What do home gardener do when the sledding gets tough ? If you ’re like me , your thoughts turn to growing foods for stocking up , and canning tomato plant are top of the list .

Come to think of it , growing varieties ideal for bear on is a good scheme in roaring times of absolute foregone conclusion , too .

It ’s always nice to have a taste of summertime waiting in the pantry or freezer , or being able to turn an overabundance of love apple into salsa and sauce to keep on hand for neighbor and biotic community phallus , or to give as gift .

A close up top down picture of glass jars containing freshly harvested tomatoes, pictured in bright sunshine on a soft focus background.

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There ’s no want to give clean feeding with most canning tomato plant choices , either .

you’re able to slit or nosh on the fruit from any canning mixture , and then dedicate the rest period of your produce to a session of home canning .

A collage of photos showing canning tomatoes in the garden and harvested and processed in a mason jar.

Before you start preparing to develop these tasty , sustainingheirloomorhybridcanning love apple , here ’s the topline of the mixture I ’ll concentrate on :

15 of the Best Canning Tomatoes

Why are certain varieties so adept for canning ? That solvent come from our sustainable gardening forbear and forward-looking - day hybrid scientists .

A vertical picture of a set of glass jars containing canning tomatoes with a wooden fence in the background. To the center and bottom of the frame is green and white text.

Traditional heirloom canning tomatoes earned their reputation by providing fewer seeds , meaty physique , and wooden-headed skins , all select traits for tomatoes that home cooks would strip in a red-hot body of water bath before canning .

Most of the vintage variety show that were so popular for canning also had the very desirable trait of consistent size of it , so they ’d look just in clean canning jars .

And a few , like ‘ Bonny Best , ’ also produced most of their yield in a short period , maybe over a couple of week .

A close up of hands from the right of the frame chopping up tomatoes and placing them in jars for pickling.

This made it simple for home canners to “ put up ” all the jars of tomatoes , sauce , library paste , and juice they ’d need in a few marathon sessions .

Today ’s hybrid canning varieties have some of those traits , like meaty yield with few seeds .

But they ’re also bred to be more disease - resistant , and some bring out declamatory yield so it ’s not as metre - down to strip and sow each case-by-case plum tomato .

Close up of a human hand cupping red beefsteak style tomatoes on the vine.

Modern tomato breeder also have focus on developing commercially available hybrids that are   “ determinant , ” for the most part .

Unlike “ indeterminate ” canning variety favorite like ‘ Red Pear , ’ the determinants typically deliver their whole harvest over the course of a twain of calendar week , rather than proceed to produce throughout the time of year .

Read more about indeterminate vs determinate Lycopersicon esculentum plants here .

A close up of a set of glass jars with metal tops containing red tomato sauce five bright red tomatoes still attached to the vine.

What ’s great for us home gardeners is that we can pick out from the whole range of mountains of canning Lycopersicon esculentum options .

There are those that yield on a timeline that ’s anywhere from 60 to 90 days , and that grow on shaggy 4 - understructure plants , or on vine that can reach 10 feet or taller .

The fruits issue forth in different size of it , too , from the giant ‘ Gladiator ’ to the lilliputian ‘ Red Pear ’ cultivar that ’s thoroughgoing for making roast tomato sauce or tomato muddle .

A close up of a glass jar filled with tomato juice set on a wooden surface, surrounded by fresh fruit, recently harvested.

Colorful types are also an choice for stimulate unequaled salsas and sauce , from tiny dark-green plum tree tomato plant to a intercrossed golden Roma that is both meaty and mellifluous .

And if you ’re a little - blank gardener who would still like to have enough invigorated produce to uphold a couple pints of , say , smoky tomato jam ?

A few ‘ Roma VF ’ plants rise in 24 - column inch containers should accommodate you okay .

A close up of three glass jars with metal tops, containing red sauce, set on a green checked fabric. In the foreground are freshly harvested bright red tomatoes.

you’re able to also plant two or threeplants of the cherry variety . They ’ll grow vertically and wo n’t ask heavy - responsibility support , but will still yield enough 1- to 2 - in fruits for small batch canning projects .

Keep in mind , though , that some canning potpourri are only available if you ’re willing to grow them from semen . That will need an supererogatory 6 - 8 week before you’re able to transfer , so plan accordingly .

