Heirloom Tomato

Name: Heirloom tomato — an open-pollinated tomato variety passed down for generations, rather than a modern commercial hybrid. Heirlooms come in many shapes and colours, including pink, purple, black, yellow, green and striped, with names such as Brandywine, Cherokee Purple, Green Zebra and Mortgage Lifter.

Description

Heirloom tomatoes are grown from seed saved from year to year, and many have histories going back more than a century, often tied to particular families and regions. They fell out of favour in the 20th century, when commercial growers switched to hybrids bred for uniform size, toughness and long shelf life, which often cost flavour.

Interest in heirlooms has revived since the 1980s, as home gardeners, farmers' markets and chefs seek out strong flavour and variety. They are often irregular, cracked and thin-skinned, so they do not travel or keep well, but they can have a rich, complex, sweet-acidic taste.

Main nutrition value

Heirloom tomatoes provide vitamin C, potassium, vitamin K and folate, and carotenoid and anthocyanin pigments, depending on colour, with the exact nutrients varying by variety.

How best to be consumed

Heirloom tomatoes are best ripe, in season, and kept simple.

1. Slice and serve with salt, olive oil and fresh basil, letting the flavour shine.
2. Layer different colours on a platter with mozzarella or burrata.
3. Use in sandwiches, salads and fresh salsas.
4. Cook into rich sauces, which also concentrates their flavour.
5. Store at room temperature, and eat within a few days of ripening.

Overconsumption could cause…

Heirloom tomatoes are safe and healthy in food amounts.

1. Heartburn or reflux from the acidity, particularly in sensitive people.
2. Reactions in a small number of people sensitive to nightshade plants, such as joint or digestive complaints, though evidence is limited.
3. Spoilage quickly, since the thin skins bruise and split.
4. Extra salt and oil from rich, dressed salads.

GroupsFruit VegetablesNightshade family (Solanaceae)Low fatLow sodiumFresh

Related foodsBeefsteak TomatoTomatoBell Pepper / CapsicumGreen PepperJalapeñoEggplant / Aubergine

Wikipedia — Heirloom tomato, used for origin, naming and history: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heirloom_tomato