Choosing Heirloom Tomatoes

Posted by Angela England Apr 4, 2007

As I've been delving into the tasty, I mean exciting, world of heirloom vegetables it is the unique and flavorful heirloom tomatoes that have caught my attention the most.

So many colors! So many sizes! How do I decide which heirloom tomatoes to cram into a 500 word article?

Sometimes just a clever name, the fact that it originated from a foreign country, or has an interesting backstory. Like "Radiator Charlie's Mortgage Lifter" - a large beefsteak that sold so well the radiator repairman who first bred them was able to pay off his debts completely.

My Square Foot Garden vegetable plots are only so large this year and already I've added two containers, a strawberry jar and a vegetable trellis to make room for all I want to grow! I've managed to limit myself to "only" 6 different tomato plants this year, 4 of them heirloom varities. Yum! The others were impulse buys. Who could resist a cherry tomato called "Jelly Bean" tomatoes? Destined to become a favorite.

It seems that we always manage to make room for our favorites but it leaves me wondering what makes them a favorite?

A new contributing writer, Julia Williams has also added her voice of opinion on the topic with a list of her favorite heirloom tomatoes. And she does an excellent job explaining why they are her favorites.

What are your favorites? Share your voice with us!