When people hear “tomato”, they usually think “red”. But did you know tomatoes can also be black?
In fact, there are many black varieties, from big meaty beefsteaks to small pop-in-your-mouth cherries. All are delicious, with complex, tasty flavors.
Here is a list of 19 varieties you can try to liven up your palate!
Black Krim
Black Krim tomatoes are one of the most popular varieties of black tomatoes. It’s an heirloom breed and a prolific producer.
Fruit – Large tomato with reddish-purple skin. The hotter and sunnier the conditions, the darker this tomato gets. The fruit generally weighs anywhere from 8 – 10 oz.
Taste – This tomato is juicy and has a sweet, smoky flavor. It’s bold with a slightly salty taste.
Time to Harvest – Approximately 80 days to maturity once in the ground.
Ways to Use – A Black Krim is great for slicing and using in sauces.
Black Beauty
Black Beauty tomatoes are a beefsteak variety. Because of high anthocyanin levels, the compound that gives fruits and vegetables their dark colors, these guys have some of the darkest colored fruits. Black Beauties are also heirloom tomatoes.
Fruit – When ripe, black beauty tomatoes have deep red-purple flesh. They’re very juicy. Large fruits often weigh between 8 – 16 oz and medium-sized fruits between 3 – 7 oz.
Taste – Black beauty tomatoes have a smooth, savory taste with a note of earthiness. The texture is meaty.
Time to Harvest – Black beauty seedlings generally mature within 68 – 85 days.
Ways to Use – Good for salads and slicing for sandwiches.
Black Prince
Black Prince tomatoes are a high-yielding, heirloom tomato, designed for colder climates. These gourmet tomatoes are good for patio gardens and northern regions.
Fruit – The fruit of the Black Prince leans towards a dark maroon color. These tomatoes generally weigh 2 – 3 oz.
Taste – Black Prince tomatoes have a deep, sweet, fruity flavor.
Time to Harvest – Generally mature within 70 – 75 days.
Ways to Use – Black Prince tomatoes are delicious eaten raw on salads or sandwiches.
Dark Galaxy
This unique looking tomato is an heirloom variety. The skin is dark with patches of red and yellow spots, giving the fruit a “galaxy-like” appearance. Sunlight will enhance the color.
Fruit – The fruit of a Dark Galaxy tomato starts off green with blue shoulders that darken to purple-black. It develops stripes of red and speckles of yellow. The fruit weighs anywhere from 1 – 4 oz.
Taste – A Dark Galaxy is sweet and juicy, with a fresh flavor.
Time to Harvest – Seedlings generally take 70 – 80 days to ripen.
How to Use – A Dark Galaxy tomato makes a great addition to any salad.
Black Cherry
As the name suggests, Black Cherry tomatoes are a cherry tomato variety. These guys are very productive. They’re indeterminate, meaning they can ripen at different times. So, you’ll want to harvest regularly.
Fruit – Black Cherry tomatoes are about 1” round with a deep purple/mahogany color. The flesh is also also a deep color.
Taste – Fruity, rich and juicy. Like most cherry tomatoes, they’re sweet and intense.
Time to Harvest – Black Cherries usually ripen within 65 – 75 days.
Ways to Use – These guys are great for salads, vegetable trays or just eating straight off the vine.
Black Icicle
The Black Icicle tomato is a rare heirloom variety that’s a prolific producer. Since it’s not as easy to come by, if growing, you may want to harvest a few seeds for next year’s crop.
Fruit – Black Icicle tomatoes have an elongated shape with a rich, dark burgundy-brown color. The fruits are generally 4 oz in size.
Taste – Rich, sweet, earthy flavor, and a little less acidic.
Time to Harvest – Plan on harvesting your Black Icicle tomato within 75 – 80 days of planting in the ground.
How to Use – Black Icicles make a great addition to sauces.
Cherokee Purple
The Cherokee Purple was one of the first dark colored tomatoes available to purchase commercially. This heirloom variety produces large fruits and needs lots of sun.
Fruit – Dusky purple-pink skin and flesh that’s a rich, red color. This guy produces large fruits, weighing anywhere from 12 – 16 oz.
Taste – Cherokee Purples are tender with a complex flavor that’s slightly sweet and smoky.
Time to Harvest – Expect this tomato to ripen roughly 80 days from transplanting.
How to Use – The Cherokee Purple is a great tomato for slicing and using in sandwiches or sliced tomato salads.
Carbon
Carbon tomatoes are prolific producers. Not only that, but the Carbon tomato has also won best-tasting tomato awards. With those accolades, you know this is a tomato worth looking at. Carbon tomatoes are one of the darkest purple varieties and they’re known for having a high tolerance for drought and heat.
Fruit – Large, round fruit weighing anywhere from 8 – 14 oz. The skin is a dark purple-brown, especially around the shoulders, and the flesh is red.
Taste – The taste is complex, with a rich, savory, smoky flavor.
Time to Harvest – Expect your Carbon tomato to ripen within 85 – 90 days.
Ways to Use – Carbon tomatoes are great for salsas and sauces.
Black Plum
Black Plum tomatoes are elongated tomatoes, shaped similarly to Roma tomatoes. They’re heavy producers.
Fruit – Black Plums have a deep burgundy/brownish-red color. The shoulders can have a greener tinge. They’re roughly 2” in length with an elongated shape.
Taste – Black Plum tomatoes are sweet and tangy with a rich, complex flavor.
