Best Home Garden Tomatoes: Chocolate Amazon

Chocolate Amazon is a vigorous indeterminate producer of ½ pound red/brown fruits. This black tomato survived the severe heat of last summer. Then, it really kicked into high production of smaller (4-7 oz.) tomatoes nonstop through a long, mild fall. A very tasty and beautiful slicer.

I grew this tomato plant from seed last summer and have seed left over, so I will definitely grow them again. If you have left over seed, tape the packet closed, put it in a ziploc bag and keep the packet in a cool, dry location. Once you taste this firm, juicy tomato, you will want more and will grow more.

Regular leaf plants just keep growing and getting taller and bigger all summer. Sturdy stakes or cages should be placed early.

This tomato is rare to find as a plant. If you want to start from seed, begin indoors with at least 12-16 hours a day under the grow light.

Chocolate Amazon is beautiful simply sliced and makes a rich, salsa fresca.

Also see Best Black Heirloom Tomato from seed: Paul Robeson another excellent tomato choice.

Big heirloom tomatoes are the darlings of the home garden these days. You can find a few of the best known heirlooms at the big garden centers. But for the best choice - the tomatoes with a great story - are readily available by mail order or online.

These tomato evaluations are based on my home garden experience. My neighbor always has the first ripe tomato of the season. I suspect she's made a deal with the devil.

Buying seeds online or from a catalog will give you a huge selection of tomatoes. For example, you usually won't find Paul Robeson or Royal Hillbilly tomatoes locally.

Most of my tomato choices are heirlooms. I try different tomato varieties every year. The tastiest producers, I keep in my favorites file. One year I grew all black tomatoes; like Carbon and Chocolate Amazon. That was a very juicy and abundant year.

I bought these seeds at Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Co.

and Chocolate Amazon plants at Abundant Acres.