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The Kellogg’s Breakfast Tomato

Some tomatoes have names that really pique one’s curiosity to learn their stories — the Green Zebra, the Fourth of July, the Mortgage Lifter, for instance.  The Kellogg’s Breakfast tomato is another tomato with a story behind the name, although it’s not what you might initially guess!  The name actually has to do with the gorgeous orange color of the tomato’s flesh.

Keep reading to learn about this tomato that’s a hit with home growers — you might decide that a Kellogg’s Breakfast tomato will be the new tomato variety in your garden this summer.

Closeup of an orange tomato on the vine similar to the fruit of a Kellogg's Breakfast tomato.

History of the Kellogg’s Breakfast Tomato

The Kellogg Breakfast tomato was named by Darrell Kellogg, a Seed Saver Exchange (SSE) member and not the Kellogg of cereal fame (that’s Will Keith Kellogg).  The tomato itself originated in West Virginia and came to Darrell Kellogg from a friend.  He grew the tomato in his Michigan garden and liked it so much that he saved the seeds from the fruit and continued growing them.

Kellogg gave seeds to Bill Minkey who then introduced the seeds to SSE in 1993.  From there the tomato has become quite popular among fans of tasty heirloom varieties.

The “breakfast” part of the tomato’s name is supposedly because the beautiful orange color of the inside of the tomato reminds people of orange juice.

Overhead view of a slice of a large orange tomato next to two smaller slices of red tomatoes.

Characteristics of the Kellogg’s Breakfast Tomato

The Kellogg Breakfast tomato is an indeterminate, heirloom and the vines grow from 6-10 feet tall.  It produces large carrot-orange beefsteak tomatoes.  It’s a very productive tomato that requires staking or a very sturdy garden structure to support the weight of the fruit on the vines.

Ripening Season

Mid- to late-season tomato. After transplanting it takes 80 days for fruit to mature and the plant produces fruit for weeks until the first frost.

Tomato Qualities

The fruit is meaty, almost seedless, and thin-skinned.

Tomato Size

Large, slightly flattened beefsteak-style tomato that weighs 14-32 ounces.

Planting Zones

The Kellogg Breakfast tomato grows in zones 3,4,5,6,7,8, and 9.

Start seeds indoors 6-8 weeks before last spring frost.  Seeds germinate within 7-14 days.

Size and Spacing

Tomato seedlings should be planted deeply with only the top 1-2 sets of leaves showing (after planting, pinch off the others). Moisten the soil prior to planting. Plant tomatoes 24-36 inches apart and put either large cages, stakes, or some sort of sturdy structure in place for tying the vines to.

Person planting young tomato plants.

Pollination

Like most heirloom tomatoes, the Kellog’s Breakfast tomato only needs natural pollinators like honeybees, bumblebees, and wind.

Plant Care

The following sections will provide highlights about tomato care. For a complete guide on optimal tomato plant care, from planting to harvesting and storage, please check out our article on How To Grow Tomatoes: The Complete Guide For the Best Tomatoes.  You may also be interested in our blog post on how to grow big tomatoes!

The Kellogg’s Breakfast tomato doesn’t seem to require anything but normal tomato care, other than perhaps a little more water than the average tomato variety.

Dark orange heirloom tomatoes on display.

Sunlight

Tomatoes require full sun — at least 6 hours of sunlight each day.

Soil

Should be acidic (6.5 pH), well-draining, and amended with compost and decomposed manure to a depth of 24-36 inches.

Water

Spread a 2-3 inch layer of mulch around your tomato plants, but keep the ground clear of mulch three inches around the base of the plant. Water on a regular basis at the base of the plant to keep the foliage dry.  Give this tomato 1 1/2 inches of water each week.

A young tomato plant being watered by a drip irrigation hose system.

Fertilizer

Tomatoes require specific nutrients (such as calcium) to produce their best crops of fruit. To learn how to determine what your tomatoes need and when they need it, consult our ultimate tomato fertilizer guide.

Pruning/Pinching

Lush, bushy tomato plants won’t give you many (if any tomatoes). Pruning and pinching are a tomato care technique that can help your tomato put forth its best yield. But you need to know when to do this and what tomatoes need it. To help you with this, visit our pruning tomatoes guide.

