Heirloom tomatoes are coveted and not impossible to grow in Reno-Tahoe.
With colors ranging from deep indigo to shiny gold and shapes such as teardrop and asymmetrical, heirloom tomatoes are bright beacons indicating that summer has finally arrived.
What Is an Heirloom Tomato?
Shape and color are just two ways to distinguish heirloom tomatoes from the typically perfect red globes usually found in the grocery store. Technically, heirlooms are distinguished by their seeds, which come directly from the tomato plant and are passed down from season to season. Heirloom plants also are pollinated naturally by birds and insects. What makes them special is that their DNA has not been manipulated to withstand disease and for mass production.
The passing on of heirloom tomatoes is what has given them their distinct colors and sizes as well as their far superior flavor. Not only are they the belles of the farmers’ market ball, but they’re also important to overall food production, being true to type and pollinated naturally. A tomato variety should have existed for more than half a century before it’s considered an authentic heirloom.
“Heirloom tomatoes are important because they are [produced from] heritage seeds,” says David Longo, co-owner of Prema Farm in Reno. “Generally speaking, they are a much older seed stock. They are open-pollinated and not scientifically engineered seeds. From that age and pollination, you are getting delicious flavor and wild colors.”
Growers at Prema Farm tend several varieties of heirloom tomatoes, including yellow pear, indigo apple, and Cherokee purple. They sell the tomatoes at Reno’s Riverside Farmers Market, Great Basin Community Food Co-op, and Shirley’s Farmers’ Markets.
The most popular heirlooms that Prema Farm sells are medium-sized jaune flamme tomatoes, in pint or half-pint containers.
“They almost don’t make it home,” Longo says. “People just eat them right there.”
Longo also looks for the weirdest-looking shapes and even irregularities in the skin.
“Some people steer away from tomatoes that have cracks on the tops, but I look for tomatoes that have something that looks like a healed wound,” Longo says. “That’s the sugars building up in the tomato and an indication that it’s going to be absolutely delicious.”
If they’re so popular, why doesn’t everyone grow them?
“Most people don’t grow heirlooms because they don’t grow as well,” Longo says. “They are not bred for disease resistance. Maybe in the backyard, it’s fine, but in a large-scale, high-production environment, when they are all mixed together, we see a lot of rot, downy mildew, and things that slowly destroy the plant throughout the season.”
However, Longo encourages backyard gardeners to experiment with their plants.
“Do not ever be afraid to try different heirloom varieties,” Longo says. “Try anything you can get your hands on.”
Heirloom Growing Tips
If you decide to grow your own heirloom tomatoes, they do need a little extra attention.
Becky Borda of Greenhouse Garden Center in Carson City recommends choosing shorter-season varieties that germinate and produce fruit within 50 to 60 days. She also recommends protecting the plants as much as possible in the beginning by moving them in and out of the garage, home, or protected greenhouse and using water walls during the summer. Most importantly, don’t plant them in the ground too early, especially in our area.
“In the middle of May, we begin to see what we call ‘tomato mania,’” Borda says.
She explains that customers get so excited to see tomato plants that they purchase them and plant them in gardens that haven’t yet seen the last frost.
Greenhouse Garden Center sells about 18 to 20 different varieties of heirloom tomatoes, including Boxcar Willie and Mr. Stripey.
“Just the names of them,” Borda says with a laugh. “They are so much fun.”
Cherokee Purple
This beefsteak-style tomato with purple skin has potential cancer-fighting properties and is great for salads and on a BLT sandwich.
Yellow Pear
With its distinctive teardrop shape and yellow color, this heirloom is popular with children and often enjoyed dotting a summer salad.
Glacier
This short-season, cooler-climate heirloom is the nearly perfect red, round fruit for snacks or salads.
Indigo Apple
This stunning variety has nearly black skin but a vibrant red interior that looks beautiful in a Caprese salad or on summer pizza.
Jaune Flamme
Medium-sized and perfectly round, these blush-colored tomatoes are great roasted, grilled, or in a homemade sauce.
Boxcar Willie
This well-balanced tomato named for the country music singer-songwriter is a great choice for canning.
Moskvich
For impatient gardeners, this variety produces fruit early and has that distinctive, seedy interior and traditional flavor.
Mr. Stripey
Like a summer sunset, this variety is red and gold and deliciously sweet. Eat them sliced or stuffed with orzo or tuna salad.