And like all tomatoes , dismiss miscellanea need full sun , are heavy feeders , and take about an column inch of urine per week . Read our guide to growing tomatoesif you need a quick refresher , or a few extra crest .

A close up of ‘Atkinson’ tomatoes, freshly harvested and set on a wooden surface.

Heirlooms

Some of these pickax for great heirloom varieties date back centuries , and all have a ample heritage .

They ’re also just what the dwelling canning sports fan need and need , with their meaty material body , sweet flavor , and thick cutis .

delight the growing and the story behind these dependable and tasty inheritance canning types . you’re able to also see more of our top pick in thisguide to the dear heirloom tomato assortment .

A close up of ‘Bonny Best’ growing on the vine in bright sunshine, covered in water droplets with foliage in soft focus in the background.

1. Amish Paste

This paste diversity comes to us from the Amish . Its chronicle can be traced to Amish communities in both Wisconsin and Lancaster , Pennsylvania , and it ’s at least 150 years old .

Tom Hauch of Heirloom Seeds made this potpourri commercially available commence in 1990 .

And while the Amish developed the variety for “ putting up ” enough tomato plant to last the community for an entire insensate winter , the fruit from the ‘ Amish Paste ’ cultivar are sweet enough to slice up for a side dish , burgers , or BLTs .

A close up of ‘Bradley’ tomatoes with one sliced into quarters, set on a wooden surface with herbs scattered between them.

‘ Amish Paste ’

The slightly atypical fruit just adds to this particular heirloom ’s appeal . Some of its 6- to 8 - ounce tomatoes are shape like teardrop , and others look more like oxheart cherry .

Tomatoes of this size stand for a petty less work than what you ’d experience with larger varieties , to uncase and process the meaty material body for sauces and salsas .

A close up of ‘Costoluto Genovese’ in red and yellow on a soft focus background.

‘ Amish Paste ’ need staking and bring on yield 85 Clarence Day from transplant .

Be sure to separate your ‘ Amish Paste ’ plants from other Lycopersicon esculentum in the garden by at least 10 base ( or rather 50 ) if you desire to write the seed and continue the legacy of this standout cultivar .

Seeds are available in various weight packetsfrom True Leaf Market .

A close up of bright red tomatoes with green vine still attached, set on a dark marble surface.

2. Atkinson

Eighteen years of research at the Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station in Auburn yielded this open - pollinated miscellany in 1966 .

‘ Atkinson ’ is wide known for its resistance to rootknot nematode worm and Fusarium wilt airstream 1 , and was name for staffer and rootknot resistivity pioneer George F. Atkinson .

‘ Atkinson ’

A close up of a chopping board with ‘San Marzano’ tomatoes scattered around, with dried pasta ready for cooking and to the left of the frame is a jar of freshly prepared sauce with a sprig of basil.

If you smell out an outside flair to its sharp , somewhat sweet flavor , you may be reacting to one of the varieties the researchers used , a wild Peruvian tomato .

This cultivar can stand firm all the warmth and humidness a southerly clime throws at it while still yielding a bounty of 8 - ounce red-faced orb . Occasionally , some of the fruit is half that size or grows to 12 troy ounce .

Live where it ’s red-hot and dry ? ‘ Atkinson ’ was multiply to thrive in those condition , too .

A close up of the bright red, elongated fruits of the ‘San Marzano’ tomato hanging from the vine with water droplets and foliage surrounding them.

These plants take 70 day to produce yield , which is a full five days less than most heirloom varieties .

They ’re undetermined , so this would be a large option for heirloom lover who want to engage small - batch canning throughout the season .

‘ Atkinson ’ seed are available in package of various sizesfrom Eden Brothers .

A close up of ‘Sweetie’ tomatoes freshly cut from the plant, with the vine still attached, set on a wooden surface.

3. Bonny Best

This cultivar allows you togrow delicious slicersfor the summertime as well as canning - ready favorites that are quick to reap at season ’s end , on a single plant .

‘ Bonny Best ’ bring forth firm , round tomatoes you may slice for salads and sandwich , but it really stand out as a supplier of uniform , meaty , 6- to 8 - apothecaries' ounce yield at fire time .

