Tomato Varieties & Color: Learn About Different Tomato Colors

It may surprise you to learn that with different tomato varieties, color is not constant. As a matter of fact , tomatoes were not always red. The tomatoes varieties that existed when tomatoes were first cultivated were yellow or orange.

Through breeding, the standard color of tomato plant varieties is now red. While red may be the predominate color among tomatoes now, that does not mean that there are not other colors of tomatoes available. Letís look at a few.
Red tomato varieties

Red tomatoes are the ones that you will see most commonly. Red tomato varieties include commonly known varieties like Better Boy, Early Girl, Beefsteak and Beefmaster. Commonly, red tomatoes have the rich tomato flavor that we are accustomed to.
Pink tomato varieties

These tomatoes are just a bit less vibrant than red varieties. They include Pink Branywine, Caspian Pink and Thai Pinks. The flavors of these tomatoes are similar to red tomatoes.
Orange tomato varieties

An orange tomato variety normally has roots in older tomato plant varieties. Some orange tomatoes include Hawaiian Pineapple, Kelloggís Breakfast and Persimmon. These tomatoes tend to be sweeter, almost fruit like in flavor.
Yellow tomato varieties

Yellow tomatoes are anywhere from a dark yellow to a light yellow color. Some varieties include Azoychka, Yellow Stuffer and Garden Peach. These tomato plant varieties are normally low acid and have a less tangy flavor than the tomatoes most people are use to.
White tomato varieties

White tomatoes are a novelty among tomatoes. Typically they are a pale, pale yellow. Some white tomatoes include White Beauty, Ghost Cherry and White Queen. The flavor of white tomatoes tends to be bland, but they have the lowest acid of any of the tomato varieties.
Green tomato varieties

Normally, when we think of a green tomato, we think of a tomato that is not ripe. But, there are tomatoes that ripen green. These include Greman Green Stripe, Green Moldovan and Green Zebra. Green tomato variety is typically strong but lower in acid than reds.
Purple tomato varieties or black tomato varieties

Purple or black tomatoes hold on tomore of their chlorophyll than most other varieties and will therefore ripen to dark red with purple tops or shoulders. Tomato plant varieties include Cherokee Purple, Black Ethiopian and Paul Robeson. Purple or blck tomatoes have a strong, robust, smoky flavor.

Tomatoes may come it a wide variety of colors, but one thing holds true. A ripe tomato from the garden, no matter the color, will beat a tomato from the store any day.

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