There is no hard and fast rule about when to harvest tomatoes, as it depends on your climate and the type of tomatoes you are growing. Luckily – we have a few tricks and trips to ensure you harvest your tomato at the right time. No matter the cultivar!
Let’s look at when to reap some of the most popular types of tomatoes.
Sound good?
Then get your sauce pots ready!
What’s Inside:
- When to Harvest Tomatoes
- 1. Cherry Tomatoes
- 2. Roma Tomatoes
- 3. Heirloom Tomatoes
- 4. Beefsteak Tomatoes
- 5. Cherokee Purple Tomatoes
- 6. Grape Tomatoes
- 7. San Marzano Tomatoes
- 8. Early Girl Tomatoes
- 9. Black Krim Tomatoes
- 10. Midnight Snack Tomatoes
- 11. Green Tomatoes
- Tomato Harvesting FAQs
- Best Tomato Seeds for a Beautiful and Bountiful Harvest
- Conclusion
When to Harvest Tomatoes
The best rule for harvesting tomatoes is that they’re (technically) ready to harvest as soon as they grow to their mature size. Ideally, you want them to reach their full size – and then ripen on the vine. However, you can also remove your tomatoes from the vine prematurely, and they can ripen on your kitchen counter.
Also – when harvesting tomatoes, pay close attention to your transplant date! Your transplant date determines how long your tomato plants take to mature. After transplanting, tomatoes usually take 50 to 90 days. Once your tomatoes grow to their recommended size, they are approaching harvest. (Some tomatoes are mature when they’re tiny – others grow up to a pound. Or more!)
So – it’s important to remember what type of tomato you’re growing. How large does your cultivar grow? Also – remember to keep an eye on their coloring. When they reach their final color, they’re ready for harvesting!
We also want to discuss 11 of our favorite tomato varieties in more detail.
When are these tomatoes ready for harvesting?
Let’s look closer!
1. Cherry Tomatoes
We love cherry tomatoes! No vegetable garden would be complete without cherry tomatoes. These tiny little red balls of sweetness are simply delicious, and most cherry tomato varieties crop prolifically with very little care required. Definitely one to try if you are a first-time tomato grower!
When to Harvest Cherry Tomatoes
Most varieties of cherry tomatoes reach maturity 60 days after sowing. Seeds sown under cover can get planted after the last frost. They should crop from early summer through late October.
Preferred Cherry Tomato Cultivar
Sungold plants will crop an abundance of golden orange cherry tomatoes with an intensely sweet flavor. I grow Sungold every year, and at least half the crop never makes it to the kitchen. I can’t resist snacking on them straight from the plant!
They thrive in hardiness zones three to eleven. So – odds are they will handle your climate.
Read More – How Long Do Tomatoes Take to Grow? Tomato Harvesting Guide!
2. Roma Tomatoes
Roma tomatoes are often also called plum tomatoes. This variety is perfectly-suited for cooking, canning, and preserving, as they are very fleshy with minimal juice.
They handle growing zones three through ten without worry – and leave you with an abundant and delicious crop.
When to Harvest Roma Tomatoes
For a large tomato? Roma reaches maturity relatively quickly – around 70 to 80 days after sowing in the right conditions. They will give a steady supply of tomatoes from mid-summer onwards, with the harvest starting to dwindle towards the end of September.
3. Heirloom Tomatoes
An heirloom tomato is an open-pollinated, non-hybrid variety of tomato. Open pollination means the seeds remain true to type, often for centuries. With heirloom seeds? We could be growing the same types of tomatoes that our great grandparents grew!
You’ll notice a range of heirloom tomatoes available, with cherry, beefsteak, plum, and salad varieties in all shapes, sizes, and colors.
Preferred Heirloom Tomato Cultivar
There are too many heirloom tomato seeds to name. But here’s one of my favorites. Costoluto Genovese is a beautiful Italian heirloom tomato dating over 200 years old. The fruits are large with deep ridges, and the deep-red flesh is rich in flavor.
They grow without fuss in zones three through ten – so most American growers shouldn’t have problems. For short-season growers – start them indoors. Or – call a local plant nursery for some starter plants!
When to Harvest Heirloom Tomatoes
When to harvest heirloom tomatoes depends on the seed you are growing. Tinier cherry tomatoes tend to crop earlier and go on until the first frost, whereas larger tomatoes produce the bulk of their crop in late summer and early fall.
(Also – remember that determinate tomatoes usually finish growing first. Indeterminate tomatoes – which are commonly heirloom – grow consistently throughout the year.)
4. Beefsteak Tomatoes
Beefsteak tomatoes are the grandest type of tomato that’s perfect for slicing! A single fruit can be up to six inches in diameter. They also have dense, meaty flesh with few seeds. Perfect for eating in a salad, sandwich, or alongside a big fat porterhouse steak.
