Aunt Ruby’s German Green is a mid-season, indeterminate heirloom that produces large, slightly flattened beefsteak fruits averaging 12–16 oz (¾–1 lb), with some reaching 1½ lb or more. Fruits remain pale green for most of their development, then ripen to a luminous chartreuse green with subtle amber-yellow undertones on the blossom end and darker olive-green shoulders. When fully ripe, the bottom turns distinctly yellowish and the fruit yields softly to gentle pressure. Inside, the flesh is vivid emerald with a faint pink blush in the center at peak ripeness. Flavor is legendary—intensely sweet with bright, fruity-spicy notes and just enough acidity to make it addictive; it is widely regarded as the finest-tasting green-when-ripe tomato.
 
Important harvesting note: Do NOT wait for dramatic color change. Pick by feel—when the fruit softens slightly (like a ripe peach), harvest immediately and finish ripening indoors if needed. Leaving fully soft fruit on the vine almost always leads to cracking and loss.
 
HISTORY: This cherished green beefsteak was preserved for decades by Ruby Arnold of Greeneville, Tennessee. Born in Germany, Ruby brought the seeds with her when she immigrated to the United States as a young woman and grew the tomato every year in her East Tennessee garden. She generously shared seeds with neighbors and family until her death in 1997.
 
In 1994, her grandson, Bill Minkey of Wisconsin, listed it in the Seed Savers Exchange Yearbook under the name “Aunt Ruby’s German Green.” The tomato quickly became a sensation among heirloom growers for its extraordinary flavor and beauty. Today it is considered one of the crown jewels of American-preserved German heirlooms and is offered by nearly every major heirloom seed company.
 
Sold as a single plant in a 3.5" pot.