity there is beyond the common types. Some tomatoes are bred to be low acid, making them easier on sensitive stomachs and good for kids.

Tomatoes are a staple in global cuisines, appearing in dishes from Italian pasta to Mexican salsas and Indian curries. Different varieties suit different recipes. The Mortgage Lifter tomato got its name because the breeder could pay off his mortgage selling the seeds of this large, flavorful variety during tough times. The Big Rainbow tomato is a stunning bi-color heirloom with pink and yellow stripes, making it a visual star on any plate.

Common tomato varieties vary in plant size—from compact bushes to tall, sprawling vines requiring staking. Tomatoes naturally have about 90% water content, which is why they’re juicy and refreshing in summer salads. The Black Cherry tomato’s dark skin is packed with antioxidants, adding nutritional value alongside great taste.

Tomato blossoms are yellow and attract pollinators like bees, which help increase fruit yield in garden tomatoes. The costoluto tomato’s bumpy shape and rich flavor have made it a favorite in Italian markets for centuries. Hybrid tomatoes combine traits like disease resistance and better yield but don’t always save true-to-seed, unlike heirlooms.

Common tomato varieties offer a range of flavors, colors, and textures, making them versatile ingredients for kitchens worldwide. Growing your own tomatoes allows you to experience fresh, flavorful fruits that supermarket tomatoes often can’t match. Experimenting with different common tomato varieties can lead to discovering unique tastes and new favorite recipes.