‘ sightly Best ’

A close up of a wicker basket filled with ‘Red Pear’ tomatoes with foliage in the background, pictured in bright sunshine/

If you ’re into heirlooms , observe that our forebears have been grow and preserve the red Red River ‘ Bonny Best ’ since its introduction in 1908 .

These plants benefit from hazard andpruning , and acquire 4 - 6 feet tall . They assume fruit in clusters in 78 - 85 days .

And head up to aim Lycopersicon esculentum gardeners with a short growing season : ‘ Bonny Best ’ does especially well in cold mood .

A close up of the pear-shaped fruits of ‘Red Pear’ growing on the vine in light sunshine on a soft focus background.

Seeds are available in parcel of various sizesfrom Eden Brothers .

4. Bradley

Some of the most democratic types for canning are the traditional paste varieties .

Others , like ‘ Bradley , ’ have solicitation both as a fresh - market yield and as the principal fixings in home - can sauces and other wonderful tomato - based recipes .

‘ Tom Bradley ’

A close up of a white ceramic bowl containing ‘Roma VF’ fruits set on a wooden surface with a wooden fence in soft focus in the background.

‘ Bradley ’ hail from the University of Arkansas and matures 75 - 80 days after transplantation . A vigorous plant life , it resists Fusarium wilt , Alternaria stem canker sore , and grey leaf speckle have byStemphylium solanifungi .

It ’s semi - determinate , so expect a little harvest time windowpane than what you ’ll discover with most climb types . Nonetheless , you could anticipate continuing to cull a few of its smooth , pink , 6 - snow leopard fruits right up until frost .

These plants will need your encouragement . ensure to support them with stout stakes or cage that can accommodate their 4- or 5 - foot height and 3 - foundation ranch .

A close up of ‘Roma’ tomatoes still attached to the vine, set on a wooden surface, with foliage in the background in soft focus.

you’re able to discover ‘ Bradley ’ plants in 4 - inch pots fromBonnie Plants via Home Depotand six - packs also fromBonnie plant via Home Depot .

5. Costoluto Genovese

Italians are second to none in grow sauce tomatoes . We can join in the play with the intensely - flavour ‘ Costoluto Genovese ’ cultivar .

A favorite of US President and fellow gardening fan Thomas Jefferson in the early 1800s , these are delicious slice up for burgers and sandwich .

But their flavor and high acid content are especially worthful in sauces for put up .

A close up of a farmer harvesting fresh tomatoes from the vines and placing them in a wicker basket. In the background is a garden scene and a house in soft focus.

‘ Costoluto Genovese ’

Do n’t await oblong plum tomatoes , though . ‘ Costoluto Genovese ’ grow 6- to 8 - troy ounce brilliant reddish fruit with challenging ridge on the top , and heavy lobes .

These indeterminate plants take 78 - 80 day from transplant to first harvest , and keep acquire through the rest period of the season after that .

A close up of two hands holding a metal bowl containing large ‘Big Mama’ tomatoes, in bright sunshine.

Like all heirloom varieties , the seminal fluid are passing easy to save and share with other gardeners , who will rapidly become fans of this Italian heritage canning cultivar .

‘ Costoluto Genovese ’ seeds are available in packets of various sizesfrom Eden Brothers .

Find tips on growing ‘ Costoluto Genovese ’ here .

A close up of a metal bowl containing ‘Big Mama’ fruits, set on a wooden surface, with foliage in the background in soft focus.

6. San Marzano

This hundred - old Italian paste Lycopersicon esculentum sets the criterion with its sweet , meaty yield that star in sauces .

Of naturally , home nurseryman ca n’t quite duplicate the smell of those still grown in the volcanic soil from Mount Vesuvius in Italy ’s Sarnese Nocerino region .

But the ‘ San Marzano ’ we can plant in our gardens also assume extra sweet and low - acid fruit .

A close up of a number of ‘Biltmore’ tomatoes, with one sliced, set on a wooden surface. To the left of the frame is a hamburger.

They also have the characteristic teardrop configuration , channelize wind , special - thick wall , and very few seeds , perfect when you ’re work on them into sauce .

‘ San Marzano ’

you could also eat ‘ San Marzano ’ sliced correctly from the garden , chop into a dulcet fresh salsa , or roasted for side knockout or deep freezer sauce .

A top down picture of ‘Fresh Salsa’ tomatoes, with one cut in half, set on a wooden surface, to the right of the frame is some herbs, and in the background is a small glass bowl with freshly made salsa.

