Heirloom Tomato Roundup
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Odd Shapes and Many Sizes
Read on for our guide to 12 great heirloom varieties, with a recipe designed to highlight the unique flavor of each.
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Brandywine
This tomato is an excellent multipurpose beefsteak variety. Although it's difficult to verify exact origin, some experts speculate that it was first cultivated by the Amish more than a century ago. This fruit is grown in yellow, red, pink, and purple-fleshed varieties. With a classic tomato taste, the classic red Brandywine is full-flavored with a pleasant acidity, a floral aroma similar to roses, and a supple buttery texture.
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Mortgage Lifter
This pink-fleshed beefsteak was originally bred by a radiator repairman from West Virginia in the 1930s. Seedlings of the tomato were sold for $1 each, paying off his $6,000 mortgage in six years. This tomato can tip the scale at two pounds. It's also known for mild, sweet flavor.
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Limmony
A Russian variety, this pale yellow beefsteak tomato has a strong, zesty, sweet citrusy flavor. It is also sometimes spelled Lemony.
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Mr. Stripey
A pale yellow tomato with pinkish-orange blush, and occasionally, green stripes, Mr. Stripey is a delicate beefsteak with low acid content that allows its sweetness to shine. The flavor boasts notes of melon, and the firm skin provides a nice contrast to the tender flesh when eaten raw.
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Persimmon
A prolific rose-orange beefsteak, some say this creamy, meaty, gorgeous tomato was cultivated by Thomas Jefferson. It has a near perfect acid-to-sugar balance.
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Cherokee Purple
As the name implies, this meaty beefsteak variety has a deep purple color that tends toward brown or black. The firm, juicy, sweet-tart flesh, along with its jammy hue, often leads people to find the flavor evocative of a spicy zinfandel wine. Indeed, it has similar vegetal undertones that are balanced with a natural sweetness.
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Abraham Lincoln
This dark red globe tomato is juicy and meaty with a robust flavor similar to ketchup, but slightly less sweet.
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Green Zebra
At full maturity, this is a yellowish-green tomato with dark green striations. Although it's a beefsteak variety, the fruit is typically smaller than its kin, about the size of a baseball. The flavor is mildly spicy and slightly tart.
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Old Ivory Egg
A mild-flavored yellow plum, this tomato earned its name because it is the size and shape of a chicken's egg. It's a creamy ivory color that turns yellow as it ripens. Enjoy the mild, sweet flavor of this variety either cooked or raw. It's a great garden selection, as it produces fruit up until frost.
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Sungold
These little prolific orange cherry tomatoes grow in pretty, long clusters. The flavor is a nice balance of citrusy tartness, with hints of grape, orange, and floral flavors and a pleasant sweetness.
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Yellow Pear
Sometimes called Beam's yellow pear, these are firm, tart, tiny, pear-shaped tomatoes with citruslike acidity.
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Green Grape
This delicious little fruit looks like a big Muscat grape. The mild flavor has a nice sweetness balanced by bright acidity, and it's deliciously juicy.