Paste Tomatoes vs Slicing Tomatoes: Which Should You Grow?
Walk into any garden center and you'll find dozens of tomato varieties — but they all fall into a few key categories. The most important distinction for home gardeners is paste tomatoes vs. slicing tomatoes. Choose the wrong type and you'll end up with a sauce tomato that turns to mush in a salad, or a slicing tomato that's too watery to cook down into a thick marinara. This guide breaks down exactly what sets these two types apart and helps you decide which to grow — or whether to grow both.
We carry a wide range of tomato seeds for both types, from classic paste varieties to bold slicers and everything in between. Let's dig in.
Also see: How to Grow Tomatoes from Seed: Complete Guide for Gardeners and Growers
What Are Paste Tomatoes?
Paste tomatoes (also called sauce tomatoes or plum tomatoes) are bred for cooking. They have:
- Thick, meaty flesh with very little juice or gel
- Fewer seeds than slicing or cherry types
- Lower water content — they cook down quickly into rich, thick sauce
- Oblong or plum-shaped fruit in most varieties
- Concentrated flavor that intensifies when cooked
Paste tomatoes are the go-to for canning, making marinara, tomato paste, salsa, and roasted tomato dishes. They're not ideal for fresh eating — the texture is denser and less juicy than a slicing tomato — but cooked, they're unbeatable.
Our Paste Tomato Seeds
Tomato Sunrise Sauce — A standout paste tomato with beautiful orange-gold fruit and rich, sweet flavor. Thick walls, minimal seeds, and excellent for sauce, salsa, and canning. A unique alternative to the classic red paste tomato.
Tomato Marriage Marzinera — A classic heirloom paste tomato with deep red, plum-shaped fruit. Exceptional flavor for an heirloom — rich, complex, and perfect for slow-cooked sauces. A true Italian-style paste tomato.
What Are Slicing Tomatoes?
Slicing tomatoes are bred for fresh eating. They have:
- Juicy, tender flesh with a higher water content
- Round to slightly flattened shape — perfect for cutting into even slices
- Bold, balanced flavor — sweet, acidic, and complex when eaten fresh
- Larger fruit size — most slicers are beefsteak-sized or medium-large
- More gel and seeds than paste types
Slicing tomatoes are what you want for BLTs, caprese salads, burgers, and fresh garden eating. They can be cooked, but their higher water content means you'll need to cook them down much longer to get a thick sauce.
Also see: Vegetable Seeds: How to Choose, Plant, and Grow a Successful Garden
Our Slicing Tomato Seeds
Tomato Better Boy Plus — One of the most popular slicing tomatoes ever developed. Large, smooth, globe-shaped fruit with classic tomato flavor. Excellent disease resistance and heavy yields. A garden staple for good reason.
Tomato Super Sioux — A heat-tolerant slicing tomato that keeps producing even in hot summers. Medium-large fruit with excellent flavor. A great choice for gardeners in Zones 7–10 where summer heat can stress other varieties.
Tomato Biltmore F1 — A premium F1 hybrid slicing tomato with outstanding uniformity and shelf life. Large, firm, deep-red fruit with excellent flavor. Ideal for gardeners who want consistent, market-quality slicers.
Paste vs. Slicing Tomatoes: Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | Paste Tomatoes | Slicing Tomatoes |
|---|---|---|
| Best use | Sauce, canning, salsa, roasting | Fresh eating, salads, sandwiches |
| Flesh texture | Thick, meaty, dry | Juicy, tender |
| Water content | Low | High |
| Seed count | Few | More |
| Fruit shape | Oblong / plum | Round / globe |
| Cooking down time | Fast — less water to evaporate | Slow — more water content |
| Fresh eating | OK but dense | Excellent |
| Canning suitability | Excellent | Fair |
Beyond Paste and Slicing: Beefsteak, Cherry & Grape Tomatoes
While paste and slicing are the two main categories, your garden doesn't have to stop there. Beefsteak, cherry, and grape tomatoes each bring something unique to the table.
Beefsteak Tomatoes
Beefsteaks are the largest slicing tomatoes — often 1 lb or more per fruit. They're prized for their meaty texture and bold flavor. Great for thick slices on burgers and sandwiches.
Tomato Bobcat F1 Beefsteak — A high-performing F1 hybrid beefsteak with large, firm, deep-red fruit. Excellent crack resistance and disease tolerance. One of our top beefsteak picks.
Tomato Carolina Gold F1 — A stunning golden-yellow beefsteak with sweet, mild flavor. Lower acidity than red beefsteaks — a great choice for those who find red tomatoes too sharp. Beautiful in salads.
Tomato Cherokee Purple — A beloved heirloom beefsteak with deep purple-red skin and complex, smoky-sweet flavor. One of the most flavorful tomatoes you can grow. A must for heirloom enthusiasts.
