Would you pick a lumpy, cracked, purple-brown tomato off the grocery store shelf? Probably not. But if you've ever grown heirloom tomatoes, you know a secret: the funny-looking ones are often the best-tasting tomatoes you'll ever eat. In this post, you'll learn why heirlooms look the way they do, why that's usually a good sign, and which varieties to try.
Why do store tomatoes look so perfect?
Most supermarket tomatoes are grown to ship well. They're bred for firm flesh, tough skins, uniform shape and a long shelf life, and they're often picked before they're fully ripe. Those traits help them survive a long truck ride, but flavor isn't always the top priority.
Heirloom tomatoes come from a different tradition. Gardeners kept them going for generations because they tasted great, not because they shipped well. Many are thin-skinned, soft when ripe and a bit irregular, which is exactly why they're best grown at home.
What do those “flaws” mean?
- Thin skins: Heirloom skins are often delicate, so the fruit is tender and juicy when you bite in. The trade-off is that they can crack after heavy rain. Even watering helps.
- Catfacing: Big, lumpy fruit with puckered scars on the bottom is called catfacing. It's often triggered by cool weather when the flowers form, and it's more common in large-fruited heirlooms. It looks odd, but the fruit is perfectly good to eat. Just cut around the scarred bits.
- Green shoulders: Some heirlooms stay green or yellow around the stem even when ripe. Many modern tomatoes carry a trait that makes them ripen evenly red, and research has linked that trait to slightly less sugar in the fruit. Heirlooms without it often keep those shoulders, along with more flavor.
- Unusual colors: Purple, green, yellow and pink tomatoes all have their own flavors, from smoky to bright and tangy.
Heirloom tomatoes worth growing
- Cherokee Purple (about 80 days from transplant): dusky purple-rose fruit with a rich, sweet, almost smoky flavor. A favorite for slicing.
- Brandywine Red (about 80 to 100 days): big, often lumpy beefsteaks with that classic old-fashioned tomato flavor. Give it a long season and a sturdy cage.
- Green Zebra (about 75 to 80 days): green with yellow stripes when ripe, and bright and tangy. It looks wonderful sliced next to red tomatoes.
- German Johnson (about 80 to 90 days): large pink beefsteaks with a meaty texture and great balance of sweet and tart.
Tips for growing great heirloom tomatoes
- Start indoors: Sow seeds about 6 to 8 weeks before your last spring frost.
- Plant deep: Bury transplants up to their top few sets of leaves. Tomatoes grow roots along the buried stem.
- Support them: Most heirlooms are indeterminate, meaning they keep growing all season. Use tall cages or stakes.
- Water evenly: Deep, steady watering (about an inch or more a week) helps prevent cracking and blossom end rot.
- Pick ripe: For the best flavor, harvest when fruit is fully colored and gives slightly when squeezed. Store at room temperature, not in the fridge.
Here in Minnesota, zone 5a, our season is shorter, so it's smart to include at least one variety in the 75 to 80 day range to make sure you're picking tomatoes before frost.
Grow a little ugly this year
Give a few heirloom tomatoes a spot in your garden and see how they taste next to a store-bought one. Chances are you'll never look at a perfect red tomato the same way again. Every packet is non-GMO and USA grown, and I pack them by hand here in Minnesota. Browse all our heirloom tomato seeds.
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