Heirloom Tomatoes: What's All The Hype?
Cherokee Purple
Let’s start with, what's an heirloom? According to the Oxford Dictionary, heirloom plants are varieties which were commonly grown in the past, but are no longer grown as commercial crops. (1) Did that definition make things crystal clear for you? Me neither. I decided to search for the definition of heirloom tomatoes. Wikipedia states, an heirloom tomato is an open pollinated, non-hybrid heirloom cultivator of a tomato. (2) To sum this up an heirloom is an open-pollinated plant (the flowers are pollinated by birds, insects or wind) that passes on the same characteristics and traits from the parent plant to the child plant, unlike a hybrid. To add to this the general rule in the “gardening world” is an heirloom variety is at least 50 years old.
Summer... as I write this in the middle of winter, summer gives me all the feels. Warm sun, summer produce, fresh cut grass, farmers markets... we love summer. One of my favorite parts of summer is the heirloom tomatoes. Thinking of the colors, flavors, different sizes and irregular shapes releases feelings of happiness and longing. Eating them on burgers or alone with salt and pepper. We love them in caprese salad or chunky fresh salsa. I think I know your next question…If they're so great why don't they sell them in Wal-Mart? Stick with me and keep reading.
With the increase use of grocery stores in the 1950’s, many farmers and store owners quickly realized that many of the traditionally grown varieties of tomatoes did not hold up during transport or during long periods of being on a shelf. Bruising, short shelf life, irregular shapes, sizes and colors were not appealing to shoppers. Traditional tomatoes also didn’t hold up to the demand for all year access to produce that otherwise is seasonal. This started the idea of breeding the perfect tomato by crossing one tomato with another and continuing this process until the perfectly round and perfectly red variety was created. These new varieties called hybrids could handle the stressors of travel, stay on the shelf longer, and be the perfect size and color, but flavor gradually became lost.
German Johnson
When I began looking into what gives heirloom tomatoes a superior flavor and complexity compared to the store varieties I was expecting to find a specific scientific answer(s). I had hoped to find information regarding their genetic makeup, if growing zones mattered or if a certain type of soil is needed. Do you know what I came up with? Opinions. Lots of opinions. Instead of information about heirlooms I instead found plenty of discussions regarding why store tomatoes are tasteless. In 2012 an article was published in the journal of Science regarding a gene mutation that was specifically bred into the commercial tomato. This mutation inactivated the gene that plays an important role in producing the sugar and aromas that are the essence of a fragrant, flavorful tomato. (5) Perhaps why heirlooms have superior flavor isn’t the question we need to be asking. Perhaps the question is, why have we altered other tomatoes to the to the point of not having any flavor?
Buying tomatoes from a local farmer regardless of variety also plays a part. Harvesting a tomato at its peak when it is ripe is crucial. Often commercial varieties are picked early, refrigerated, allowed to ripen on the way to the store and in some cases sprayed with Ethylene gas to give the tomato a ripened look. Almost all of the tomatoes we sell at the market are picked that morning or the night before. They remain on the vine for as long as possible allowing them to take in nutrients and sugars from the plant. This allows tomatoes to be eaten as fresh as possible and at their peak flavor; vine to table in 24-48 hours.
I can tell you if you've never had an heirloom tomato, then you've never tasted a real tomato. I encourage you to try a tomato from the store and compare it to an heirloom tomato grown locally and picked when ripe and find out for yourself. If you are unsure where to get your heirloom tomatoes I may know a farmer who can help you with this.
On a side note, if you are interested in learning more about Ethylene gas and tomatoes check out this article. Question Your Tomato: Beware of Artificial Ripening.