The journey of Solanum lycopersicum, or the tomato, began in the Andes mountains as a small, wild berry before being domesticated into a larger fruit by the indigenous peoples of Mesoamerica. Following the Spanish conquest in the 16th century, seeds were brought back to Europe, where the fruit was initially met with intense suspicion. Because its high acidity notoriously leached heavy metals from the pewter plates used by wealthy Europeans, causing illness, it earned the sinister nickname "poison apple" and was grown purely as an ornamental curiosity. It wasn't until the 18th and 19th centuries that these fears were fully dispelled, allowing the tomato to finally shed its toxic reputation and blossom into the globally beloved culinary staple we grow today.
(Smith, K. A., 2025)
Cullen, located on the Moray coast of Scotland, has a cool, maritime climate, meaning the growing season is short, and summer temperatures are rarely high enough to reliably ripen tomatoes outdoors. Strong coastal winds have also been known to batter delicate tomato plants.
This year's seed selection was purchased from a well-known online retailer and includes 14 different varieties. Read on to find out more about the growing habits, appearance, flavor, and best uses for each of the varieties!
For the time being, the seedlings have been started indoors, and most of them have at least one set of true leaves. These will remain on my South-East-ish facing window where they can grow a few more inches before it's time to plant them out into their final designated space in the S3 outside bed. There, protected from the coastal wind, they can keep growing, flowering, and ultimately fruiting.
Balkonzauber
This determinate variety grows to around 50cm, making it perfect for window boxes and placements where room is limited. It produces small, round, bright red fruits that offer a very traditional, reliable, and sweet tomato flavour. These bite-sized treats are perfect for snacking straight off the vine or tossing into summer salads.
Black Cherry
Reaching around 1.8m in height, this indeterminate variety requires supports, trellising, and pruning. The effort is well worth it, as it yields beautiful, small cherry tomatoes that ripen to a dark, purplish-mahogany or almost black hue. They boast a complex, rich, and intensely sweet flavour with deep, slightly smoky, and earthy undertones, making them excellent for snacking, vibrant salads, or blistering in a pan with a little olive oil.
Black Crimea
This indeterminate variety requires supports and the removal of suckers to help distribute energy into producing strong, healthy fruit. It yields a large, slightly flattened beefsteak tomato with a dark maroon-red color that fades to dark purple or greenish-black near the stem. The flavour is exceptionally rich, savory, and earthy with a hint of natural saltiness and a very juicy texture, which is great for slicing thickly for a BLT, Caprese salads, or simply eating fresh with a crack of black pepper.
Golden Cherry
An indeterminate variety that reaches around 2m, Golden Cherry yields small, perfectly round cherry tomatoes that glow with a bright golden-orange color. It is extremely sweet and fruity with very low acidity. Often described as having candy-like qualities, it is definitely one of the sweetest varieties available, making it ideal for snacking, adding a pop of color to salads, or packing in lunchboxes.
Green Zebra
As the tallest contestant in this selection at 2.7m, this indeterminate plant produces medium-sized, round fruits. When ripe, it features a light green background overlaid with striking dark green or yellowish stripes. The flavour is zesty, sharp, and tangy with a bright, acidic bite followed by an underlying sweetness. It is best when sliced for salads where you want a tart contrast and visual wow-factor, making green salsas, or pickling.
Marmande
A classic French heirloom, this semi-determinate variety reaches around 1.5m. It is a medium-to-large beefsteak variety with distinctive heavy ribbing or fluting around the top, and the ripe fruits are a deep scarlet red. With a full-bodied, robust, and slightly tart flavour and a dense, meaty texture, it is frequently used for stuffing and baking, slicing for hearty sandwiches, or making rustic, chunky sauces.
Moneymaker
This incredibly reliable indeterminate variety reaches 2m in height. It produces medium-sized, uniformly round, and bright red fruits, serving as your quintessential "textbook" looking tomato. With a mild, classic, and fresh flavour, it isn't as complex as heirlooms but is a fantastic everyday tomato and a great all-rounder for salads, slicing for sandwiches, or general cooking.
Orange Queen
Reaching around 1.8m, this indeterminate variety rewards you with medium to large, smooth, and globe-shaped tomatoes featuring vibrant, glowing orange skin and flesh. The flavour is very mild, sweet, and low in acidity, making it quite gentle on the stomach. You should definitely try slicing it for sandwiches or using it to add a bright pop of color to fresh salads.
Oxheart
This indeterminate variety grows to 1.8m and produces large, distinctively heart-shaped fruits that are usually pinkish-red. They feel very heavy for their size due to their dense flesh, which is sweet, rich, and incredibly meaty with very few seeds and a relatively dry texture. Because it has so little water, it's brilliant for rich pasta sauces and preserving, as well as slicing for thick, sturdy sandwich layers.
Roma
A determinate variety reaching 1m, the Roma produces medium-sized, elongated, plum or egg-shaped tomatoes with a vibrant red color. It tastes mild and tangy, while the flesh is thick, firm, and relatively dry with very few seeds. As the standard culinary workhorse for cooking, it is ideal for making tomato paste, canning, roasting, and cooking down into marinara sauce.
Saint Pierre
This traditional French indeterminate variety reaches 1m and produces medium-to-large, round, deep red fruits with smooth skin. It offers an excellent, old-fashioned tomato flavour that strikes a perfect balance between sweet and acidic. It is highly versatile and great for fresh eating in salads and slicing, as well as cooking and canning.
San Marzano
Reaching 2m, this indeterminate variety yields fruits similar to Roma but longer, thinner, and more rectangular with a slightly pointed end. They are a bright, deep red and become intensely sweet and complex when cooked. Featuring very low acidity and remarkably dense, almost seedless flesh, San Marzano is universally considered the ultimate tomato for making traditional Italian sauces, Neapolitan pizza bases, and canning.
Tigerella
This 2m indeterminate variety yields small to medium-sized round fruits that start out pale green with dark green stripes and ripen to a bright red with striking yellow and orange stripes. They offer a very rich, tangy, and slightly more acidic flavour than standard varieties. They are great for slicing into salads to show off their gorgeous stripes, or cutting into wedges as an edible garnish.
Tiny Tim
As the shortest determinate variety this year at only 30cm, Tiny Tim produces very small, bright red cherry tomatoes. They are sweet with a slightly tart, acidic kick. This compact plant is perfect for growing indoors on sunny windowsills, tossing into salads whole, or using as a decorative and tasty garnish.
Content has been drafted by a human and spell, typo, grammar and flow checked by AI. E&OE