Best Tomatoes for Sauce

What is the best variety of tomatoes to use to make tomato sauce?

A meaty variety of tomato is the best choice of tomato to make the sauce. I have been growing tomatoes in the greenhouse for over 20 years.  Our customers always ask for various types of tomatoes to make this favorite sauce.

Tomato sauce is a versatile condiment made from tomatoes, herbs, and spices.  It is often used as a base for pasta dishes, pizza, and soups.  People have been making it in their kitchens for centuries.  Using fresh tomatoes from the garden makes it an inexpensive way to make a sauce.  Using the right kind of tomato for the sauce can make the flavor stand out.

The best choice to make a sauce is a meaty variety of tomatoes without too many seeds or juice. 

Our top five choices for tomatoes for sauce are:

-          San Marzano (number one choice)

-          Amish Paste  

-          Bellatrix

-          Mariana

-          Little Napoli

San Marzano

An open-pollinated determinate plant. Beautiful elongated bright red glossy fruit in clusters of 5-6. This busy plant has a vigorous habit with dense leaf foliage. A sweet classic. Heirloom Variety

Amish Paste

 An indeterminate plant, the Amish Paste tomato is a lovely oval-shaped tomato.  It is extremely meaty and has very few seeds.  It is ideal for homemade sauces and a great all-around heirloom tomato variety, adaptable to any home organic vegetable garden

Bellatrix

This determinate tomato plant ripens quickly allowing a large harvest for sauces and salsa.  It is best grown in the ground or in large containers with support.

Mariana

This is a determinate plant.  A strong medium-compact plant, it produces high yields of smooth extra large, and high-quality fruit with very good uniformity, firmness, and shelf life

Little Napoli

Chosen for its size, this tomato is one of the only patio Roma tomatoes, with disease resistance for better garden success.  Small 12-18” tall plant is high yielding.  Enough can be harvested at one time for a batch of salsa or sauce.  Well suited to patio planters.

A determinate tomato plant has a bush-like habit. The plant will grow vertically first and then stop. The rest of the growth will take place on the side shoots. 

An indeterminate tomato plant will keep growing and producing fruit all season long.  It is a much larger plant and needs more garden space.