The plants available in the US are tolerant to Verticillium wilt , and Fusarium wilting races 1 and 2 .

If you ’re going to grow ‘ San Marzano , ’ groom to provide inflexible stakes or cages to prop up these vigorous vines and their leaden fruit load .

And be patient . While the vines take 85 - 90 twenty-four hours to start producing yield , they ’re indeterminate and will keep a supply of spread tomatoes coming through the repose of the time of year .

A close up of ‘Fresh Salsa’ tomatoes with one cut in half with a hot pepper in the background.

you may find ‘ San Marzano ’ plants in 4 - inch pots from Bonnie Plants , usable via Home Depot .

Seeds are also uncommitted in packets of various sizesfrom Eden Brothers .

learn our detailed guide to growing ‘ San Marzano ’ tomatoes .

A close up of two hands from the left of the frame holding the large fruits of the ‘Gladiator’ variety of tomato on a soft focus background.

7. Sweetie

Cherry tomatoestypically taste best eaten straight from the vine .

But heirloom ‘ Sweetie ’ plant get 1.5 - inch yield so sweet-smelling , they ’ll denigrate the quantity of sugar you have to add for force out sauce , juice , or jam .

‘ Sweetie ’

A close up of a wooden bowl with ‘Golden Fresh Salsa’ tomatoes, yellow fruit. In the background is foliage in soft focus.

The magniloquent , indeterminate vine do best on treillage or wager . They produce fruit 70 day from transplant , and right up to the first hoar .

‘ Sweetie ’ seeds are available in packets of various sizesfrom Eden Brothers .

8. Red Pear

‘ Red Pear ’ proves that canning tomatoes can total in small parcel , too .

Just 1 - 2 in long , the clustering of fruit from this old - timey heirloom are terrific for preserve in salsas , sauces , and pickle yet – and they may also be canned or frozen on their own to contribute to soups and stews all winter long .

You ’ll desire to trellis or post this form , because while the fruits are n’t threatening , the indeterminate vines can really take off skyward .

A close up of a wooden bowl containing ‘Green Envy’ fruits.

‘ Red Pear ’

It takes these flora 78 days to farm pear - shaped fruits that are quick for peck , and they are also delicious direct from the vine or enjoy in salads .

‘ Red Pear ’ germ are usable in various sizing packetsfrom True Leaf Market .

Eden Brothersalso sell ‘ Red Pear ’ seeds in various size packets .

9. Roma VF

An open - pollinated heirloom , the “ VF ” in the name means this plum tree variety resists Verticillium wilt and Fusarium wilt .

you’re able to implant ‘ Roma VF ’ in a container , but make it a big one , at least 2 feet diam . And while it ’s not a particularly tall plant , growing to a maximal height of 4 foot , this one will still do better if it ’s staked or caged .

Unlike ‘ San Marzano , ’ ‘ Roma VF ’ plant are definitive , so you may anticipate harvesting all of its 6 - Panthera uncia yield over the course of a couple of week . It yield yield 80 days after graft .

‘ Roma VF ’

Then it ’s biz on for a humble or marathon canning academic session . If you ’d like to stock up on tomato paste , this is the choice for you .

‘ Roma VF ’ seeds are usable in packets of various sizesfrom Eden Brothers .

Hybrids

Some of the innovative hybrid cultivars are new put in , while a few others have been redeem metre and preserving great taste in the home canning kitchen for decade .

These are the easiest to grow , in shapes and sizes that cast from cherry to medium - sized orbs to giant plum .

you could learn more about our favorites in ourguide to the good hybrid tomatoes .

10. Big Mama

Mama mia ! If you ’ve ever wished tasty plum tomatoes were a number larger , here you go .

These loanblend bring out 8- to 10 - ounce meaty fruits that look likeyour favorite ‘ Roma,’only heftier , as in 5 inch foresightful and 3 inches wide .

‘ Big Mama ’

If you ’re dedicated to taking off the skins when you make salsa or sauce for canning , ‘ Big Mama ’ simplify the movement with skin that peels aside cursorily after you blanch the yield .

The vine are sizable , too , grow to about 6 invertebrate foot tall and spreading 5 feet . You ’ll definitely need heavy - duty stakes and a plenty of force out shock to fit ‘ Big Mama . ’

Packets of 50 seeds or set of three live plants areavailable from Burpee .

