Complete Guide to Tomato Varieties and How to Use Them

Ripe, juicy tomatoes are a seasonal staple. Technically classified as fruits, they offer that unique combination of sweet, savory and acidic flavors that tastes like summertime. But not all tomatoes share the same characteristics. In fact, there are more than 10,000 known tomato varieties around the world. From sweet red and yellow cherry-sized tomatoes to deep-hued Cherokee Purples to tart and tangy Green Beefsteaks, each has its own flavor profile and culinary strengths. While some are better for salads, snacking and enjoying raw, others are better for cooking, canning, frying, grilling, or making salsas and sauces.

Whether you’re harvesting tomatoes from your own backyard plants, browsing at the farmers market or buying them at the grocery store, our tomato guide below will help you make the most out of some of the most common varieties in the kitchen.

See more: How to Grow and Care for Tomato Plants

Red Beefsteak Tomatoes

You can think of Red Beefsteaks as your classic large tomato. This common variety is juicy and meaty with a bright red color and mild, balanced flavor. They’re a popular choice for burgers and sandwiches because they hold up well when sliced and their flavor won’t overpower meat or other ingredients. Red Beefsteaks also combine well with a variety of different flavors, making them ideal for sauces and salsas.

Best uses:

Burgers, sandwiches, sauces and salsas

Try them in these recipes:

• BLT Burger with Sweet Onion Mayonnaise
• Roasted Red Pepper Salsa
• Avocado Toast with Tomato, Cucumber and Dill

Green Beefsteak Tomatoes

If you’re impatiently waiting for your homegrown Beefsteaks to ripen, there’s no harm in harvesting a few while they’re still green. Green Beefsteak tomatoes have a tart and tangy flavor with a crunchy texture, making them perfect for a few unique uses, including fried green tomatoes and even dessert recipes that typically use Granny Smith apples.

Best uses:

Frying, pickling, grilling, salsas, sauces, sandwiches and desserts

Try them in these recipes:

• Fried Green Tomatoes (Flour)
• Bacon, Lettuce and Fried Green Tomato Sandwiches
• Fried Green Tomatoes (Cornmeal)
• Fried Green Tomatoes Over Apple-Arugula Salad
• Green Tomato Pie

Cherry Tomatoes

Named for their size and shape, juicy and sweet cherry tomatoes are one of the most versatile varieties out there. They can be sold on or off the vine and range from a bit smaller than a cherry to about double in size. Thanks to their small size and range of colors – including red, orange, green, yellow and purple – they’re the perfect tomato for adding to fresh summer salads. They also hold up well when grilled on skewers and make a delicious and healthy choice for snacking on raw.

Best uses:

Salads, sauces, grilling and snacking

Try them in these recipes:

• Corn and Cherry Tomato Salad with Basil, Walnuts and Feta
• Red Quinoa Tomato Salad
• BLT Lettuce Wraps
• Shredded Green and Gold Zucchini Salad

Grape Tomatoes

These small, tasty tomatoes are often confused with cherry tomatoes, but they have a slightly oblong rather than perfectly round shape – like a grape. They also have a thicker skin than cherry tomatoes, making them a better choice for cooking since they hold up well when roasted, served as a side with meat or chicken, or tossed in other cooked dishes like pasta.

Best uses:

Salads, cooking, roasting, grilling and snacking.

Try them in these recipes:

• Summer Couscous Salad with Grilled Squash and Tomatoes
• BBQ Corn Salad
• Greek Chicken Lasagna

Roma Tomatoes

Commonly found in supermarkets, Roma tomatoes are also an excellent choice for a home garden because they’re easy to grow and produce a huge yield. Also called plum tomatoes, these tasty, oval-shaped fruits have an intense, tangy and balanced flavor with relatively few seeds, making them ideal for making tomato paste or adding to pasta sauces, stews, soups and more.

See more: How to Can Tomatoes Using the Water Bath Method

Best uses:

Salads, cooking, roasting, sauces and canning

Try them in these recipes:

• Roma Tomato Sauce
• Balsamic Bruschetta
• Homemade Pizza Sauce

Heirloom Tomatoes

You’ve seen them at farmers markets and on restaurant menus, but what exactly are heirloom tomatoes? It all has to do with the seeds, which farmers save from the plants that produce the best tomatoes and regrow from season to season. This way, farmers can select the best traits and pass them on for generations to come. Heirloom tomatoes are usually open-pollinated, meaning they are naturally pollinated by birds, bees or wind.

There are many heirloom tomato varieties out there to choose from in several different shapes and colors. Unsurprisingly, they have a rich and delicious flavor that makes them ideal for enjoying raw in their purest form. Some of the most popular types among gardeners and chefs alike include Cherokee Purple, Brandywine and Black Krim.

Best uses:

Salads, sandwiches and snacking

Try them in these recipes:

• Puff Pastry Tart with Goat Cheese and Tomato
• Fresh Ricotta Tomato Salad
• Marinated Tomato Slices

Campari Tomatoes

Usually sold on the vine, Campari tomatoes are characterized by their high sugar content, low acidity and juiciness. This makes them a fantastic choice for serving fresh in salads and on sandwiches. They’re also delicious cooked in pasta sauces and soups or on pizzas and pair well with bold flavors like garlic and basil.

Best uses:

Salads, sandwiches, cooking and snacking

Try them in these recipes:

• Tomato Cucumber Salad
• Parmesan Roasted Campari Tomatoes
• Roasted Tomato Caprese Pasta

Sungold Tomatoes

As the name suggests, Sungold tomatoes ripen to a beautiful, golden-orange color. Sungolds are a type of cherry tomato, but they grow in clusters of 10 to 20 fruits and have an even sweeter flavor than red cherry tomatoes. They tend to stay firmer longer than regular cherry tomatoes and hold up well roasted.

Best uses:

Salads, roasting and snacking

Try them in these recipes:

• Sungold Tomato Caprese Salad
• Sungold Tomato Vinaigrette
• Easy Fresh Corn and Tomato Salad