2010 Season Heirloom Tomatoes

Last year the tomato season in Connecticut was ruined. Too much rain and not enough heat caused blight and a very small crop. The good thing about heirloom tomatoes is that they can weather (ha ha) a bad season. Just like sports, there is always next year. The seeds are what are important since they carry fruit’s “DNA” giving us the varietal characteristics and sustain the longevity over the years. So, take heart, last year’s bad growing season is over and done.

This summer, 2010, proves to be better. We’ve had more sunshine and hot days by early June than we did all last summer, conditions tomatoes need to grow well in.

So get them while you can! Regardless of how cooperative the weather is, the homegrown/farm stand tomato season is still a really short one. Buying any kind of tomato out of season is almost always a mistake — they tend to be watery and flavorless because they were picked too early and not fully vine-ripened or grown in some sort of scientific lab somewhere — just another reason why homegrown heirlooms should not be missed. Whenever you can, buy Heirloom Tomatoes instead of the standardized mega market variety — if not for the preciously short window of opportunity then for the taste (which is reason enough, no need to mention supporting local farms and eating fresher foods).

Heirlooms tend to be hard to get in mega markets because they are thin skinned and hard to commercially stock, the variance in their size, sprawling growing habits (don’t do well in cages) make them difficult to efficiently package and price. Additionally Heirlooms must be open-pollinated by natural methods (again affecting commercial efficiency, cost and productivity). Lucky for us around the Farmington Valley we have farm stands.

Heirloom Tomatoes are colorful, ranging everywhere from green to purple and black to red. They are dented, ugly, striped, misshapen and not uniform in size or variety. There are too many varieties to name. It is best to buy an assortment and slicing up a variety provides a wonderful nuance and extremely flavorful salad.

But what is an Heirloom Tomato? Truth is, there is no solid definition. They could be used from seeds that are 100 years old or from the World War II era, or simply seeds handed down a couple of generations. Besides being open pollinated — one thing is sure in an Heirloom Tomato; there is no GMO (Genetically Modified Organisms).

All Tomatoes are rich in Lycopene. You may find it interesting that some studies show that when cooked they contain higher concentrations than when raw. They are also rich in vitamins B and C and iron and potassium.

So — Get your kids and visit a Farmer’s Market when the summer season starts and get there often! Bring some friends too because running around a farm stand or a multi-venue market is cool. Bringing kids to a local farm, especially where there are animals and pastures is an important experience in a young person life and you will have good time too. Have the kids pick the coolest tomatoes they can find. It will be fun when you serve them up with dinner.