Your Guide to Eating Heirloom
Does that heirloom tomato on your counter have you wondering what it’s got in common with your grandma’s antique vase? Fear not! We’ve got five fast facts to bring you up to speed on the increasingly popular resurgence of heirloom foods. Let’s get vegucated!
Eating an heirloom fruit or vegetable is like an edible history lesson. Heirloom seeds have been preserved through time by avid home gardeners and farmers who have a passion for unique, lesser recognized veggies. While they are still growing in commercial popularity, you might spot more heirloom fruits and vegetables making their debut at your local grocery store. Want to explore an endless array of heirloom produce? Head to your local farmers market and feast your eyes.
So, how old is an heirloom seed? Opinions vary, but most seed sleuths agree an heirloom seed qualifies as such if its origin is more than 50 years old. Some seeds even date back to the 1600s.
It’s easy to diversify your dinner plate when you eat heirloom produce. One of the best parts of eating heirloom is the array of colors, textures, shapes, and sizes you might not see from a typical pepper, tomato, or squash. The weirder the better!
A lot of heirloom foods are tongue twisters! Next time you’re in the store and see a Rattlesnake snap bean or a Japanese climbing cucumber, say it ten times fast, and promptly bring some home to experiment with.
Curious about growing your own heirloom fruits and veggies? Heirloom seeds are more accessible to home gardeners than ever before from seed saving experts, like Seed Savers Exchange. Happy planting!
Learn how to cook up our very own Mini Heirloom Tomatoes!