Bread and Salt Tomato is a large, meaty Russian heirloom oxheart variety that reaches harvest in 80 days and grows indeterminately in zones 3 through 11. Named after the traditional Russian custom of offering bread and salt to honored guests as symbols of health and fortune, this variety combines deep cultural roots with serious culinary performance. The dense, meaty flesh makes it exceptional for slicing and sauce work, while the naturally wispy foliage requires sturdy support to handle the weight of these substantial fruits.
Full Sun
Moderate
3-11
?in H x ?in W
—
High
Hover over chart points for details
This Russian heirloom carries genuine cultural meaning in its name, rooted in a tradition of hospitality that spans centuries. The oxheart shape and dense flesh create a tomato that excels equally at the table sliced thick or reduced down into rich sauce. Its indeterminate growth habit means you'll get continuous harvests throughout the season, and the naturally sparse foliage actually makes trellising simpler once you've provided the strong stakes these heavy fruits demand.
This variety shines in preparations that take advantage of its dense, meaty flesh. Slice it thickly for serving alongside bread and salt, honoring its namesake tradition. The substantial texture and flavor make it excellent for tomato sauce, paste, and other cooked preparations where you want body and substance. Fresh eating straight from the vine is equally rewarding, especially when the fruit reaches full maturity.
No timeline data available yet for this variety.
Start seeds indoors 6 to 8 weeks before your last spring frost. Sow seeds at a depth of 1/4 inch in warm soil kept at 68 to 82 degrees Fahrenheit. Seeds typically germinate in 5 to 10 days under these conditions.
Transplant seedlings outdoors after the last frost date when soil temperatures have reached at least 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Harden off seedlings by gradually exposing them to outdoor conditions over 7 to 10 days. Space plants 24 inches apart and set them deeply, burying part of the stem to encourage a stronger root system.
Harvest Bread and Salt tomatoes 80 days after planting when they reach full size and develop deep color. Pick fruit when fully mature but still firm; the dense flesh means they'll hold their shape and flavor better than softer varieties. For peak sweetness and sauce quality, allow fruits to fully ripen on the vine before picking. The large oxheart shape makes individual fruits easy to spot and select.
Since this variety grows indeterminately, it will benefit from pruning to manage size and redirect energy. Remove suckers (shoots that grow between the main stem and branches) on indeterminate plants to focus growth into fruit-bearing main stems. Once the plant reaches your support structure's top or mid-season approaches, consider pinching off new growth tips to redirect energy into ripening existing fruit rather than producing new flowers. The naturally wispy foliage means you'll have good visibility of what needs pruning.
Enter your ZIP code to see a personalized growing calendar for this plant.
“Bread and Salt Tomato originates from Russia, where its name references a centuries-old cultural practice of greeting special guests with bread and salt, symbols of good health and good fortune. This heirloom has been preserved and passed down through generations of Russian gardeners and seed savers, carrying with it the warmth of that welcoming tradition. The variety reached Western gardeners through the global heirloom seed movement, where it has become valued for both its historical significance and its genuine performance in the kitchen.”