11. Biltmore

‘ Biltmore ’ represents a victory of disease - electric resistance that does n’t sacrifice tang .

Most of its fruit ripen at the same time , and that means a predictable bounty that our grandmothers only daydream of .

‘ Biltmore ’

The plants hit 4 foot in summit , so they are prospect for planting in whisky barrels or other large container on a terrace .

But with all that heavy fruit maturing at once , it ’s best to render sturdy stakes wherever you establish .

expect for that bombardment of yield to mature 68 - 74 day from transplant , and then set off all your plan while you revel in putting up the harvest .

you’re able to find ‘ Biltmore ’ plant in 4 - column inch pots fromBonnie Plants via Home Depot .

12. Fresh Salsa

This hybrid bring on the kind of fruit bon vivant and restorer both yearn for .

It produce oversized plum tomato that count about 5 ounces , are 2 to 3.5 inches long , and 2 inch wide .

‘ Fresh Salsa ’

The flesh on these is remarkable . Chopped into tiny cubes for fresh salsa , it does n’t dribble , and stay sweet and solid .

The same attributes simplify labor for those who require to make salsa by the home - canned congius .

Determinate ‘ Fresh Salsa ’ bushes rig yield quickly , usually in just 65 - 70 daytime . A good pick for small space gardeners , the plants reach 36 - 40 inches tall and spread just 18 in .

‘ Fresh Salsa ’ is uncommitted in 30 - seed packets , or as a three - plant springy stage set , exclusively from Burpee .

13. Gladiator

A garden warrior for sure , ‘ prizefighter ’ is a paste tomato that delivers multitudes of 8 - ounce yield on a space - saving 4 - foot - high , 5 - foundation - wide George Walker Bush .

The first yield mature 72 day after transplanting .

‘ Gladiator ’

These plants are undetermined , vigorous , and disease tolerant , with strong theme that stave off blossom end rot .

‘ prizefighter ’ is available in 30 - seed mailboat or as a set of three be plantsfrom Burpee .

14. Golden Fresh Salsa

Just like ‘ Fresh Salsa , ’ these plants bear meaty , firm , water - free yield in 70 days .

‘ Golden Fresh Salsa ’

But the determinate plum - form yield from ‘ Golden Fresh Salsa ’ are a bass , warm chicken .

Seeds are useable in packets of 30exclusively from Burpee .

15. Green Envy

cherry tree love apple breeder have also made inroads into hybrid cultivars , and ‘ Green Envy ’ is a fun example .

These indeterminate plants grow to about 5 feet tall , and produce piles of emerald green , 1 - column inch , oblong fruit that matures 60 - 70 days from transplant .

‘ Green Envy ’

Aside from their unusual and appeal color that pair so well with red and xanthous salmagundi for a bit of dividing line , ‘ Green Envy ’ are meaty and honeyed .

Chop the yield to process for canned or frozen salsa , or roast them to make hole for Deepfreeze storage or red-hot packing .

‘ Green Envy ’ is uncommitted in 40 - seed packets or as sets of three live plantsfrom Burpee .

Can You Picture a Pantry Full of Tomato Goodness?

Whether you need to start small with a duo ofcanning tomatoes in a container , or go big and pack the freezer after produce a full garden of determinant heirloom , it ’s prison term to get growing .

And retrieve , if you have an overabundant harvest , that ’s more to can and freeze out , or to share with friends , neighbors , and impoverished community members .

Is there really any such thing as too many canning tomatoes when you have a kitchen , water system bath , and preserving jars at the ready ?

sell on growing canning tomatoes to sprout your freezer and cupboard ? If so , you ’ve got lots of need to mature your good . After all , that ’s your stock of formula - starter sauces and salsas for the rest of the yr we ’re talking about .

To check that you   get the high yield and produce the healthiest works , learn more about growing tomatoeswith these pathfinder next :

© Ask the Experts , LLC . ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.See our TOSfor more details . Product photos via Bonnie Plants , Burpee , Eden Brothers , and True Leaf Market . Uncredited picture : Shutterstock . With extra writing and editing by Allison Sidhu . First release April 12th , 2020 . Last updated March 20th , 2022 .

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Rose Kennedy