Heirloom tomatoes, known for their variety in color, shape, and flavor, are open-pollinated types that have been passed down through generations or introduced before 1940. Unlike hybrid varieties commonly found in grocery stores, heirlooms are valued for their taste and unique histories.
“Seeds from an open-pollinated variety produce offspring that are identical to the parent plant. As long as cross-pollination can be prevented, seeds that are saved will produce identical tomatoes year after year. Seed saved from a hybrid tomato plant or from cross-pollinated plants will not generally grow true to type,” according to Kim Schwind.
Heirloom tomatoes can be red, purple, yellow, green, orange, pink, striped or marbled. They also come in different shapes such as pear, oblong, round and oval. Some heirlooms may yield fruit into the fall if conditions allow.
“Heirlooms have often been named along the way with quirky monikers like ‘Black Krim,’ ‘Cherokee Purple,’ ‘Missouri Pink Love Apple,’ or ‘Hillbilly Potato Leaf.’ If the seeds have been passed down within a family there is usually a written history about the variety. They may be mentioned in an old seed catalog, a state agricultural report, or a garden book or journal,” Schwind stated.
For example: “The Dester Tomato is described in the Seed Savers Exchange catalog as ‘having been donated by Missouri farmer Larry Pierce, who received his seeds from an Amish woman in Seymour, Missouri. She originally got her seeds from a doctor she worked for whose family had brought the seeds with them from Germany.'”
Both determinate and indeterminate types exist among heirlooms. Determinate plants tend to ripen all at once and work well for batch processing like canning; indeterminate varieties produce fruit over a longer season.
The tomato originated in Mexico and Central America where it was cultivated by indigenous peoples before being introduced to Europe during the 1500s Age of Exploration. By the mid-1800s it became common in U.S. gardens but commercial hybridization later prioritized shipping durability over flavor.
“Consumers are starting to show interest in some of the old heirloom varieties that are full of flavor. During the summer months, heirloom tomatoes can be found in local farmers markets and in some grocery stores. They can also be planted in backyard vegetable gardens,” Schwind wrote.
Growing heirlooms presents challenges such as lower yields and less disease resistance compared to hybrids; however each variety has adapted resistances suited to specific climates due to its genetic uniqueness.
Schwind advises experimenting with different varieties to find what grows best locally: “You can find heirloom tomato starts in some local nurseries in the spring; popular varieties include ‘Brandywine,’ ‘Jubilee,’ and ‘Big Rainbow.’ Or you can start your own plants from seed: heirloom tomato seed can be found in most seed catalogs or at your local seed saving exchange.”
Those interested in learning more about starting tomatoes from seed are invited to attend an upcoming workshop on February 3 as part of the Master Gardeners Spring Workshop Series offered by UC Master Gardeners of Butte County through University of California Cooperative Extension (UCCE). Registration is required for these free workshops; further details are available on their website.
UC Master Gardeners offer resources on gardening issues via email (mgbutte@ucanr.edu), phone hotline (530-552-5812), or through visits during posted hours as listed on their website’s Ask Us section.