Seven New Tomato Varieties Named the Best for 2020
Biting into a sun-warmed, perfectly ripe tomato is one of the purest joys of summer, and the best way to capture that juicy, fresh taste is to grow your own. If you're looking for a few new varieties to try, All-America Selections, a national plant-trial organization, announced seven new tomatoes chosen by their judges as 2020's best-of-the-best. These were grown in trial gardens across the country alongside other top-performing tomatoes, and outperformed each of them, earning the respected AAS awards. Try one (or all) of these outstanding new varieties in your garden for a crop that's guaranteed to taste better than anything you can find at the store.
Apple Yellow
These aptly named tomatoes look like tiny yellow apples growing on the vine. Trial judges were impressed by their sweet, citrusy taste, matching their fruity appearance. Apple Yellow can reach maturity in 110 to 120 days, depending whether you start from seeds or transplants, and it's indeterminate, meaning the plant will keep growing until the first frost. When grown in full sun, it can reach about six feet in height and produce up to 1,000 tomatoes, so you'd best get a few tomato salad recipes ready if you decide to plant this prolific grower. Apple Yellow ($6.25) was developed by Gana Seed Co, Ltd. in Korea, and is just becoming easily available in the U.S.
Celano
Grape tomato lovers, take note—Celano is one of the best new varieties you can grow. It's well-suited for growing in containers in full sun on your patio, though it'll do best if it has a cage for support. Celano is also an early producer—this semi-determinate grower can reach maturity in just 60 to 70 days from when you plant it and tops out around three feet tall. Judges noted that this variety showed excellent resistance to blight, a common disease that afflicts tomatoes. Compared to other grape tomato varieties, one judge noted that Celano has a sweeter taste and overall better yield.
Buy It: Celano Hybrid Tomato Seeds, $4.75
Buffalosun
This variety lives up to the lofty reputation heirloom tomatoes have for being the most flavorful. According to the judges, Buffalosun has a sweet taste and better texture than popular heirloom varieties, which can sometimes be a little mushy. Buffalosuns are a beautiful combination of yellow, orange, and red, and have a high yield with minimal splitting skin. They reach maturity in 70 days (for transplants) to 110 days (for seeds), and are indeterminate, usually producing about 15 fruits per plant. They grow best in full sun with the aid of a cage or stakes, and can reach up to six feet tall. Judges also noted that Buffalosun ($6) kept producing throughout the season (each hefty orb usually weighed over a pound), even after other varieties had stopped. Bred in France, the seeds have yet to become widely available in the U.S.
Chef's Choice Bicolor
One of the best beefsteak varieties you can grow this season, Chef's Choice Bicolor tomatoes have a sweet and slightly savory flavor and smooth texture. Judges also complimented this tomato variety on how attractive it is in a garden, with its yellow-orange fruits that resist cracking despite their thin skin. A single plant can yield about 30 meaty fruits, usually weighing about half a pound each. The fruits mature early, usually in about 75 days, but in the Midwest, this variety can keep producing new tomatoes well into September. The plants are indeterminate, reaching about five feet tall in full sun so they need support to stay upright.
Buy It: Chef's Choice Bicolor Hybrid Tomato Seeds, $3.35
Crokini
Producing up to 300 bright red, bite-size cherry tomatoes per plant, Crokini got high scores for both its impressive yield and the sweet, slightly acidic taste and firm, crunchy texture of each fruit. Judges also loved Crokini ($4.65), which was developed in France, for its resistance to blight and cracking throughout the growing season. The plants are indeterminate and can be ready for harvest in as little as 60 days (for transplants) to 105 days (for seeds). In full sun, the plant can reach six feet tall.
Early Resilience
This roma variety was chosen as a top performer, in part because of its high yield (over 25 fruits per plant) and resistance to blossom end rot, a common disease that ruins the fruit's good looks. Early Resilience also boasts a balanced flavor of just the right amounts of sweetness and acidity, and it's one of the best tomatoes for home canning and cooking. Judges praised the health of this plant throughout the season, and also noted that some of its fruits ripened in the middle of July, two weeks sooner than other roma varieties in the trial garden. The determinate plants stay compact, only growing up to two feet tall in full sun, and are ready to harvest after about 115 days.
Buy It: Early Resilience Hybrid Tomato Seeds, $3.45
Galahad
Strong and sturdy, Galahad lives up to its namesake (one of King Arthur's legendary knights) with stout vines and excellent disease resistance. Growing up to four feet tall in full sun, Galahad produces large fruits (usually weighing about 12 ounces) that judges noted would be ideal for canning pasta sauce or homemade salsa. These determinate plants are usually ready to harvest after about 75 days. Also praised for its appearance, Galahad tomatoes are round and bright red with a sweet, meaty flavor.
Buy It: Galahad Tomato Seeds, $6.15
