Does everyone already know about heirloom tomatoes? Really? Did know that there are over 600 varieties of heirlooms (aka ‘heritage’ in the UK, just in case you’re traveling)? That they come in a cornucopia of sizes,colors, shapes and FLAVORS? You knew of course that they put to shame those bland red things on the grocer’s shelves that have traveled who-knows-how-many-miles.
There are cherries and beefsteaks, pears and pointed Jersey devils, oblong San Marzanos and Roman candles, oxhearts, and fabulously fluted costoluto genoveses. There are purple Cherokees, canary-striped Green Zebras, lemon-mousse colored Old Ivory Egg, Black Krims from Russia, sunset-gold Oaxacan Jewels, dusky-orange Purple Smudges, blush-and-lemony-orange Pineapples (a fabulous, sweet-tart meaty tomato) and pinky-red Brandywines. Some roast beautifully, some are perfect for hors d’oeuvres dipped in curried mayo, some make lovely pies, jam, pickle and more.
Growing heirlooms is like growing hybrid tomatoes. You start them inside about eight weeks before you want to put them in the ground (earlier if you’re into the Tomato-By-July 4th Competition that goes on around here). Feed them, mulch them, and give them an inch or so of water a week. Give them plenty of airflow too. Some heirlooms are susceptible to fusarium and verticillium wilt and other fungal problems, which is what made resistant hybrids so popular in the first place.
But with heirlooms, you can save and replant seed, an important part of preserving our botanical heritage. Hybrid seed is either sterile (like mules) or produces something different from the year before – so we buy new to guarantee that the fruits come true to variety. And some commercial varieties are patented; we are barred by law from saving and planting their seed, which helps to create a kind of food production monopoly. (To check out the Monsanto lawsuits, Google ‘patented seed.’). So it’s critical to keep the heirlooms alive from generation to generation.
While it’s too late to start them now, and virtually all of those heirloom tomato plants in garden centers and big box stores, (which now carry heirlooms, too), are gone. But even if you can’t grow any this year, taste every heirloom tomato you can get your hands on, then find at least one to stick in your garden – or a pot — next year. You won’t be sorry.
Tomato growers supply
www.tomatogrowers.com
Seed Savers Exchange
www.seedsavers.org
Totally Tomatoes
www.totallytomato.com
Seeds of Change
www.seedsofchange.com
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