A single ripe Kellogg’s Breakfast fruit can weigh as much as a small steak, with golden-orange flesh that makes a bright, juicy slice for a sandwich. This open-pollinated heirloom tomato is a good fit if you have room for a tall, supported vine and want a large slicer rather than a compact plant that ripens its crop all at once.
For a wider look at the many shapes, colors, and growing habits in the group, visit our guide to tomato varieties.
Origin and history
Kellogg’s Breakfast is an heirloom cultivar whose early history is not settled. Plants with Stories credits gardener Darrell Kellogg of Redford, Michigan, and says Seed Savers Exchange received it in 1993 from Bill Minkey of Darien, Wisconsin. Some sellers place its roots in West Virginia instead, as Reimer Seeds does. Treat any single origin story as one account, not settled fact.
Its large, meaty flesh is easy to slice, and its warm color stands out beside red slicers. The seed exchange’s current listing describes an orange-yellow beefsteak with a rich flavor and a good balance of sweetness and acidity.
Kellogg’s Breakfast tomato plant facts
Kellogg’s Breakfast is Solanum lycopersicum, an open-pollinated, indeterminate cultivar. Its vigorous vine keeps growing and setting fruit while weather stays favorable, so it needs more room and support than a compact bush type. The broad fruit is orange to orange-yellow and commonly weighs about 1 to 2 pounds, though individual harvests vary with growing conditions. These characteristics are listed by the exchange.
Seed Savers Exchange estimates 80 to 90 days from transplant, while Reimer Seeds lists 85 days and a height of 48 to 60 inches. Those are catalog estimates, not guarantees: seed source, plant age, temperature, sunlight, and garden conditions affect growth and ripening. The exchange listing does not give a named disease-resistance code for this variety, so do not assume it resists a disease just because it is an heirloom or grows vigorously. Open-pollinated seed can grow true to type, although occasional cross-pollination with another variety may change the next generation. UF/IFAS Extension’s seed-saving guide explains those limits.
Growing tips for Kellogg’s Breakfast tomatoes
Start tomato seeds indoors about five to six weeks before your area’s last frost date if you are raising your own plants. Use a sterile seed starting mix, keep the soil evenly moist, and provide strong light after emergence. Reimer Seeds lists germination at about 7 to 14 days, but temperature, moisture, and seed age can shift that timing.
Harden young tomato seedlings gradually before moving them outside, then wait until local frost danger has passed and the soil has warmed. Choose a site in full sun with reasonably well-drained soil. Install a tall, sturdy stake, cage, or trellis at planting, because the vine can become large and heavy fruit can pull down unsupported stems. University of Minnesota Extension’s tomato guide recommends setting supports at planting.
Give each tomato plant enough space for air to move through its foliage, and tie stems loosely as they grow. Mulch after the soil has warmed to slow moisture loss and reduce weeds. Water the soil deeply and consistently, especially while fruit is sizing. Fluctuating moisture can contribute to blossom-end rot and cracking; a brown, sunken patch at the blossom end is not a cue to add calcium automatically. Check soil conditions and keep moisture more even. In hot or windy weather, containers and raised beds can dry faster than in-ground plots, so check the soil more often. Avoid wetting foliage when you can, and rotate related crops away from the same bed for several seasons when space allows. Penn State Extension’s overview explains the role of changing moisture in cracking and blossom-end rot.
There is no need to prune every sucker from this variety. If you train the tomato vine to one or two main stems, prune selectively and keep enough foliage to shade fruit. Heavy pruning can expose fruit to sunscald and may increase cracking, so see Illinois Extension’s notes on pruning and cracking before removing many shoots. Monitor plants regularly for spotted or yellowing leaves, holes, chewed stems, and other changes; identify a problem before choosing a treatment. For another large, colorful heirloom profile with a different flavor and fruit pattern, see Hillbilly tomatoes.
Harvest and ripeness
Use color rather than the variety name to judge ripeness. A ripe Kellogg’s Breakfast tomato should develop a deep, even orange or orange-yellow color, feel firm with a little give, and come away with gentle pressure or a snip of clean pruners. Do not wait for this fruit to turn red. Large slicing tomatoes may ripen unevenly, so check the shoulders and bottom before picking, and handle ripe fruit carefully to avoid bruising. A fully colored orange tomato is ready for the table even if it feels firmer than a soft, overripe one.
In very hot weather, color may develop slowly while fruit softens. Pick the fruit once it has begun to color and let it finish indoors if vulnerable to cracking, pests, or heat damage, as Illinois Extension advises during hot weather. Before a killing freeze, bring in mature fruit that has started to lighten or change color; very immature green fruit may not ripen to good eating quality, according to University of Minnesota Extension.
Storage and preserving
Keep ripe tomatoes at room temperature, out of direct sun, and use them within a few days for the best texture. Refrigeration slows further ripening, so reserve it for produce that is already very ripe and needs to be held briefly. Bring chilled fruit back to room temperature before serving raw if you want a softer texture and fuller aroma. This matches Illinois Extension’s home-garden guidance on short-term storage. After cutting, refrigerate leftovers within two hours, following the FDA’s food-safety guidance.
Because these large beefsteaks are juicy, slice only what you plan to serve and refrigerate leftovers promptly. You can freeze cooked tomato sauce or preserve the harvest using a tested recipe. For home canning, follow an up-to-date tested recipe and its acidification instructions; do not improvise processing times or assume a particular cultivar is safe to can without added acid. The National Center for Home Food Preservation provides the tested directions. If you want a variety bred and commonly used for drying, compare it with Principe Borghese.
Uses and flavor
The broad, meaty slices make this variety a natural choice for sandwiches, burgers, and toast, where a single slice covers the bread without falling apart. Its sweet, balanced flavor also works in a salad, especially with herbs, olive oil, and a little vinegar. The variety listing describes it as sweet and tangy, but flavor changes with ripeness and growing conditions, so treat those words as a guide rather than a guarantee. Cut smaller fruit into wedges; for the largest ones, remove the core and slice with a serrated knife to keep the flesh intact.
You can cook surplus fruit into a quick sauce, roast thick slices, or fold chopped pieces into eggs and grain bowls. These are fresh-use and short-cook ideas, not tested canning recipes. If you have more ripe fruit than you can eat, freeze sauce or follow a tested preserving recipe rather than storing homemade jars at room temperature without validated processing.
Is Kellogg’s Breakfast the best-tasting variety?
There is no single best-tasting variety for every palate. The current description calls this one rich, sweet, and balanced, which makes it a promising choice for fresh slices if you like full-flavored beefsteaks. The best test is to harvest a tomato fully colored and taste it beside a red or cherry variety at the same stage of ripeness. As a large slicer, it offers a different eating experience from small-fruited types.