Disease

Kellogg’s Breakfast tomato is resistant to blossom end rot and sunscald.  It’s best to take normal precautions against the common tomato diseases like blight, fusarium wilt, Septoria leaf spot, Verticillium wilt, and Southern bacterial wilt.  Keeping the foliage dry by watering the base of the plant is your best defense against tomato plant disease.

To learn how to detect, treat, and take steps to prevent diseases, read our tomato diseases guide.

Large orange tomatoes on the vine.

Pests

Tomatoes suffer a number of pests including aphids, whiteflies, tomato hornworms, slugs, pill bugs, stink bugs, and rodents. Companion plants like marigolds, catnip, fennel, dill, basil, and cilantro repel common tomato pests. Netting helps keep out birds and larger pests, but can also interfere with beneficial insects and pollinators.

For information to help you spot, eliminate, and deter 15 different pests, visit our guide on common tomato pests.

When to Harvest Kellogg’s Breakfast Tomatoes

Kellog’s Breakfast tomatoes are ready when they’re plump, heavy, and a carrot-orange color.

Dark orange tomatoes on a counter, next to other garden produce.

Common Uses For Kellogg’s Breakfast Tomatoes

These tomatoes are great for slicing, but they also have a good flavor in cooked foods.

What Does This Tomato Taste Like?

A Kellogg’s Breakfast tomato is described as having a flavor that is rich, with good acid-to-sugar ratio.  Others report the tomato as “sweet and tangy.”  What’s clear is that the flavor is what people rave about just as much as the gorgeous color of the fruit.

Cooking

Kellogg’s Breakfast tomatoes make delicious sauces, chilies, soups, stews, and casseroles.

A pasta dish with tomato sauce.
Using orange tomatoes will give your sauces an unexpected color for favorite pasta dishes.

Eating Raw

Raw seems to be a lot of people’s favorite way to eat this tomato.  It’s a perfect slicing tomato for burgers and sandwiches or cubed in salads.  It also adds a nice color to salsas and bruschetta toppings.

Canning / Freezing / Drying

Kellogg’s Breakfast tomato plants are reported as “very productive” and the fruit is very large.  So you’ll probably need to preserve your harvest for enjoying after tomato season ends.

Canning

Tomatoes are some of the easiest produce to can. Click here for an article that will tell you everything you need to know to safely can and store your tomato harvest.  Tomatoes may be canned just as themselves or made into chutneys, sauces, and salsas for canning.

View of empty mason jars.

Freezing

Tomatoes can also be frozen, although you might never have thought abut doing that. Frozen tomatoes become mushy when thawed out, so use them for cooked foods. For the best way to freeze your tomatoes, read this article.

Drying

Making your own sun dried tomatoes will save money and give you better-tasting dried tomatoes than store-bought. This article covers three drying methods for creating delicious preserved tomatoes.

Recipe Ideas 

Kellogg’s Breakfast Heirloom Tomato Sauce

Fresh Bloody Mary

Kellogg’s Breakfast Tomatoes

Easy and Addictive Tomato Chutney

Health Benefits of Kellogg’s Breakfast Tomatoes

Tomatoes aren’t just delicious fruits from the garden — they’re healthy too. Tomatoes are high in vitamins C and K, potassium, and folate. They’re also one of the best dietary sources of lycopene, an antioxidant credited with reducing the risks of heart disease and cancer. 

Macro closeup of yellow-orange tomato slice.

Where to Buy Kellogg’s Breakfast Tomato Plants or Seeds

It’s not likely you’ll find starter plants for the Kellogg Breakfast tomato, but seeds are available from many online retailers, including Amazon.com.

Where to Buy Kellogg’s Breakfast Tomatoes

Like most heirloom tomatoes, you won’t find Kellogg’s Breakfast tomatoes in chain grocery stores.  They are sometimes available at specialty grocers or at farmers markets.

Wrapping Up the Kellogg’s Breakfast Tomato

An orange tomato on the vine.

The reviews that home growers have posted about the Kellogg Breakfast tomato are testimonials of what a great addition this tomato would make in your garden this year.  While you may not decide to make the large beautiful orange-colored tomatoes a regular part of your breakfast table, they’re sure to show up at lunch or dinner!

Do you a suggestion about growing Kellogg’s Breakfast tomatoes or a favorite recipe to share? Leave it in the comments section below! Excited for more tomato content? Then visit our tomato page for growing tips, comprehensive guides, and tasty recipes!