Plum Tomato
Hungarian Heart Tomato is a magnificent heirloom that traces its lineage to the countryside outside Budapest around 1900, and it arrives in modern gardens with all the character of a century-old treasure. The fruit is strikingly large, often exceeding a pound, with a brilliant reddish-pink oxheart shape that's as beautiful on the vine as it is on the plate. Crack-resistant and remarkably firm, these tomatoes contain very few seeds and almost no cores, delivering rich, meaty flesh in every slice. With 80 days to harvest and indeterminate growth, you'll enjoy heavy, continuous production throughout the season from a plant that rewards patient tending.
Full Sun
Moderate
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?in H x ?in W
Annual, Perennial
High
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The real distinction here is the flesh itself: unlike many large heirloom tomatoes that can be watery or hollow, Hungarian Heart gives you solid, dense meat across each slice with minimal seeds and virtually no core. That oxheart shape isn't just attractive; it's a sign of structural integrity that makes these tomatoes exceptional for canning, paste-making, or slicing fresh. Originating near Budapest in 1900, this variety carries the legacy of Hungarian kitchen gardens into your own beds, producing abundantly from an indeterminate vine that just keeps going.
Hungarian Heart excels in applications where you need substance and structure. Fresh slicing showcases the firm, meaty texture and minimal seed content, but this tomato truly shines in preservation work: canning whole or halved, making tomato paste, or producing concentrated sauce. The crack resistance and solid flesh make it far more reliable for these projects than delicate, watery heirlooms. Home canners and sauce makers particularly prize this variety for its efficiency and the quality of what ends up in the jar.
Start seeds indoors 6-8 weeks before your last spring frost date. Sow seeds 1/4 inch deep in warm soil kept at 70-80°F. Maintain consistent moisture without waterlogging. Seedlings will emerge in 5-10 days and should be grown under bright light to prevent leggy growth.
After all danger of frost has passed and nighttime temperatures consistently stay above 50°F, gradually harden off seedlings over 7-10 days by exposing them to increasing outdoor light and air. Transplant when soil has warmed and plants are 6-8 inches tall, spacing them 24 inches apart. Bury the stem deeper than it grew indoors to encourage a stronger root system.
Harvest when the fruit reaches full color, transitioning from pink to a deep reddish-pink, and yields slightly to gentle pressure. For Hungarian Heart, this typically occurs around 80 days after transplanting. Pick fruit by gently twisting and lifting or cutting with pruning shears to avoid stressing the vine. You can also harvest fruit at the breaker stage (when color first begins to show) and allow it to ripen off the vine if you're concerned about end-of-season frost.
As an indeterminate variety, Hungarian Heart will grow continuously throughout the season and benefits from selective pruning to manage vigor and improve air circulation. Remove suckers (shoots that grow between the main stem and branches) to direct energy into fruit production rather than excessive foliage. Prune lower branches as they age and produce fruit to improve airflow and reduce disease pressure. Keep the plant open enough that sunlight penetrates the canopy and reaches developing fruit.
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“This heirloom emerged in the rural areas surrounding Budapest, Hungary, around 1900, born from generations of Hungarian gardeners' careful selection for the qualities that mattered most in a tomato: substance, reliability, and exceptional flavor. The oxheart type, with its distinctive heart-like shape and dense flesh, became a hallmark of Central European heirloom tomatoes, and Hungarian Heart stands among the finest expressions of this regional tradition. Seeds were preserved and passed through families and across continents, eventually reaching specialty seed companies like Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds, which has championed its survival and reintroduction to contemporary gardeners who value both heritage and performance.”