Preferred Beefsteak Tomato Cultivar
Marianna’s Peace bears large tomatoes that are a vibrant deep red color. The flavor is the perfect balance of sweetness and acidity. They love growing in zones two through eleven – giving our homesteading friends plenty of leeways.
When to Harvest Beefsteak Tomatoes
Most beefsteak varieties need the prolonged hot sun to ripen. So these will be the last of your tomato plants ready to harvest. Expect to pick most of your beefsteak tomatoes from late summer into early fall.
5. Cherokee Purple Tomatoes
Cherokee Purple tomatoes are beefsteak-style tomatoes with intense flavor and dense, red-purple flesh. The fruits of this incredible plant can weigh more than half a pound each! They grow in zones three through ten and bear a beautiful violet or deep purple finish. You’ll love this cultivar!
When to Harvest Cherokee Purple Tomatoes
Like most beefsteak tomatoes, Cherokee purple tomatoes grow slowly. They need prolonged sunny weather to mature. They are ready to pick by late summer and will continue to crop well until early October.
6. Grape Tomatoes
Grape tomatoes are roughly the same size as cherry tomatoes but slightly oval rather than round. They are tremendously easy to grow, and each plant typically produces hundreds of tiny tomatoes. The skins are thicker than cherry tomatoes, and the fruits are not quite as sweet.
Preferred Grape Tomato Cultivar
Thai Pink Egg produces tiny rosy-pink tomatoes sweeter than many other grape tomatoes. It grows in zones three through eleven.
When to Harvest Grape Tomatoes
Grape tomatoes are the gift that keeps on giving! If planted out shortly after the last spring frost, they will produce fruits within a few weeks and continue cropping until late October.
Read More – Tomato Winter Guide! What Should You Do With Tomato Plants During Winter?
7. San Marzano Tomatoes
San Marzano is a variety of plum tomato perfectly suited to cooking. The smooth, dense flesh makes the best tomato puree or paste. San Marzano tomatoes grow comfortably in growing zones three through ten.
When to Harvest San Marzano Tomatoes
San Marzano will give you a steady supply of tomatoes from mid-summer onwards until the first frosts.
8. Early Girl Tomatoes
Early Girl tomatoes are a great choice if you have a shorter growing season, as they mature quickly. They are one of the earliest cropping salad tomato varieties. They’re best in growing zones three through eleven.
When to Harvest Early Girl Tomatoes
Mid-size plants get planted after the last frost. They should crop from early summer into late October. But – it depends on when you plant them – and when you’re expecting the final frost.
9. Black Krim Tomatoes
Black Krim tomatoes are a delightful and delicious heirloom beefsteak variety, producing large deep purple fruits. The flesh gets hugely sought after for its rich, smoky taste. They’re perfect for growing zones three through ten.
When to Harvest Black Krim Tomatoes
Black Krim tomatoes are a slow-growing cultivar and may not crop until mid to late summer. They require prolonged sunshine and warm weather, and if grown undercover, they will continue to ripen until late October.
10. Midnight Snack Tomatoes
We love these for midnight garden grazing – or any occasion! Midnight Snack is an indigo-type cherry tomato that ripens to red with a beautiful glossy black-purple sheen. They’re flexible and handle growing zones three through eleven without dispute.
When to Harvest Midnight Snack Tomatoes
You need to harvest your Midnight Snack tomatoes at midnight! We’re just joking. Midnight Snack tomatoes are one of the earliest-ripening cherry tomato cultivars and will crop abundantly! Look for ripe Midnight Snack tomatoes all summer long.
11. Green Tomatoes
If you’re growing a green variety of tomatoes, it can be tricky to figure out when it is ripe! Luckily, some subtle color changes can help us decide when they are ready to harvest.
Preferred Green Tomato Cultivar
Green zebra tomatoes are our favorite! The fruits of the Green Zebra tomato are green, with distinctive yellow-green stripes. They grow in zones three to ten – so you can probably grow them unless it’s tremendously cold.
When to Harvest Green Zebra Tomatoes
To check when a green tomato is ready to harvest, give it a gentle squeeze. The flesh should show a slight give, just like a red tomato.
Read More – How to Harvest Romaine Lettuce and Keep It Growing!
Tomato Harvesting FAQs
We’re sure you’re bursting with questions about when to harvest tomatoes, so we’ve got all the answers right here!
When picking tomatoes for fried green tomatoes, they should be at their mature size. The best time to pick them is when the fruits are still firm before they soften and turn red. It’s a good indicator if they are beginning to turn red. That way – you (at least) know they’re full-sized!
Look for the mature size. Then, look at the color. A ripe tomato will have changed color from green to its mature color. The mature color could be red, yellow, orange, striped, or even black! The flesh should not be firm and will give when pressed with a finger.