Time to Harvest – This tomato variety will be ready to harvest in about 75 – 80 days.
Ways to Use – Use a Black Plum tomato as you would a Roma. They’re great in salads and diced for sauces.
Indigo Rose
The Indigo Rose is the first truly purple tomato. It too contains higher levels of anthocyanin. Because of this, not only is the color very dark, the Indigo Rose is rich in antioxidants.
Fruit – Indigo Rose tomatoes are a dark purple color, round, and roughly 1 – 3 inches in size.
Taste – These tomatoes have a clean, slightly acidic sweet flavor. They’re a balanced tomato with a hint of plum taste.
Time to Harvest – You can harvest your Indigo Rose tomatoes 75 – 80 days after planting.
Ways to Use – Indigo Rose tomatoes are delicious raw in salads and also do well in sauces
Black From Tula
The Black From Tula tomato is a high-yield, beefsteak variety. They’re easy to grow, but do prefer good airflow between plants.
Fruit – The fruit on these tomatoes is a dark brownish red/green and the flesh is meaty. They have a flattened globe shape. These tomatoes are can be whoppers, reaching weights of up to 20 oz. Most though will be around 8 – 12 oz.
Taste – Black From Tula has a wonderfully sweet, rich smoky flavor.
Time to Harvest – Expect 85 days until your tomato is ready to harvest.
Ways to Use – Use your Black From Tula sliced in a tomato salad or on a sandwich.
Black Pear
This heirloom variety is another type of tomato that will do well in a cooler climate.
Fruit – The Black Pear is, unsurprisingly, shaped like a pear. The color is dark mahogany brown and the fruit usually weighs between 6 – 10 oz.
Taste – Black Pear tomatoes have a unique, well-balanced, sweet flavor.
Time to Harvest – Anywhere from 75 – 80 days after planting.
Ways to Use – Black Pears are delicious raw in salads or cooked into sauces.
Paul Robeson
The Paul Robeson tomato is named after an American vocal artist and rights activist. This tomato is another large, beefsteak variety.
Fruit – The fruit of the Paul Robeson is a maroon/mahogany color with black-green shoulders. The shape is slightly flattened. Another giant, this tomato can also reach weights of up to 20 oz. Generally, though, expect 6 – 12 oz.
Taste – The Paul Robeson is juicy with a sweet, smoky, earthy flavor.
Time to Harvest – This guy takes a little longer to ripen, roughly 80 -90 days.
Ways to Use – Use your Paul Robeson tomato in sauces, or sliced raw for salads and sandwiches.
If you’d like to learn more about growing black tomatoes, take a look at my beginner’s guide. You’ll find it helpful.
True Black Brandywine
The True Black Brandywine tomato is another large, beefsteak variety with a high yield.
Fruit – This tomato has dusky, dark mahogany shoulders, is juicy, and weighs up to 14 oz.
Taste – Complex full flavor that’s both smoky and sweet.
Time to Harvest – This variety also takes a bit longer to ripen at 90 days.
Ways to Use – The True Black Brandywine is great for slicing and salsas.
Kangaroo Paw Brown
The Kangaroo Paw Brown tomato is a dwarf variety, which makes it a good choice for a patio. These guys produce lots of uniform fruits.
Fruit – Red-brown, with darker shoulders. The shape is round to flattened and the fruit weighs between 2 – 6 oz.
Taste – These guys have an earthy flavor that’s both sweet and tangy.
Time to Harvest – Your Kangaroo Paw Brown will take about 90 to harvest.
Ways to Use – They’re good for salsas and stews.
Gum Drop Black F1
The Gum Drop Black F1 is a hybrid tomato that’s a prolific producer, bearing fruit throughout the season.
Fruit – These guys are 1” cherry tomatoes with black stripes.
Taste – The Gum Drop Black F1 has an intense, sweet flavor.
Time to Harvest – They’ll produce ripe fruit throughout the season, but generally expect to start harvest 70 – 75 days after planting.
Ways to Use – Great in salads or eaten right off the vine.
Cappuccino Cherry
The Cappuccino Cherry tomato is a tall plant that can reach heights of 12 feet in good soil. Like many cherry tomatoes, they are high-yielders.
Fruit – The Cappuccino Cherry has a deep brown, coppertoned skin with dark orange flesh. They’re about a ½ inch in size.
Taste – These guys are firm and juicy, and slightly sweet.
Time to Harvest – The Cappuccino Cherry is ready to harvest a bit earlier at 60 – 65 days.
Ways to Use – They make great additions to salads, but they can be used in sauces.
African Brown
The African Brown tomato originates from west Africa and can be a little harder to come by.
Fruit – Expect large fruits that are a rich brown-red color. They’re usually 6 – 12 oz but can get as large as 16 oz.
Taste – The African Brown is juicy and sweet tasting.
Time to Harvest – They too ripen a little sooner at anywhere from 50 – 70 days.
Ways to Use – African Browns are good for slicing and used on sandwiches or tomato salads.
Black Mamba
The Black Mamba is a large, beefsteak type variety.
Fruit – The fruit of the Black Mamba is purple-brown/black in color and weighs between 6 – 14 oz.
Taste – Another tasty variety, the Black Mamba has a sweet, smoky “old fashioned” flavor.
Time to Harvest – Expect about 78 days for this tomato to ripen.
Ways to Use – The Black Mamba is great sliced for sandwiches or tomato salads or used in sauces.
