Long gone are the days of pallid, flavorless tomatoes--at least for those who grow or seek out fresh, locally grown tomatoes. While "heirloom" labels and varieties don't guarantee great flavor (for that you need to consider how they're grown--I always look for dry-farmed tomatoes), they do offer a range of tomato flavors and colors unimaginable to most of us just a few years ago.
Brandywine Tomatoes
Photo © Molly Watson
Brandywine tomatoes are the most classically tomato-flavored and the hardiest of commonly available heirloom varieties. For that reason they are relatively widely available. Don't worry about grooves and bumps, Brandywine tomatoes are notoriously oddly shaped.
Black Prince Tomatoes
Photo © Molly Watson
Black Prince tomatoes have a sweet, earthy flavor and relatively firm texture.
Cherokee Purple Tomatoes
Photo © Molly Watson
Cherokee Purple tomatoes are a bit earthier and sweeter than other varieties. They can be a reddish-purple color, as pictured here, or almost brown. Like Brandywine tomatoes, they tend to be larger than many heirloom varieties.
Costoluto Genovese Tomatoes
Photo © Molly Watson
These bright red, deeply grooved tomatoes burst with balanced, classic tomato flavor.
Flamme Orange Tomatoes
Photo © Molly Watson
Like most orange tomatoes, Flamme Orange tomatoes are sweeter and less acidic than other tomatoes. These small examples burst with juice.
Green Zebra Tomatoes
Photo © Molly Watson
Green Zebra tomatoes are, as you might guess, green and striped. Lines of darker and lighter greens stripe the sides of these brightly tasting, just barely tart tomatoes.
Lemon Boy Tomatoes
Photo © Molly Watson
A brightly flavored, low acid tomato, Lemon Boy tomatoes are perfect for slicing and eating or tossing into salads for color.
Marvel Stripe Tomatoes
Photo © Molly Watson
These are a great, all-purpose fresh eating tomato. Marvel Stripe tomatoes are best eaten raw--either sliced or chopped on their own or in salads for one reason: their fabulous color is lost when cooked or blended, and their stripes are a huge part of their charm. That said, they have a mild, balanced tomato flavor.
Stupichka Tomatoes
Photo © Molly Watson
You may find it as tempting as I do to call Stupichka tomatoes "stupid" tomatoes. Stupid tasty, maybe. These small, solid-fleshed gems are filled with full tomato flavor.
Vintage Wine Tomatoes
Photo © Molly Watson
Vintage Wine tomatoes have a mix of purple, red, and green in them--both in color and flavor. A bit of classic red flavor, mild and un-acidic green tomatoes, and earthy purple tomatoes all in one.
