Orange Jazz Tomato is a richly flavored beefsteak heirloom that earns its reputation through sheer taste and productivity. Bred from Fred Hempel's Artisan Seeds, these indeterminate plants produce large fruits with a complex sweetness hinted by peach undertones, ripening in just 80 to 85 days. The vines grow vigorously and require sturdy staking, rewarding patient gardeners with an abundant harvest of fruits that consistently scored top marks in professional tasting trials.
Full Sun
Moderate
3-12
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The flavor here is genuinely remarkable: sugary sweet with a complex fruitiness and surprising peach notes that set it apart from standard supermarket tomatoes. These large beefsteaks emerged as a favorite in baker's tasting trials, and their indeterminate growth habit means the plants keep producing through the season if you keep them well supported. Expect vigorous, wild productivity once established, making this one of those varieties where the vines demand respect and sturdy infrastructure.
These beefsteaks excel fresh, sliced for tomato sandwiches, caprese salads, or simply eaten warm from the garden with a pinch of salt. Their large size and meaty texture make them excellent for salsas, tomato sauces, and any dish where you want substantial, flavorful tomato presence rather than watery background notes. The sugary sweetness and peach hints also make them a natural choice for fresh eating when fully ripe.
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Start seeds indoors 6 to 8 weeks before your last spring frost. Plant seeds 1/8 inch deep in moist seed-starting mix and maintain soil temperatures around 70 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit. Seeds sprout in 7 to 14 days. Keep seedlings under grow lights or in a bright window, and thin or pot up to individual cells once they develop true leaves.
Harden off seedlings by gradually exposing them to outdoor conditions over 7 to 10 days once the soil warms to at least 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Transplant after your last frost date when daytime temperatures consistently reach the mid-60s or warmer. Bury stems deeper than their current depth to encourage strong root development. Space plants 24 inches apart and install sturdy stakes immediately to avoid root disturbance later.
Pick fruits once they reach full orange color and yield slightly to gentle pressure, typically 80 to 85 days after planting transplants outdoors. The beefsteaks should feel heavy for their size, indicating full juice content. Harvest in the early morning when fruits are coolest to minimize stress. Twist gently or use pruners to detach fruits with a short stem still attached, which helps protect the fruit skin and extends storage life.
As an indeterminate variety, Orange Jazz benefits from selective pruning to maintain airflow and focus energy on fruit production. Remove lower leaves once plants are established to improve air circulation and reduce disease pressure. Pinch off excessive suckers (shoots that grow between the main stem and branches) to direct energy toward fruit rather than excessive foliage, especially in humid climates. Avoid aggressive pruning that removes too much leaf cover, as the large fruits need adequate foliage to develop proper color and sweetness.
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“Orange Jazz traces back to Fred Hempel of Artisan Seeds, who developed this heirloom variety. Its emergence in modern seed catalogs reflects the broader heirloom tomato movement, where breeders and home gardeners work to preserve flavorful, open-pollinated varieties that supermarket breeding programs have largely abandoned. Hempel's selection prioritized taste and productivity, creating a tomato that performs equally well in home and market gardens.”