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Sausage Tomato is an heirloom, open-pollinated paste tomato with an unusual elongated fruit shape that climbs indeterminate vines with real garden presence. This non-GMO variety reaches maturity in 70-79 days from transplant and grows to heights of 3-8 feet, rewarding patient gardeners with fruits that are exceptionally low in seeds, making them exceptional for sauces, pastes, and concentrated tomato preparations. The vines produce abundantly, and the distinctive sausage-like fruits add visual interest while delivering serious culinary performance in the kitchen.
Full Sun
Moderate
2-11
96in H x ?in W
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High
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The low seed content is what sets Sausage Tomato apart in the paste tomato world; instead of battling excess liquid and seeds when making sauce, you get dense, meaty flesh ready to reduce. The fruits grow with an unusual elongated shape that adds a bit of visual flair as they climb the vines, making this as much a pleasure to look at as to harvest. Open-pollinated genetics mean you can save seeds year after year, connecting you to a living heirloom tradition.
Sausage Tomato excels at being processed into sauces and tomato pastes, where its naturally low seed count becomes a major advantage. Home canners and serious sauce makers prize this variety because it requires less straining and produces a thicker, more concentrated result with minimal waste. It can be used fresh, though its dense, paste-type flesh makes it particularly valuable when cooked down.
No timeline data available yet for this variety.
Start seeds indoors 6-8 weeks before your last spring frost in soil temperatures of 68-82°F. Seeds will germinate reliably in this range. Transplant seedlings outdoors after hardening off, once soil has warmed and all frost danger has passed.
Harden off seedlings by gradually exposing them to outdoor conditions over 7-10 days. Transplant into the garden when soil temperatures are warm and all risk of frost has passed. Space plants 24 inches apart with 36 inches between rows.
Harvest Sausage Tomatoes when they reach full size and color, typically 70-79 days after transplanting. The fruits will feel slightly soft when gently squeezed and will detach easily from the vine when ripe. For sauce-making, you can harvest tomatoes at their peak ripeness or even slightly earlier if needed; they will continue to ripen off the vine.
Being an indeterminate variety that grows 3-8 feet tall, Sausage Tomato benefits from pruning to manage its vigorous vines and improve air circulation. Remove lower leaves as the plant grows to reduce disease pressure, and consider removing some of the dense foliage mid-season to allow sunlight to reach developing fruits. Sucker pruning (removing side shoots between the main stem and branches) is optional but can help channel energy into fruit production.
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“Sausage Tomato is an open-pollinated heirloom variety with roots in traditional vegetable gardening, preserved and passed along by generations of home gardeners who valued its exceptional paste-making qualities. The specific development history is not documented in available sources, but its survival into modern seed catalogs speaks to its reliable performance and the dedication of seed savers who recognized its culinary worth.”