5 Outstanding Multi-Purposed Tomatoes
In the heirloom and open-pollinated tomato world, we often associate some tomato varieties with specific functions. For example, Amish Paste is widely considered a paste and sauce tomato. Likewise, Pink Brandywine tomato is considered a sandwich specialist. The list of tomato varieties for specific purposes can go on and on. But where do we turn to if we wanted tomato varieties that are not boxed into any particular category function, but perform well in many. Well, I have a small list of favorites that I would like to share with you. These are the ones that have most impressed me. So here is a short list of 5 outstanding multi-purposed tomatoes. They are not the only ones that will work. Rather, they are among the first ones that come to mind when I want to grow less plants, yet achieve my goal of experiencing everything tomato.
Jazz Tomato For Sandwiches, Sauce Stews And More
If your purpose is to have a tomato that makes a really good sandwich, sauce, garnish or even stew, Jazz tomato will easily cover that for you. Jazz, bred by Fred Hempel, has outstanding taste and beauty appeal. Last season, I basically used it for everything, including market sales, in which it performed excellently. I am not sure what advantages many big name sauce makers have on Jazz. It’s a big tomato with big vines, so it may not be the right fit for everyone’s garden. But if you have the space, go for it!
Eugenia Tomato Outstanding For Sandwiches, Salsas, Canning And Sauces
I first discovered Eugenia tomato in 2017 when I did a seed trade with Ruslan Doohov of Poland. That trade introduced me to some of the best tomatoes that I have ever experienced. Some of my favorites were, Blue Pear, Melissa The Caucasian Shepherd and Brunette. But the one that I have chosen from this batch is Eugenia. Eugenia is a member of the oxheart family, which is famous for excellent taste, texture and their multi-purposed capabilities. Eugenia is very flavorful and fruity, with lots of meat and great texture. It’s perfect for almost everything, including drying. I made some fantastic salsa and sauces with this one too. It was superb when dehydrated, demonstrating fantastic flavor that is intense and delightful. Eugenia tomato is definitely one for you to consider for multi-purposed functions.
Mendoza 44 Tomato Equals Fruitiness On A Tomato Vine
I first got seeds for Mendoza 44 tomato from in 2016 and grew them out in 2017. Needless to say, I was saddened when I found out how good they were. I wished I had grown them in that very first year. These could easily be the best new tomatoes that I introduced on my website in 2017. Mendoza 44 is a slicer tomato that works excellently as a cooking, sauce, canning, salsa and fresh eating variety. They are the perfect size for snacking in the garden. When dehydrated, they are excellent, with heightened fruitiness. Vines are not too tall and prolific, which makes this one hard to beat as a space saving variety in your garden.
Dad’s Sunset Tomato for Sauce, Market, Dehydrating, Salsa, Cooking.
Dad’s Sunset may not be a very popular variety, but I believe that it’s overlooked. This stunningly beautiful slicer tomato looks fantastic on a platter. It’s deep yellow color and outstanding texture makes it a perfect choice fo much more than just garnishing and smooth yellow sauce. It’s one of the best tomato for mellow yellow and sweet sauce. Over pasta, it is superb. It needs a little extra cooking time, but when completed you will be totally happy. At the Farmers’ Market, it’s a head turner. I always sell out of these. Dehydrate and make some sweet, flavorful tomato powder. Sprinkle over meats, GREAT! It also loves salsa and performed well when canned!
Mayo’s Delight Tomato Is Certainly Delightful
Another fantastic multi-purposed tomato is Mayo’s Delight. This is one that I keep thinking about all through the off season. Mayo’s Delight is always one of the first tomatoes that I would recommend for almost anything. It’s a fantastic sandwich tomato, great market tomato, great for sauces, excellent for salsas, perfect right off the vine, in stews, and good for canning too! So you see, this is a really great tomato all around! Like Eugenia, Mayo’s Delight is a member of the oxheart family.
It’s so easy to see how this variety makes sense as a selection on my list. Now that you have seen my list of 5 outstanding multi-purposed tomatoes, perhaps you could check them out and tell me what you feel. I do have more selections in this category. If you would like to know what they are, please drop me a line. Have a great growing season!
