What is that Great White Tomato???
Demystifying the Heirloom Tomato
Or
The Regrettable Tyranny of the Red Tomato Stereotype
by Monica Tecca, Newsletter Editor
Last week, one of our depot marvels, Melrose Assistant Coordinator Sadie Brown, had meticulously weighed out shares of heirloom tomatoes and noticed a trend – members consistently avoided the giant light yellow variety. I have done the same. A very light or white tomato arouses suspicion. My inner voice has these thoughts: “Does it taste any good? Is there something wrong with it? Is it the reject of the tomato kingdom? Am I supposed to be the better human and take the crappy tomato instead of that ginormous reddish-purply one?”
Well guess what? As Sadie says, “Heirloom tomatoes of all shapes and sizes are DELICIOUS TREASURES!”
According to this article, Heirloom tomatoes are so named because they are passed down from one generation to the next. They are generally at least 50 years old (some as many as 200!), and come from open-pollinated plants – bees, moths, birds, bats, wind, or rain pollinate the tomato flowers. The seeds from heirloom tomatoes (also called heritage tomatoes) have been selected over many years for desirable traits, such as size, color, and taste. They are expensive because they are not as prolific as hybrids, and, due to their thinner skin, they do not ship or store well. Farmers and gardeners will often pass heirloom tomato seeds to their children. You can also find heirloom seeds at a seed swap or seed exchange.
Many hybrid tomatoes are bred for traits such as high yield, disease resistance, and the ability to ship and store well. This decreases costs for farmers and consumers, and minimizes waste due to spoiled produce. However, this cost savings and efficiency comes at the expense of flavor and nutrition content. Many hybrid tomato varieties have lost some of the sugar and nutrient content that makes heirloom tomatoes taste sweeter and juicier.
So don’t be afraid. The next time you have the opportunity to choose an heirloom tomato, use it as an opportunity to expand your world view, and go for that weird looking one that makes you kind of uncomfortable. At the moment of perfect ripeness, let that tomato surprise and delight you.