Also see: Top Mistakes to Avoid When Planting Flower Seeds — many of the same seed-starting principles apply to tomatoes!
Cherry & Grape Tomatoes
Cherry and grape tomatoes are small, prolific, and incredibly sweet. They're perfect for snacking, salads, and roasting whole.
Tomato Sugar Gloss F1 Cherry — A high-brix cherry tomato with exceptional sweetness and a glossy, crack-resistant skin. Heavy yields on indeterminate vines. One of the sweetest cherry tomatoes we carry.
Tomato Fantastico Grape — A prolific grape tomato with firm, oblong fruit and excellent flavor. Great for snacking, salads, and roasting. Holds well on the vine and has good shelf life after harvest.
Shop Our Tomato Seeds – Product Image Grid
|
Sunrise Sauce Paste Tomato Shop Now |
Marriage Marzinera Paste Tomato Shop Now |
Better Boy Plus Slicing Tomato Shop Now |
|
Super Sioux Slicing Tomato Shop Now |
Biltmore F1 Slicing Tomato Shop Now |
Bobcat F1 Beefsteak Tomato Shop Now |
|
Carolina Gold F1 Beefsteak Shop Now |
Cherokee Purple Heirloom Shop Now |
Sugar Gloss F1 Cherry Tomato Shop Now |
Need bulk quantities? Visit our sister site: Trailing Petunia Bulk Seeds for larger pack options.
Which Should You Grow? Paste or Slicing?
The honest answer: grow both if you have the space. A few paste tomato plants will keep you in homemade sauce all winter. A few slicers will give you the fresh tomatoes you crave all summer. They serve completely different purposes in the kitchen and complement each other perfectly in the garden.
If you can only choose one:
- Choose paste tomatoes if you love to cook, can, or preserve. You'll get more usable tomato per plant with less waste.
- Choose slicing tomatoes if you eat tomatoes fresh and want that classic summer tomato experience straight from the garden.
- Choose cherry or grape tomatoes if you want the easiest, most prolific harvest with the least fuss — they're nearly foolproof and produce all season long.
Also see: Storing Seeds: Best Practices for Longevity and Success — save your tomato seeds from this year's harvest for next season.
How to Start Tomato Seeds Indoors
Regardless of which type you choose, tomatoes need a head start indoors. Here's the quick-start process:
- Start 6–8 weeks before your last frost date. In Zone 5, that's early March. In Zone 7, late February.
- Sow seeds ¼" deep in moist seed-starting mix. Tomato seeds do not need light to germinate — cover lightly.
- Maintain 70–80°F soil temperature. Use a heat mat for best results. Expect germination in 5–10 days.
- Move to bright light immediately after germination. Tomato seedlings need 14–16 hours of light daily to avoid getting leggy.
- Pot up to 4" containers once seedlings have their first true leaves.
- Harden off for 7–10 days before transplanting outdoors after last frost.
Also see: What to Do When Your Seeds Don't Sprout: Expert Tips
Frequently Asked Questions: Paste vs. Slicing Tomatoes
What is the difference between paste and slicing tomatoes?
Paste tomatoes have thick, meaty flesh with low water content — ideal for cooking, canning, and sauce-making. Slicing tomatoes are juicier and more tender, bred for fresh eating. The two types serve different purposes in the kitchen.
Can you eat paste tomatoes fresh?
Yes, but they're not as enjoyable fresh as slicing tomatoes. Paste tomatoes are denser and less juicy. They're best cooked. If you want a tomato that does both reasonably well, a meaty beefsteak like Cherokee Purple is a good middle ground.
Can you use slicing tomatoes for sauce?
You can, but it takes much longer to cook down because of their higher water content. You'll need roughly twice as many slicing tomatoes to get the same amount of sauce as paste tomatoes. For efficiency, stick with paste types like Sunrise Sauce or Marriage Marzinera for cooking.
What is the best paste tomato to grow from seed?
For classic Italian-style sauce, Marriage Marzinera is hard to beat. For something unique with beautiful color, Sunrise Sauce is an excellent orange-gold paste tomato with outstanding flavor.
What is the best slicing tomato for beginners?
Better Boy Plus is one of the most reliable slicing tomatoes for home gardeners — great disease resistance, heavy yields, and classic tomato flavor. Super Sioux is another excellent choice, especially in hot climates.
Are cherry tomatoes paste or slicing tomatoes?
Neither — cherry and grape tomatoes are their own category. They're small, sweet, and extremely prolific. Sugar Gloss F1 and Fantastico Grape are two of our top picks for snacking and salads.
How many tomato plants do I need for sauce?
Plan on 4–6 paste tomato plants per person if you want to make and preserve sauce for the year. Each plant can yield 8–15 lbs of fruit depending on variety and growing conditions. Paste tomatoes like Sunrise Sauce and Marriage Marzinera are especially productive.
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