Elongated rosy paste-type · thin skin · sweet flesh
Unusual, prolific, and striking on the vine. Finger-like rosy fruits with thin skin and a sweetness that makes it as good fresh as it is cooked.
Tomato Profile · Jamie's Garden 2026 · Santa Monica Mountains · 1,170 ft elevation
| Variety | Pink Fang |
| Type | Heirloom Elongated Paste-Type · Indeterminate |
| Origin | American heirloom paste variety with unusual elongated form |
| Days to Maturity | ~75 days from transplant |
| Fruit Size | 3–5 oz · elongated finger shape |
| Garden Role | Visual contrast · prolific producer · fresh-eating paste |
Pink Fang is the wild card of the tomato section — an elongated, finger-like paste variety with rosy-pink skin, thin walls, and a sweetness that distinguishes it from the drier, more intensely flavored Italian paste types elsewhere in the garden. The fruits are striking on the vine: long, slightly curved, clustered in groups, a warm rosy color that deepens as they ripen.
It produces prolifically. Where the large beefsteaks deliver a few spectacular fruits per plant, Pink Fang covers the vine in clusters of smaller fruits throughout the season. This makes it valuable not just for the table but for pickling, roasting, and anything that calls for a manageable volume of ripe paste tomatoes across multiple harvests.
| Color | Rosy pink · deepens to rose-red at peak |
| Shape | Elongated · finger-like · slightly curved · 3–4 inches |
| Size | 3–5 oz · approximately finger-length |
| Interior | Thin walls · moderate moisture · few seeds |
| Texture | Firm and smooth · thinner-skinned than Italian pastes |
| Sweetness | High · notably sweeter than standard paste types |
| Acidity | Medium-low · soft and accessible |
| Savory Depth | Medium · enough to work in cooking |
| Tasting Notes | Sweet pink tomato · fresh acidity · clean finish |
| Character | Playful, prolific, versatile — the connector variety |
Pink Fang sits between a fresh-eating tomato and a paste tomato — it has the sweetness and thin skin of the former and the elongated form and moderate moisture content of the latter. This versatility is its defining quality. It is sweet enough to eat out of hand, structured enough to roast or quick-sauce, and prolific enough to do both throughout the season.
Pink Fang's thin skin and sweet flesh make it exceptional for quick roasting — halved, olive oil, high heat, twenty minutes — where it caramelizes beautifully. It is also excellent fresh, either eaten whole as a snack or halved in salads. The elongated shape makes it visually interesting on any plate. For pickling, the firm texture holds up beautifully in brine.
| Habit | Indeterminate · regular leaf · vigorous and spreading |
| Height | 5–6 ft · staking required |
| Productivity | Very high · continuous clusters throughout season |
| Heat Tolerance | Excellent |
| Days to Maturity | ~75 days from transplant |
| Crack Resistance | Good · thin skin does not crack as readily as thick-walled types |
| Harvest Frequency | Continuous · harvest every 3–5 days at peak |
Pink Fang is one of the most productive and low-maintenance plants in this garden. It sets fruit continuously, tolerates heat well, and does not require the obsessive moisture management of the large beefsteaks. The main management task is keeping up with the harvest — let too many fruits overripen on the vine and the plant slows down.
Pink Fang · Jamie's Garden 2026 · Santa Monica Mountains · 1,170 ft
Pink Fang earned its place in this garden by being different from everything else in the tomato section. Every other tomato here is a large, round, dramatic statement. Pink Fang is elongated, prolific, and in constant motion — always something ripening, always clusters developing at multiple stages simultaneously.
There is something I value about a plant that does not make you wait. The beefsteaks ask for patience — weeks of watching large fruits develop before you can finally eat. Pink Fang gives you something to harvest from midsummer through first frost. That continuous rhythm is its own kind of intelligence.
The name is good too. Pink Fang. It sounds like something from a different world, which is accurate — this tomato does not look like any other tomato in existence. The elongated finger shape, the rosy color, the clusters hanging like small curved daggers. Visually, it is the most distinctive plant in the garden. I like that.
| Variety | Pink Fang |
| Type | Heirloom Elongated Paste-Type · Indeterminate |
| Fruit Size | 3–5 oz · finger-shaped |
| Days to Maturity | ~75 days from transplant |
| Flavor | Sweet · thin-skinned · fresh · versatile |
| Best Use | Fresh · roasting · quick sauce · pickling |
| Productivity | Very high · continuous harvest all season |
| Season 2026 | Transplant May 30 · First harvest mid-July |