Black Beauty

Black Beauty is one of the darkest tomatoes you can grow. It was bred by Brad Gates of Wild Boar Farms in California, and it is a recent open-pollinated variety rather than an old heirloom, though seed saved from it comes true.

The color comes from anthocyanin, the blue-purple pigment in blueberries. It develops wherever sunlight hits the skin, so the exposed side of the fruit turns glossy blue-black while shaded parts stay red-brown, as in the photo. In this variety the dark pigment also reaches into the flesh just under the skin. That makes Black Beauty different from "black" heirlooms such as Black Krim and Cherokee Purple, which get their dusky color from green chlorophyll that stays in red flesh.

The fruit is medium-sized, dense and meaty, with a rich, savory flavor. It is a striking slicing tomato for salads and platters.

Because the skin is dark long before the fruit is ripe, color is a poor guide. Judge ripeness by the shaded side of the fruit: when it turns from green to dusky red-brown and the tomato gives slightly when squeezed, it's ready. The plants are indeterminate and need tall support. Black Beauty is a late variety, so in a short season start it early and give it a warm, sunny spot.