You can either wait for tomatoes to ripen on the plant or harvest them early. You can then let them mature in the kitchen. The advantages to harvesting tomatoes earlier include fewer pest issues, less cracking and splitting, and reliable ripening.
The earliest varieties of tomatoes, such as cherry tomatoes, will be ready to pick in early summer. The bulk of plum, salad, and beefsteak tomatoes are ready for harvest in late summer and the early fall. Also, remember that determinate tomatoes are usually ripe first.
Many people believe that tomatoes taste better when ripened on the vine, but there is no evidence or scientific consensus! It comes down to personal preference! You can let your tomatoes ripen on the vine or pick them early. Then let them mature on a warm, sunny windowsill.
In optimum growing conditions, tomatoes ripen faster on the vine. When the weather is chillier and the days shorten, they will ripen quicker in a warm kitchen. Either way – never discard your tomatoes if the frost is threatening them. It’s always better to at least try to ripen them indoors.
Tomatoes should get picked as soon as they are ripe after the color develops. Look for the flesh to show a slight give when pressed. If left longer on the vine, they will become soft! They may even fall off the vine if you leave them for too long. When they land in the soil – expect them to rot shortly after – especially if it begins raining.
Best Tomato Seeds for a Beautiful and Bountiful Harvest
We’ve had the pleasure of harvesting tomato plant after tomato plant. Year after year!
We want to showcase our favorite tomato cultivars for unbelievable harvests.
If you’re not sure which tomato crop is best? Try some of these!
These are the same tomato varieties we love – and recommend to our homesteading friends.
Happy planting!
- Tomato Ace 55 Great Heirloom Garden Vegetable | Seed Kingdom 200 Seeds
- Green Zebra Tomato Seeds for Planting Heirloom | Gardeners Basics
- Seeds Green Tiger Tomato Heirloom Vegetable for Planting Non GMO | SeedsUA
- 30+ Giant Black Krim Tomato Seeds, Heirloom Non-GMO | From USA | Harley Seeds
- 250 Beefsteak Tomato Seeds | Non-GMO | Fresh Garden Seeds | Instant Latch
- Cherokee Purple Heirloom Tomato Seeds | Non-GMO | Marde Ross & Company
- Heirloom Tomato Seeds for Planting | 8 Varieties of Non-GMO Certified Organic Seed | Rebel Gardens
Ace 55 is a breathtaking 1950s determinate heirloom with unbelievable flavor. It's a low-acid tomato plant making it ideal for canning. Expect colorful fruit five to six inches in diameter. They're also favorites if you store your tomatoes in jars. They mature in roughly 80 days and grow to about 36-inches tall.
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Green Zebra is a gorgeous tomato cultivar with mouth-watering flavor. And zebra-like stripes! The tomatoes grow to around two or three inches and have markedly smooth flesh. The vines are indeterminate and grow rather tall - upwards of six feet. Secure them with a trellis or poll to prevent them from toppling! Expect roughly 75 days to reach maturity.
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We love tiger tomatoes - they're the best cherry tomatoes for salads! They're relatively small at only two inches. But their flavor and colors make them worth your effort. Tiger tomatoes also have color-coded seeds. Pink seeds produce a red color fruit - and blush seeds produce a yellow color fruit. They mature in roughly 70 days.
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This color-changing heirloom tomato is versatile! They tolerate a wide range of growing conditions - and they turn black in certain growing conditions upon ripening. They're another indeterminate cultivar - so expect their vines to grow to at least 6-feet. The tomatoes weigh around ten ounces and have a strong flavor.
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Beefsteak tomatoes are our favorites! If you love thick and wide tomatoes to season cheeseburgers and sandwiches? Then beefsteaks are the best. They're an indeterminate cultivar - so you'll need to stake them since beefsteak tomatoes can weigh upwards of a pound. Or more! The only downside is that they take a long time to develop - over 90 days after transplanting.
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Here's a tomato indigenous to Tennessee (USA) that dates back over a century. You'll notice that it has a dark rich color when mature - with hints of purple. It's famous for having one of the best tomato flavors - perfect for snacking and cooking. It's another indeterminate tomato plant. Expect tall vines of around six feet or taller.
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If you're not sure which tomato cultivar might suit your fancy, we recommend a variety pack. This elegant bunch contains our favorites like Golden Jubilee, Big Rainbow, Yellow Pear, Beefsteak, and Brandywine Pink. It's perfect for unitized raised garden beds, new gardeners, and epic garden salads!
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Conclusion
We love tomatoes!
They’re the perfect crop for homesteaders all over the US – and the world.
If you have questions about harvesting tomatoes at the best time – please ask us.
We have a ton of experience harvesting, germinating, growing, and nurturing tomatoes.
We welcome your questions.
Thanks so much for reading.
Have a great day!
