What is an Heirloom Tomato?

So you've never had an heirloom tomato? You might have seen one and thought what is wrong with that tomato?

With heirloom tomato season in full swing, we wanted to take some time to share with you what makes an heirloom tomato taste so good and why they're better than the conventional ones you can buy at the grocery store. 

What makes heirlooms better?

The typical supermarket tomato is blemish free, ripe-red, and looks exactly like what we would expect. Although these tomatoes are beautiful to look at, they are not bred for taste. During the local harvest season, our local & organic farmers have focussed on the superior flavors of heirloom tomatoes. There are many heirloom varieties and they come in an assortment of shapes, sizes and colors. "In a study published in June in Current Biology, researchers took a close look at the chemical composition of both standard tomatoes and more than 100 different heirloom varieties, which they also fed to 170 volunteers in a taste test. Their new findings confirm what scientists have learned in recent years: a tomato's flavor depends not only on the balance of sugars and acids within the fruit but also on subtle fragrant compounds—many of which are lacking in the modern supermarket tomato." (Credit: Ferris Jabar from Scientific America)

Heirlooms don't look like your regular tomato
An heirloom tomato will not look like your traditional perfectly round & red tomatoes. Some of them are solid yellow or green. Some have a mixture of orange, green and red. But, when sliced up they sure do make a statement at the dinner table. 



What qualifies a tomato as an heirloom?
An heirloom is handed down from generation to generation . Some say for a tomato to be considered an heirloom it must be 40-50 years old. An heirloom tomato seed grows true to it's variety. This means if you plant a Green Zebra Heirloom, you're going to get a Green Zebra Heirloom. 

How long is the Heirloom season?

The season is short, so relish the time they're here. They don’t last forever! You can expect to see Heirloom tomatoes from ___ until ____.

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By and large, these locally grown & organic heirloom tomatoes can't be beat in flavor. Be sure to add them to your next delivery! 

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The Doorganics Team