Heirloom tomatoes - supremely ugly; wonderfully delicious

Our 2 1/2 pound ugly as sin Cherokee Purple

If you're idea of a good looking tomato is round and red with no cracks, blemishes, or irregularities, you probably wrinkly your nose at the sight of an heirloom tomato.  It's okay, I understand.  I used to be the same way.  Like good beer and fine wine, it takes an adventurous state of mind to delve into the vast world of heirloom tomatoes.  There are so many varieties, so many colors, and so many are so incredibly ugly.  Familiarity builds affection, however, and after awhile a ripe, bulbous, green and violet Cherokee Purple or Black Krim becomes a thing of beauty rather than something from a tomato breeding experiment on the Island of Dr. Moreau.  It is the flavor rather than the appearance that attracts many people to heirlooms.  Sure, there are some beautiful heirlooms, but they are not the round red tomato society has come to expect.  We want you to know that there is nothing to be afraid of with ugly tomatoes.  You're not going to marry them, anyway, and in the meantime they have great personality. 

Some Background Information On Heirloom Tomatoes

All tomatoes originate from South America.  As early as 500 BC tomatoes were being grown for food by the Aztecs.  When Spanish conquistadores brought seeds back to Europe, the tomato became a staple part of the diet.  Seeds migrated to Italy and other parts of the continent and eventually became a staple part of the cuisine.

An heirloom is a open pollinated variety, meaning you can save the seed from it, that has been passed down for generations.  There are varieties such as Purple Calabash that supposedly go back as far as the Aztecs and there are newer ones that have been crossed with disease resistant varieties to create an "improved" variety.  We've grown Purple Calabash and have to say that we weren't particularly impressed, but that is possibly a testament to the improvements that have been made over the years to create phenomenal heirloom varieties such as Brandywine and Pineapple.  Countless generations of people have saved seed from the best tomatoes on the best plants, with emphasis on whatever traits or colors for which they were selecting.  That is the beauty of heirlooms - people made them for what people really want, and that is great tomatoes.

Most heirloom varieties develop "green shoulders".  This is where the top of the tomato is still green and the bottom is soft and ripe.  The shoulders are green because they contain chloroplasts, which as you may or may not remember from high school biology, photosynthesize and produce sugars which wind up in the tomato.  The gene that causes green shoulders was recently discovered, and as you have probably noticed from looking at the tomatoes in the grocery store, has been bred out of most modern commercial varieties.  This gene may be one reason heirloom tomatoes taste better than grocery store tomatoes.  Another likely factor is that commercial tomatoes are usually picked green and ripened during shipping while a locally grown heirloom is allowed to ripen on the vine.

Heirlooms We Are Growing This Year

Rutgers - A variety released in 1934 in Rutgers, NJ.  At the time, this tomato was revolutionary for its combination of great flavor, uniformity, thick skin (though very thin by today's commercial standards), and resistance to cracking.  We grow this tomato for those that want a ripe red tomato without too many blemishes.  The flavor is outstanding and they are quite meaty, which makes for good sauce and a savory juice.  More information on Rutgers.

Super Sioux - This is an improved cultivar of the "Sioux" variety developed in 1944 at the Nebraska Experimental Station.  A round red tomato, we chose this variety because it sets fruit and produces well in a hot and dry climate such as we have near Pierre.  These tomatoes are on the acidic side, more so than Rutgers, which makes them ideal for canning.  They are also quite juicy, and we have made excellent tomato juice with them. 

Cherokee Purple - This variety has an interesting story behind it and is said to have originated with the Cherokee people.  Seeds were first listed for sale in the 1991 Seedsavers Exchange Yearbook and it has flourished in popularity ever since.  This tomato is often oddly shaped and a light purple in color.  The flavor is sweet yet surprisingly full and rich, which moderate acidity.  The seed cavities are small.  This is our first year growing these tomatoes and we are absolutely delighted with them.  We had one tomato that was 2 1/2 pounds this year!  And the flavor is up there with favorites such as Brandywine and Pineapple.

Speaking of Brandywine, we planted this famous variety that originated with the Amish this year but have yet to pick a tomato.  We're not really sure that there are even any green tomatoes on the plants.  It isn't looking good, but that is somewhat common with this pink, thin skinned variety known for its intense, delicious flavor.  They are not the easiest to grow, but they are usually worth the effort.  This variety commonly wins taste tests and is known far and wide for its flavor.  We grow the "Sudduth's Strain" of Brandywine, which are bigger and more on the pink side than the common strain.

Pineapple is a multicolored variety, with yellow at the top and orange and pink near the bottom.  Very large tomatoes up to a pound and a half that are very sweet and low acid, this is the perfect tomato for a gorgeous BLT.  With their outstanding flavor they are also excellent for fresh eating. 

We hope more people eventually come around to enjoying ugly tomatoes as much as they like the round red ones.  Not just because we enjoy growing them, but because heirlooms are truly the tomato lovers choice when it comes to flavor.  So remember that beauty is only skin deep, and if you want a great tomato, don't judge a book by its cover.