Heirloom Tomatoes

Heirloom tomatoes are generally considered to be varieties grown on family farms and handed down for generations. They are open-pollinated rather than hybrid varieties and most are indeterminate (they grow and produce until frost kills them off.) Heirloom tomatoes are rarely seen in grocery stores, since they do not all set and ripen at once and are tender, which means they bruise easily. Heirloom tomatoes have more variety and flavor than hybrid tomatoes and are highly prized for fresh eating.

Heirloom tomatoes come in all colors, sizes and shapes. There are yellow and white varieties which are low in acid and much sweeter than red tomatoes. Some popular yellow varieties are Basinga, Cream Sausage, Lemon Plum, Gold Medal, Golden Sunray, Moonglow and Yellow Pear. Popular pink varieties include Brandywine, German Pink and Rose. Two really unusual colors are the blacks and greens.

Black tomatoes, such as Purple Krim and Black Cherokee are dark purple with green shoulders. Green tomatoes like Aunt Ruby’s German Green, Tasty and Green Grape are actually green when ripe. Then there are the striped varieties like Black Sea Man, Tigerella and Hillbilly. Of course, there are familiar red varieties also, such as Ponderosa, Red Cherry, Trophy and Wisconsin.

Growing heirloom tomatoes is very easy. They need to be staked or caged to contain the vines and keep the tomatoes off the ground. They need plenty of sunlight and water. They generally have a long time to maturity (85 to 90 days after transplanting) so it is best to start them indoors to get an early edge.