The True Test of a Tomato (Hint: it's not the color red.)

From sauces to soups, to pizzas and grain bowls, tomatoes come in first for adding flavor. Whether your favorite recipe is Italian, Hispanic, Indian, or Middle Eastern, every one agrees: summertime heirloom tomatoes come in first for flavorful tomatoes. 

Ten out of ten times, heirloom tomatoes are the most prized tomatoes on the market. When it comes to taste, chefs prize these "ugly delicious" beauties for their rich and varied flavor, especially compared to commercial varieties. And, let's be clear, "heirloom" imposters in the grocery store are not the real deal.

What are heirloom tomatoes?

Heirloom tomatoes are tomatoes grown from seeds that have not been hybridized. Each heirloom tomato has a distinct shape and flavor. Many are thin-skinned which means they're packed with flavor (not thickness for mechanical harvest and production).  The seeds have been handed down through generations.

These tasty, thin-skinned, tomatoes can't travel well and can't be harvested easily with machines. They're not uniform. And, all told, they're nearly extinct. Hybrids bred, at the expense of flavor, for uniformity and mechanical production have essentially replaced heirloom tomatoes.

Where can I get heirloom tomatoes?

At your farmer's market (or from Tomato Bliss!). Really, the term "heirloom" is not regulated so those "heirloom" tomatoes in the grocery store (unless locally sourced) are look-alikes made with hydroponic liquid and hybridized seeds.

My favorite heirloom tomatoes?

Jaunne Flamme, Black Cherry, Nebraska Wedding, Cherokee Purple, Green Zebra.