A cook's garden: Heirloom 101

The bounty of Canadian fruit and veggies available in late summer have always provided a gentle buffer to the transition from hot days to cool nights. Stars of the season are local tomatoes - and in particular, heirloom tomatoes for their quirky shapes and spectrum of colours. Once unique to menus in high-end restaurants, heirloom tomatoes have migrated to cookbooks and to household grocery lists. So, aside from the inherent charm, what distinguishes an heirloom fruit or vegetable from those that are not?

Linda Crago, owner of Tree and Twig Heirloom Vegetable Farm in Wellandport, Ontario has been devoted to growing heirlooms all her life and has become an expert in the field. Crago states that in order for a vegetable to be considered an heirloom it must be open-pollinated, of a certain age, and accompanied by a particular story.

The term open-pollination refers to the method that seeds are harvested, stored, saved and replanted the following season to reproduce a vegetable that is ‘true-to-type’, meaning the same varietal as the parent fruit. To breed and heirloom, seeds from the varietals must be consistently saved and replanted year after year without any cross-pollination.  It takes six consecutive years of open-pollination to establish an heirloom variety.

While the general rule states that heirlooms should be a minimum of 50 years old, there is some room for accommodation regarding age. The word heirloom denotes a thing of value that is passed down from generation to generation, therefore a certain age of breed is required to allow time for this transition. However many feel that a varietal that has been open pollinated for 30-40 years, and has lore consistent with an heirloom would be difficult to classify as anything else.

The final and most intriguing characteristic of heirlooms is the anecdotal component. Along with open-pollination, and age, each variety must have a story - a story that has accompanied that seed through generations. Consider a common heirloom tomato the “mortgage lifter”. This variety was developed in the West Virginia in the 1930’s when a man was in desperate need to pay off a significant mortgage against his home. He began selling his own unique variety of tomatoes, subsequently paying off his debt with the earnings.

With over 10,000 varieties of heirloom tomatoes, the spectrum of flavours is broad. Red heirlooms, of which there are many, have the widest range of flavours, but always rich and intense.  Bi-colours are often fruity, while white and yellow tomatoes often milder with a slight sweetness. Green and orange will often have hints of spice, whereas brown, black and blue (yes, blue) display a unique characteristic of smokiness. In terms of appearance, almost anything goes from tiny to massive, smooth to rippled and cracked, round to sausage shape and dense to hollow.

So, why choose heirloom? Although skeptics may argue you can’t taste a difference, proponents of heirloom produce would wholeheartedly disagree. Hybrid vegetables are bred to be long lasting and durable for shipping - characteristics that make them desirable for the mass market. The process of breeding for these attributes naturally means that other attributes are bred out of a variety. Crago states “in the last century, we have lost 90 per cent of our vegetable varieties — a tragic loss of diversity”. It is in these less common breeds that the secrets to interesting flavours, unique colours, and random sizes live.

Despite the fact that heirloom tomatoes have a relatively short shelf life, and can be slightly more challenging to grow (they have a tendency to more disease prone) their romantic appeal is undeniable. The idea that something as simple as a tomatoes, can link us back to generations that preceded us is enchanting. The intense flavours, unique shapes and colours are not only delicious; they offer diversity – something that is often lacking in our food selection. Perhaps the great taste of heirlooms is enough to convince us that they are something to cherish. Perhaps we feel a sense of duty to keep these borderline extinct varieties alive - or perhaps we just enjoy the chance to bite into a fruit ripe with history.

Try delicious heirloom tomatoes in our heirloom caprese salad or substitute heirlooms into our spicy spaghetinni with goat cheese, tomato and artichoke or charred cherry tomato bruschetta.

Originally published September 22nd, 2012.