Best Tomatoes For A Sandwich

What is the best type of tomato for eating on a sandwich?

The best tomato for a sandwich would be a vine-ripened tomato, firm but not hard, and should have a deep rich color.  Avoid overripe or bruised tomatoes.  Slicer tomatoes are a great choice when it comes to trying to decide which variety to grow in the garden. 

In our 25 years of growing tomato plants for our customers, these are the varieties that people ask for over and over:

Brandywine Tomato:

This is an heirloom gourmet beefsteak-type slicer tomato with an incredible flavor.  All other heirloom tomatoes are measured against this one.  The tomato plants are inconsistent producers, but when they do grow their giant pink fruits, they taste like non-other.  A very large tomato, it can cover an entire sandwich with one slice.  The Brandywine is a gourmet choice for a tomato sandwich.

Big Boy Tomato:

This is a popular hybrid.  It produces large globe-type slicer tomatoes and is known for its rich flavor and easy-growth habit.  These tomatoes have a well-balanced taste and a first texture that works well on sandwiches.  They are quite large for glove-type tomatoes.  It will take a couple of slices to cover a sandwich.

Early Girl Tomato: 

This is a short-season globe-type slicing tomato known for its early ripening and reliable production.  These fruits lack the full-bodied richness of heirloom beefsteak-type tomatoes, they do have a homegrown taste and ripen early in the garden.  This plant will produce late into the fall when temperatures reach as low as 40 degrees Fahrenheit or 4 degrees Celsius

Cherokee Purple Tomato:

This is an old-fashioned beefsteak-type heirloom slicer tomato. It is known for its complex deep flavor and juicy texture.  It is an intense yet balanced flavor of sweetness and acidity. The peel is a purple color with hits of deep red and brown.  The juice texture of this tomato can make the bread soggy so it is a good idea to eat this one quickly.

Oxheart Tomato:

The fruit on the Oxheart Tomato is massive, heart-shaped, and a pinkish-red color.  It is very meaty with a mild sweet flavor.  It is relatively low in acid and has few seeds.  Once the Oxheart fruit is ripe, it can turn soft quickly so be sure to eat the fruit soon after harvesting. This is a standard Italian home gardener variety.  Great for slicing and even sauces.

Tomatoes are harvested when they are fully ripe and should be stored at room temperature to maintain their flavor and texture.

Tomato Tip*

If the weather is getting cold and you still have green tomatoes in the garden that you want to keep, pick them green and wrap them in newspaper. Keep them in a cool dry spot for about a week. Keep checking them. They will ripen in the newspaper and you will be able to enjoy eating them.