What is an Heirloom Tomato?

Heirloom tomatoes have been selected over the years for their flavor. The word “heirloom” refers to the history behind the fruit, provoking endless images of farmers in their garden taste-testing and then saving seeds from the best tomatoes. Each heirloom variety has a distinctive story, history, flavor and appearance. In general, heirlooms are commonly less seedy, more flavorful and colorful, and sweeter then hybrid tomatoes. Because they have been selected for flavor and not ease of production on a large-scale, they may be more susceptible to cracking and disease while in the field. Heirloom tomatoes need special attention and, for this reason, farmers charge more for them at market. However, we think they are well-worth it and hope you do too!