A black tomato is any tomato variety with skin or flesh that ranges from deep purple to nearly black, colored by anthocyanins, the same pigments found in blueberries and blackberries. These tomatoes fall into two distinct categories: traditional heirloom varieties like Cherokee Purple that have been passed down for generations, and modern breeds like Indigo Rose that were specifically developed to pack higher levels of those dark pigments. Both types are fully edible, widely grown by home gardeners, and increasingly available at farmers’ markets.
Why Some Tomatoes Turn Black
Standard red tomatoes get their color from lycopene, a red pigment that builds up as the fruit ripens. Black tomatoes produce something extra: anthocyanins, a class of pigments that absorb light differently and create deep purple, blue, and near-black hues. These pigments accumulate primarily in the skin, though some varieties also develop darker flesh.
The production of anthocyanins is controlled by a group of three proteins (known collectively as a MYB-bHLH-WD40 complex) that work together like a molecular switch. When all three are present and active in the same tissue, they turn on the genes responsible for building anthocyanin molecules. In most conventional tomatoes, one or more of these proteins is missing or inactive in the fruit, so the pigment never gets made there. In black and purple varieties, either natural genetic variation or deliberate breeding has restored that switch, allowing anthocyanins to accumulate in the skin.
Light plays a role too. The side of the fruit facing the sun typically develops the deepest color, because light exposure activates parts of the anthocyanin pathway. You’ll often notice that the shoulder of a black tomato is darkest while the bottom stays green or red.
Heirloom vs. Modern Indigo Varieties
Not all black tomatoes are created the same way. Heirloom black tomatoes, like Cherokee Purple, Black Krim, and Black from Tula, are open-pollinated varieties that have been grown and saved by gardeners for decades or longer. Their dark coloring comes from a mix of green chlorophyll that persists into ripeness combined with red lycopene, which together produce a muddy, brownish-purple look. These are technically more “dark chocolate” than truly black, and their anthocyanin levels are relatively modest.
Modern Indigo varieties are a different story. The breakthrough came when Carl Jones, a graduate student at Oregon State University, discovered a tomato with anthocyanin-rich skin while examining specimens in a USDA germplasm collection at UC Davis. That discovery led to the development of Indigo Rose, the first commercially available tomato bred specifically for high anthocyanin content in the fruit skin. Its exterior is a striking, almost inky purple-black that looks nothing like a conventional tomato. Oregon State has since released additional varieties, including Midnight Roma, building on that genetic foundation.
Other Indigo-type varieties have followed, including cherry-sized options like Blueberry tomato, which starts deep indigo blue and transitions to red as it ripens. The key difference from heirlooms is that these modern varieties carry genes sourced from wild tomato relatives that specifically activate anthocyanin production in the fruit, producing much more intense and uniform dark pigmentation.
Flavor Profile
Black tomatoes are often described as having a more complex, intense flavor than standard red varieties. The taste leans sweet but is balanced by noticeable acidity, with some growers and chefs noting a slightly salty, almost savory quality that sets them apart. Heirloom black types like Cherokee Purple are consistently ranked among the best-tasting tomatoes of any color, prized for a rich, full-bodied flavor with less of the bright tartness you get from a typical red slicer.
Indigo varieties are a bit more variable. Because early breeding prioritized anthocyanin content over flavor, some of the first releases were described as mild or unremarkable in taste. Newer generations have improved significantly as breeders have crossed Indigo lines with flavorful heirlooms to get both the color and the taste.
Nutritional Differences
The real selling point of black tomatoes, particularly the high-anthocyanin Indigo types, is their antioxidant content. Research on the “Sun Black” tomato line, a purpose-bred anthocyanin-rich variety, puts the numbers in perspective. Compared to conventional red tomatoes, Sun Black fruit contained 134% more phenolic compounds (the broad category of plant antioxidants that includes anthocyanins) at full ripeness. Their overall antioxidant capacity, measured by a standard lab assay, was roughly 200% higher than red tomatoes.
Vitamin C content also gets a boost. Sun Black tomatoes contained about 37 milligrams of total vitamin C per 100 grams of fresh fruit, compared to 27 milligrams in the red control. Perhaps more importantly, a larger percentage of that vitamin C was in its active, reduced form: 82% in the black tomatoes versus around 50% in the red ones, meaning more of it is readily usable by your body.
Black tomatoes still contain lycopene, the antioxidant that makes regular tomatoes red and that has its own well-documented health associations. So you’re not trading one beneficial compound for another. You’re getting the standard tomato package plus an additional layer of anthocyanin pigments on top.
Health Benefits of Anthocyanins
Anthocyanins are among the most studied plant pigments in nutrition research, and the evidence for cardiovascular benefits is particularly strong. Large epidemiological studies have found that higher anthocyanin intake is associated with lower risk of heart disease. Clinical interventions with anthocyanin-rich foods have shown reductions in blood pressure, blood lipid levels, and markers of inflammation in patients already diagnosed with vascular conditions.
The mechanisms behind these effects are varied. Anthocyanins help reduce inflammation, support the release of nitric oxide (which relaxes blood vessels and improves blood flow), and inhibit excessive platelet clumping that can lead to clots. Analysis of national nutrition survey data in the United States found a significant inverse relationship between anthocyanin intake and C-reactive protein, a key blood marker of systemic inflammation.
Beyond the cardiovascular system, anthocyanins have demonstrated protective effects against DNA damage, support immune function through cytokine regulation, and help strengthen capillary walls. These compounds also protect plant tissues from UV damage, drought, and cold, which is part of why the plants produce them in the first place. When you eat anthocyanin-rich foods, you’re essentially borrowing the plant’s own stress-defense chemistry.
Growing and Buying Black Tomatoes
Black tomatoes grow under the same conditions as any other tomato. They need full sun, consistent watering, and warm temperatures. Most heirloom black varieties are indeterminate, meaning they keep growing and producing fruit throughout the season rather than ripening all at once. The same is true for most Indigo types.
One practical challenge is knowing when they’re ripe. With a red tomato, the color change is obvious. With a black tomato, the skin may already be dark purple while the fruit is still unripe. The best indicator is a slight give when you gently squeeze, similar to judging a ripe avocado. For Indigo types, look at the bottom of the fruit: it should shift from green to red or deep pink, signaling that the flesh underneath the purple skin has fully ripened.
If you’re buying rather than growing, farmers’ markets are your best bet during summer and early fall. Cherokee Purple is the most widely available heirloom black variety. Indigo Rose and its relatives are less common but increasingly stocked by specialty growers. You’re unlikely to find true black tomatoes at a conventional grocery store, since their softer texture and unusual appearance make them a tough sell for large-scale retail.