No. 099 · open-pollinated
Black Beauty
Black Beauty is an indeterminate open-pollinated beefsteak with jet black-purple on the sun-exposed side, with hints of red on the shaded side when ripe fruit. It ripens in about 75 days.
Typebeefsteak
Habitindeterminate
Days to maturity75
Fruit size3 to 7 oz
Colorjet black-purple on the sun-exposed side, with hints of red on the shaded side when ripe
Difficultymoderate
Flavor
Described as deeply rich and savory with a smooth, meaty texture, often called one of the most intense dark tomatoes. This is the recurring catalog and grower description, not a measured claim.
Origin
Bred by Brad Gates of Wild Boar Farms from a cross of Pink Berkeley Tie-Dye and Indigo Apple, marketed as the world's darkest tomato.
What it does well
- Among the darkest tomatoes, with extreme anthocyanin
- Rich, meaty, savory flavor
- Stores and holds unusually well
Where it frustrates
- Very dark skin makes ripeness hard to judge
- Indeterminate vines need staking
Like Black Beauty, but...
Sold out, or after a change? The closest alternatives, and how they differ.
Where to buy seed
Sources
- Black Beauty Tomato Seeds · Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds
- Tomato: Black Beauty · Vintage Seed Co.