There’s nothing quite like stepping into the garden on a warm summer morning and picking a sun-ripened tomato straight from the vine. Whether it’s a sweet cherry tomato that never makes it back to the house or a giant paste tomato destined for homemade sauce, tomatoes are one of our favorite crops to grow every year.
Over the years we’ve experimented with quite a few varieties, but these five have earned a permanent spot in our garden. They produce well, taste amazing, and each one has its own special purpose in our kitchen.
1. Sungold Hybrid – Our #1 Favorite Tomato
If we could only grow one tomato variety, Sungold Hybrid would be it. These little golden-orange cherry tomatoes are incredibly sweet with just the right amount of tanginess. They rarely make it into the house because we end up eating them while we’re working in the garden. Sungold plants are vigorous growers and continue producing clusters of tomatoes throughout the season. Once they start ripening, you’ll be harvesting almost daily.
Why We Love Sungold
- Exceptionally sweet flavor
- Heavy producer all season long
- Perfect for snacking
- Great in salads and for pickling
If you’ve never grown Sungolds before, prepare yourself, you may never look at grocery store cherry tomatoes the same way again.
2. Sunny Boy – Beautiful and Delicious
Sunny Boy tomatoes are just as impressive to look at as they are to eat. Their bright yellow skin with subtle red marbling makes them stand out in the garden, and once sliced open they’re absolutely gorgeous. The flavor is mild, sweet, and low in acidity, making them perfect for fresh eating. We love adding Sunny Boy tomatoes to sandwiches, burgers, and colorful summer salads.
Why We Grow Sunny Boy
- Beautiful golden color
- Sweet, mild flavor
- Large slicing tomatoes
- Excellent for fresh meals
- Adds variety to the garden
Growing colorful tomatoes alongside traditional red varieties makes harvest baskets even more fun.
3. A Grappoli D’Inverno – A Unique Heirloom Worth Growing
One of the most interesting tomatoes we grow is A Grappoli D’Inverno, an Italian heirloom variety. Not only does it produce clusters of flavorful tomatoes, but it’s also known for its excellent keeping quality. Traditionally, these tomatoes were hung indoors where they could last for months after harvest.
That’s one of the things that first attracted us to this variety. We love learning about older gardening methods, and this tomato fits perfectly with that traditional approach. The fruit is firm, flavorful, and great for fresh eating, roasting, and preserving.
Why It’s One of Our Favorites
- Fascinating history
- Great storage potential
- Productive plants
- Rich tomato flavor
- Perfect for gardeners who enjoy heirlooms
Growing heritage varieties like this reminds us that some of the best gardening traditions have been passed down for generations.
4. Yellow Currant – Tiny Tomatoes with Huge Flavor
Don’t let their size fool you. Yellow Currant tomatoes are some of the smallest tomatoes you’ll ever grow, but they’re packed with flavor. The plants become covered in tons of tiny golden fruits that are incredibly sweet. They almost grow like little tomato vines gone wild, happily climbing and sprawling wherever you let them. We love sprinkling them into salads or simply grabbing handfuls while walking through the garden.
Why We Keep Planting Them
- Extremely productive
- Sweet bite-sized fruit
- Great for salads
- Attracts lots of attention in the garden
If you’re looking for a conversation starter, Yellow Currant tomatoes are hard to beat.
5. Supersauce – Our Go-To Tomato for Sauce
When it’s time to can tomato sauce, make salsa, or fill the freezer, Supersauce is the tomato we reach for. These enormous paste tomatoes can grow incredibly large, often weighing well over a pound each. Because they have thick flesh, very few seeds, and less water than slicing tomatoes, they make processing much faster. One tomato can produce an impressive amount of sauce, which means less peeling and less time in the kitchen.
Why We Love Supersauce
- Massive fruit
- Excellent for canning
- Thick, meaty texture
- Fewer seeds
- High yields for preserving
Every garden needs at least one reliable sauce tomato, and Supersauce has earned that place in ours.
Why We Grow Multiple Tomato Varieties
One of the biggest lessons we’ve learned is that no single tomato does everything well. Instead of planting one variety, we like growing several different types because each one serves a different purpose.
Our garden usually includes:
- Sweet snacking tomatoes
- Colorful slicing tomatoes
- Heirloom varieties
- Tiny salad tomatoes
- Large paste tomatoes for preserving
By mixing varieties, we’re harvesting tomatoes for fresh eating all summer long while also growing plenty for sauces, soups, and canning.
Tips for Growing Healthy Tomatoes
No matter which varieties you choose, a few simple practices have made a huge difference in our garden:
- Plant tomatoes where they’ll receive at least 6–8 hours of sunlight each day.
- Water deeply rather than lightly every day.
- Add compost to improve soil health before planting.
- Support plants early with cages, stakes, or trellises.
- Remove lower leaves as plants grow to improve airflow and reduce disease.
Healthy soil and consistent watering often make a bigger difference than the variety itself.
Final Thoughts
Every gardener eventually develops a list of favorites, and these five tomatoes have earned their place in ours year after year.
Sungold Hybrid remains our absolute favorite thanks to its incredible sweetness and nonstop production. Sunny Boy brings beautiful color to the garden, A Grappoli D’Inverno connects us with traditional gardening methods, Yellow Currant produces an endless supply of tiny sweet tomatoes, and Supersauce keeps our pantry stocked with homemade tomato sauce.
The best part of gardening is trying something new every season, but these five are the varieties we simply can’t imagine planting without.
We’d Love to Hear From You!
Do you grow any of these tomatoes in your garden? Or do you have a favorite variety that you plant every single year?
Let us know in the comments, we’re always looking for new tomatoes to add to next year’s garden!
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