Grow A Rainbow Of Heirloom Tomatoes
When I think the heirloom vegetables, romantic notions of windswept hills and fields of sunflowers come to mind. I picture a sturdy wooden table consultation with rustic linen and slim glasses of wine, each a catch a ray of sunlight and in the summer palate of orange, red and yellow, from which a bowl of freshly prepared Caprese salad. There is nothing quite like the combination of heirloom tomatoes, fresh basil and buffalo mozzarella. Mix in a little olive oil, salt and pepper, and you have the quintessence of summer fair of the gods. Sure, you can use it regularly with tomatoes, but the difference in taste is like the difference between cheesecake and paperboard. Heirloom tomatoes offer exotic flavor, color and the biological diversity of life to your garden table.
By definition, an heirloom is something that is passed from generation to generation, where, in the hope that the memory of past times. In the case of heirloom tomatoes, varieties of about 100 years ago are still in circulation today thanks to the thoughtful growers of yesterday, the carefully saved seeds and passed it to their children. Seed Catalog banks and companies that specialize in providing Heirloom gardeners curious to have opened the door to a world of diversity does not normally available to the public.
Heirloom seeds have survived the test of time, exposure and environmental change, and are therefore more diseases and pests resistant than many of their younger colleagues. Also, with supermarkets continue to reduce the amount of biological diversity in their products islands, and with the introduction of genetically modified fruits and vegetables, the idea of heirloom produce is also attractive for those who want to know - and trust - their food sources,
Some of my favorite heirloom tomatoes are chosen more for color and taste than not, even though her taste is "mind blowing, simply because there is a rainbow of colors to choose from. Every year I plant at least one of each color to ensure a feast for the eyes all summer long. Let's see that rainbow, shall we?
Reds/Pinks: Other than the increasingly popular "Brandywine tomato, there are so many red and pinks out there: Costaluto Genovese - a medium to large, ribbed fruit; Burbank Red Slicing - so close to a standard such as tomato concentrate Heirloom get with a lot of flavor; Old German - huge red tomatoes with a Blush of green; German queen - a large beefsteak variety with some color variation; Arkansas Traveler - a beefsteak tomato, the Henry VIII in all of us. Mortgage Lifter - famous for its Size, which was so said that so large that it could contribute to a farm from foreclosure and Amish Paste -- a plum tomatoes as the traditional Roma. Some catalogs contradict each other, when listing some Heirloom, whose lineage is somewhat ambiguous: Ispolin - a softball Size flat molded tomatoes with oranges and pinks, and my all-time favorite, Stupice - a Czechoslovak tomato salad, which, without fail, the first on the block to bright red, flavorful tomatoes per year. This plant breaks from tradition with its potato-leaf foliage adds that even a change in your garden.
Oranges : Jaunne flame is an orange tomatoes produced that great tomato salad fruit. The bright color and flavor saen consistently, it is a perfect choice for those trying to venture out into new territory tomato. Tigerella and Tigerle are both striped tomatoes , The joy of the eyes and perk up any dish with their unusual color, orange Oxheart is indeed a heart-shaped tomato that breaks the mold of traditional flat-bottomed tomatoes. In some catalogs but not others, the Persimmon tomato is an heirloom . It is shaped and colored like a persimmon, but do not be fooled, as the sae tomato flavor is nothing like his look-alike.
Yellow: I have tried many yellow tomatoes and have found some to compare with the delicate taste of the sunny Yellow Pear. Sae These small tears of summer goodness barely make it in from the garden, and serve mostly as tasty snacks throughout the garden work. Even with the Yellow Pear, I have found a special Yellow Pear from seeds of change s larger than the others. For some other interesting attempt Yellow Yellow perfection - a graere salad of tomatoes, pineapples - a very interesting variety, with red stripes across the middle, and Peach Garden - the name accordingly, because it actually has Fuzz! Do not be discouraged that you try this unusual gem. The taste is outstanding.
Green: Admittedly, the only green tomatoes I have tried to grow is the famous Green Zebra. With his dark green stripes on a soft green exterior leans That in the direction of yellow when left on the vine a little longer, the Green Zebra is a terrific addition to any court for diversity and a change of pace. If you have not tried them, be sure to put it on your Shopping list for summer.
Purple and Black: This year I am growing Cherokee Purple - a large tomato with a purple and green interior shoulders. Purple Calabash, similar to its relative Red Calabash, has an interior that is dark and melted mysteriously. adventure novels such as tomatoes examiners will be full of flavor and strong in the Size. Black Plum is another plum tomatoes similar to a traditional Roma, but with greenish-black shoulders, like its counterpart graeren Black, the has the same mark in a regular medium-sized tomatoes. Black Krim is another popular choice for those with a flare for the dramatic.
White: If you are looking for something new and different, try Nebraska Wedding - a white medium - to large tomatoes. Unfortunately, this one not so good in my garden coasts. Great White, however, was a great success - a huge investment, huge tomatoes, and huge flavor. One slice would almost completely cover a piece of bread, and the color was with very little yellow seeds. This was one of the most interesting tomato I have grown in years.
The key to heirloom tomatoes is experimentation. Whether you buy them at a grocery store, or growing them themselves, the selection of different varieties each time is the best Way to find what works for your garden or your palette. Every year I have my trusty and easy grades, but I always choose at least 3 or 4 new Heirloom trying. Fortunately, we are beginning to see the phenomenon of Heirloom intervene in gourmet and farmers' markets, so that they are increasingly accessible to mainstream shoppers. Just as Julia Child was influential in the appearance of gourmet vegetables in supermarkets, we can by influential demanding diversity and inclusion of Heirloom on our local Markets. If you do not Heirloom where you live, and you are not able to grow it yourself, ask your store manager to stock them every time you go shopping. With a little effort and curiosity, and soon everyone will in a position to enjoy the wonders of biological diversity and fabulous flavor.
Christy Wilhelmi is owner of http://www.Gardenerd.com, the ultimate resource for garden nerds. She is a board member of Ocean View Farms Organic Community Garden in Mar Vista, California, and gardens almost exclusively with heirloom vegetables.
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October 15, 2008 at 9:54 AM
I grew up near Buhl, Idaho, near dead'man's curve (2 miles from the trout ranch). I would love to get some beefsteak seeds (or other tomato seeds), if anyone has them to give away to try in the Texas heat (preferably a bush-type). I have some very good compost and soil to give them a good start. I also grow apple trees and donate apples to the local soup kitchen. I also have some mimosa pudica seeds (Sensitive Plant, leaves fold up when touched), if anyone wants to trade: J. Vincent, POB 1432, Hurst, TX 76053