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What heirloom tomatoes are and how to use them

5 Minute read

22 Jul 2024

Hugo McCafferty

Journalist

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All you need to know about heirloom tomatoes, what they are and how to use them

As we reach the end of July and into August when the sun is hot and tomatoes ripen on the vine, we hear much about heirloom tomato varieties. But what are heirloom tomatoes and what makes them so much better than the other store-bought varieties we are used to?

Firstly, tomatoes that are found in the wild in Latin America, from where all tomatoes originate, are small, sweet berry-like fruits. The big red, plump tomatoes we find in our stores today started off as these wild tomatoes in Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru, from the Solanum lycopersicum plant, and then of course, were exported around the world.

About five centuries of selective breeding have given us the tomato we know today. Farmers and growers selected certain plants to breed for their characteristics – like maturation speed, colour, disease resistance and so on – but in general, these growers were focused on what made tomato growing more profitable rather than end taste and flavour. So, while we get more consistently round, red and uniform tomatoes that last longer on the supermarket shelf or in transportation, they lack the flavour found in older, so-called heirloom varieties.

Heirloom varieties like Cherokee Purple, Black Krim, Green Zebra, and Brandy Wine tomatoes are vastly different from each other, but also from standard tomatoes. They have different, often non-uniform shapes, a different flesh consistency, and are packed full of flavour. These tomatoes have undergone less genetic manipulation as the seeds are carefully selected from the plants with the best characteristics and passed down from generation to generation. While they have been bred for certain qualities, their genetic modification is considerably less. They are often open-pollinated, which means organically, by the birds and the bees.

There has been much hype about heirloom tomatoes in recent years, leading many mass tomato producers to label their breeds as heirloom. Just because something is called heirloom doesn’t mean it will taste better. So, if you want to be sure you’re getting the real thing, you should buy your tomatoes from the farmers’ market, where you can talk to the actual grower and learn all about their methods and varieties. These farmers are passionate people, and they are always more than happy to talk you through their produce. The ideal way to ensure you get the best heirloom tomatoes, though, is to grow them yourself.

Tomatoes are very easy to grow, even in a window box. You can grow heirlooms from seed or from small plants. They only need attention; they enjoy sunlight but not too much directly, and they need water, but not too much. The only thing you need to watch out for is diseases and pests, but if you choose your hardy heirloom variety carefully, you will enjoy delicious ripe, plump tomatoes in August.

How to use heirloom tomatoes

The very best way to eat tomatoes is fresh, and that’s all. In Southern Italy, they say that the best tomatoes shouldn’t need any salt at all – straight off the vine, washed and eaten raw, with an addition of extra virgin olive oil. However, tomatoes are of course incredibly versatile and there is literally no end to what you can do with them in the kitchen.