Pork Chop Tomato is a true yellow heirloom beefsteak that breaks the mold of most 'yellow' tomatoes on the market. Its medium-sized, slightly flattened fruits feature vibrant golden stripes and deliver a remarkably sweet flavor with bright citrus notes that elevate fresh slicing and salads. Reaching maturity in 75 to 85 days, this indeterminate variety thrives in zones 3 through 11 and produces fruit up to 8 to 12 ounces per plant. According to Wild Boar farmer Brad Gates, it's simply 'the best yellow I have ever had.'
Full Sun
Moderate
3-11
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The defining characteristic of Pork Chop Tomato is its genuine golden-yellow color with striping, a rarity among yellow varieties which typically trend orange. The sweet flavor carries subtle citrus undertones that distinguish it from standard tomatoes, offering a complexity that makes it shine when sliced fresh. Its flattened beefsteak shape and medium size make it practical for both kitchen use and container gardening, while the vigorous indeterminate growth habit ensures a long, productive season.
Pork Chop Tomato excels as a fresh slicing tomato, where its slightly flattened beefsteak shape and mild acidity make it particularly suited to simple preparations that let its sweet, citrusy flavor shine. The fruit works beautifully in salads, on sandwiches, or simply sliced and dressed with good oil and salt. Its tender texture and balanced sweetness also make it well-suited to fresh salsas and gazpachos where the delicate flavor won't be overpowered.
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Start seeds indoors six to eight weeks before your last spring frost date. Sow seeds at a depth of 1/8 inch in a warm location maintaining temperatures between 68 and 82 degrees Fahrenheit. Seeds typically sprout within 7 to 14 days. Keep soil consistently moist but not waterlogged, and provide bright light once seedlings emerge to prevent leggy growth.
Harden off seedlings gradually over 7 to 10 days before transplanting outdoors. Move plants into the garden once nighttime temperatures remain consistently above 50 degrees Fahrenheit and all danger of frost has passed. Space plants 24 inches apart in full sun. Bury the stem up to the lowest true leaves to encourage a stronger root system.
Pick Pork Chop Tomatoes when they reach full, vibrant golden yellow color with striping, typically 75 to 85 days after transplanting. The fruit should feel slightly soft to gentle pressure but not mushy. Individual fruits on the same indeterminate plant will ripen successively over many weeks, so plan for repeated harvests throughout late summer and early fall. Harvest in the morning when fruit is still cool for best flavor.
As an indeterminate variety, Pork Chop Tomato will benefit from gentle pruning of suckers (shoots that form between the main stem and branches) to direct energy toward fruit production and improve air circulation. However, avoid heavy pruning, which can expose fruit to sunscald. Pinch off the growing tip four to six weeks before your first expected fall frost to concentrate the plant's energy on ripening remaining fruit rather than producing new flowers.
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